FIVE MONTHS AT ANZAC

A NARRATIVE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF THE OFFICER COMMANDING THE 4th FIELD AMBULANCE, AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE

By

JOSEPH LIEVESLEY BEESTON

C.M.G., V.D., L.R.C.S.I., Colonel A.A.M.C. Late O.C. 4th Field Ambulance, late A.D.M.S. New Zealand and Australian Division

WITH PHOTOGRAPHS

SYDNEY
ANGUS & ROBERTSON LTD.
89 CASTLEREAGH STREET

1916

W.C. Penfold & Co. Ltd., Printers,
183 Pitt Street, Sydney.

DEDICATED TO

THE OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE 4th FIELD AMBULANCE, A.I.F., OF WHOSE LOYALTY AND DEVOTION TO DUTY THE WRITER HEREBY EXPRESSES HIS DEEP APPRECIATION.

CONTENTS

• FOURTH FIELD AMBULANCE
• THE VOYAGE
• EGYPT
• TO GALLIPOLI
• THE ANZAC LANDING
• AT WORK ON THE PENINSULA
• INCIDENTS AND YARNS
• AIR FIGHTING
• THE OFFICERS' MESS
• THE ARMISTICE
• TORPEDOING OF THE TRIUMPH
• THE DESTROYERS
• THE INDIAN REGIMENTS
• THE SWIMMING
• TURKISH PRISONERS
• POST OFFICE
• SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS
• SIMPSON
• CHURCH SERVICES
• THE ENGINEERS
• TURKS ATTACK
• RED CROSS
• PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCE
• THE ATTEMPT ON SARI BAIR
• AMBULANCE WORK
• ARTILLERY
• TURKS AS FIGHTERS

FOURTH FIELD AMBULANCE

Shortly after the outbreak of War—after the first contingent had been mobilised, and while they were undergoing training—it became evident that it would be necessary to raise another force to proceed on the heels of the first. Three Infantry Brigades with their Ambulances had already been formed; orders for a fourth were now issued, and naturally the Ambulance would be designated Fourth Field Ambulance.

The Fourth Brigade was composed of the 13th Battalion (N.S.W.), 14th (Victoria), 15th (Queensland) and 16th (Western Australia)—commanded respectively by Lieutenant-Colonel Burnage, Lieutenant-Colonel Courtnay, Lieutenant-Colonel Cannon and Lieutenant-Colonel Pope. The Brigade was in charge of Colonel Monash, V.D., with Lieutenant-Colonel McGlinn as his Brigade Major.

As it will be necessary from time to time to allude to the component parts of the Ambulance, it may be as well to describe how an ambulance is made up. It is composed of three sections, known as A, B, and C, the total of all ranks being 254 on a war strength. It is subdivided into Bearer, Tent and Transport Divisions. Each section has its own officers, and is capable of acting independently. Where there is an extended front, it is frequently desirable to detach sections and send them to positions where the work is heaviest.

As the name implies, the Bearers convey the wounded to the dressing station (or Field Hospital, as the case may be). Those in the Tent Division dress the cases and perform nursing duties, while the Transport Division undertakes their conveyance to Base Hospital.

It was decided to recruit the Fourth Field Ambulance from three States, A Section from Victoria, B from South Australia, C from Western Australia. Recruiting started in Broadmeadows, Victoria, on the 19th October, 1914, and thirty men enrolled from New South Wales were included in A Section. Towards the end of November B Section from South Australia joined us, and participated in the training. On the 22nd December we embarked on a transport forming one of a convoy of eighteen ships. The nineteenth ship —— joined after we left Albany.

Details from the Ambulance were supplied to different ships and the officers distributed among the fleet. Our last port in Australia was Albany, which was cleared on the last day of 1914—a beautiful