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The Graveyards of Gallipoli; A Digger History Associate Site |
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A Tribute to the Men of all the Nations that took part in the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 |
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The Gurkhas, Anzacs & the Brits Attack Hill Q. Gallipoli |
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Union
Jack carried throughout the First World War by Lieutenant Carl Sceale
Cooling, 4 Light Trench Mortar Battery, AIF.
The flag has numerous ink inscriptions recording Cooling's movements and activities during this period. In black ink are the words: 'THIS FLAG ACCOMPANIED ME PTE. C.S. COOLING IN THE FOLLOWING PLACES DURING THE WAR. BROADMEADOWS VICTORIA AUST. SEPT. 1914 |
| Carl Sceale Cooling was a 25 year old bank accountant when he enlisted (as Earl Sceale Cooting - possibly typographic errors by the enlisting officer), embarking with the 4th reinforcements to 9 Australian Light Horse Regiment as Lance Corporal 834 in April 1915. He saw service at Gallipoli with 9 ALHR before being posted to 3 ALH Brigade Headquarters prior to the evacuation in December 1915. In April 1916 he was commissioned second lieutenant and transferred to 13 Australian Infantry Battalion. After arrival in France, he was promoted to lieutenant, and later transferred again to 4 Australian Light Trench Mortar Battery, with whom he served for the remainder of the war. His activities after the war are unknown. AWM image |
| FUNURAL [sic] OF COMRADE INDIAN OCEAN H.M.S. TRANSPORT BURIAL OF A.I.F. OFFICER MCH 1915. PORT SAID 1915. PARADES. ZEITUON. [sic] CH. PARADES HELIOPOLUS [SIC} BURIAL. NEW OASIS EGYPT. 1915 ALEXANDRA. [sic] LEMNOS. 9th A.L.H. REGT. 1916 ISMALIAR [sic] DESERT CAMP 13th INF. BN. 4 INF. BDE H.Q. EGYPT 9th A.L.H.R. GALLIPOLI. HILL 60 RHODADENREM [sic] RIDGE. 3rd L.H.B. H.Q. AT EVACUATION. LEMNOS 1916 ALEXANDRA. [sic] ISMALIAR [sic] RACE COURCE [sic] HELIOPOLUS [sic] TEL-EL-KEBER [sic] 3. L.H. BDE FRANCE 6.6.1916. 13 INF. BN. BELGUIM [SIC] 4 A.L.T.M. BTY. SOMME PUSHES PRESENTATION OF AWARDS 4 INF. DBE. CHURCH PARADES. OFFICIALLY USED BY THE A.I.F. CHAPLAINS OF 4 INF. BDE. FRANCE AUGUST 1917 TILL DEMOBILISATION. THEN IN ENGLAND UNTIL RETURNED TO ME IN FRANCE LE HARVE [sic] FEB. 1919. LEFT LONDON NOV. 191 MELBOURNE JANY 1920 C.S. COOLING LIEUT. 4 A.L.T.M. BTY A.I.F. VICTORIA'. In blue ballpoint pen ink, apparently at a later date, has been added 'FRANCE 1st CONTINGENT 5 MAJOR BATTLES, SOMME ETC POSSIERS [sic] RIGHT TO THE FINISH. THEN TO HARVE FRANSE [sic] AFTER FINISH OF the WARS TO PARIS, ITALY, ROME, SWITZERLAND, IRELAND SCOTLAND LONDON WALES PROMOTED LIEUT 15-4-16 FRANCE CEYLON INDIA NEW DELHI LIEUT. C.S. COOLING 13th BTN AIF 1920'. A faded blue ink signature which may say 'STANLEY GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA' is also present. (Cooling was a good soldier but his spelling was not wonderful). AWM text. |
Once again on the night of
August 8 the columns were reorganized for the attack:
Troops moving up defiles in the dark are always late, for so many factors seem to work adversely. Wounded men and transport mules will persist in coming down and blocking the road. Wounded men are generally past caring about the fortunes of the fight. Indian mule drivers know they have to get back to their depot and are perhaps not told the proper track to take. This, of course, is soon regulated when things are normal; but while a fight is on there is a good deal of confusion. No. 1 Column carried out its task and held on to Chunuk Bair; the Ghurkas struggled up the steeps of Hill Q, their ranks becoming visibly thinner and thinner until the watchers from the posts below wondered if there would be enough momentum to carry them to the top. But they undoubtedly did get there. The Navy now commenced firing over the crest in order to debar the Turk from pressing a counter-attack. Some of the shells fell short among the Ghurkas. Instead of getting help from Baldwin, who was only at The Farm, a few heavy shells crashed on to the summit. This was one of the tragedies of Anzac. Instead of help came our own shells. It is the price that must be paid for artillery support in broken country. These things are unavoidable—they are the misfortune of war. But the enemy saw his chance. Launching a counter-attack, the gallant handful of survivors was swept off the crest and into the valley below. Simultaneously a flood was loosed on the 4th Australians; wave after wave was hurled against the New Zealanders up on the shoulder of Chunuk Bair; flushed with success and confident in the overwhelming superiority of numbers, wave after wave of skirmishers was thrown around Baldwin's forces at The Farm until the column was well-nigh annihilated. General Baldwin himself was killed with many of his commanding officers. The survivors retired to their original position on the ridge overlooking The Farm. The only force to hold its ground was General Johnston's on Chunuk Bair, where a poor trench line of 200 yards was occupied. Our fellows were too exhausted to dig in the hard ground and rock of the crest-line. It was impossible to put out wire. This brings us to the end of Sunday, August 9. The battle at Lone Pine was still raging. Down at Suvla, high officers were trying to infuse a little energy into an army that had become moribund. Worn out with three days and three nights of fighting under a merciless sun, with a short ration of water, suffering tremendous losses, the New Zealanders and other troops on Chunuk Bair were withdrawn for a little rest on the evening of August 9. Their place was taken by the 6th Loyal North Lancashires and the 5th Wiltshires. It was estimated that more than two battalions could not be usefully employed on the ridge. |
