The Australian Attack at Lone Pine, Gallipoli

THE Australian 1st Brigade was given the honour of making the attack on the Turkish trenches at Lone Pine as the 3rd Brigade had led the attack at the landing, and the 2nd Brigade had charged at Cape Helles.

Many of the soldiers taking part in the attack were sick, and strained with lack of sleep and with heavy work. Some wondered whether the men would be able to stand up to continuous fighting. Whatever the soldiers' feelings might have been, the excitement of the coming battle gave them new strength. There was not the least sign of nervousness in face, speech, or action, and they joked or laughed as if they were at a football match.

The signal for the charge was three whistle blasts and exactly at 5.30 in the afternoon the 1st Brigade charged the Turkish trenches from 100 to 200 yards away in three waves of soldiers.

As the Anzacs sprang from their trenches they were met by heavy rifle and machine-gun fire, many fell, but others filled the gaps. Very soon they reached the Turkish trenches to find that they were roofed over with large logs, which prevented the soldiers from jumping into them. The Turks were firing at them from loopholes below the logs. Many soldiers jumped over the covered trenches and began to attack the Turks from the rear, in what are known as communication trenches, or open trenches leading up to the front line.

Other soldiers lifted logs and jumped down into the front trenches and with bayonet and bombs fought the Turks in the semi-darkness. Unfortunately the Anzacs hadn't many bombs but it was difficult to tell friend from foe in the darkness of the covered trenches. Anzac soldiers were fighting their way in to the trenches at many places but there was not yet any certainty as to which parts had been captured and which had not.

An unidentified soldier using a periscope rifle in a Lone Pine trench. A homemade invention of mirrors, boxwood and wire, the periscope rifle allowed the user to sight and fire a rifle over the parapet without exposing himself to enemy fire.

Gradually, after much hard fighting, the 1st Brigade had possession of most of the Lone Pine position. They then had to block up the communication trenches, to stop the Turks from fighting their way back again. Other soldiers dug trenches from the old Anzac line to the newly captured trenches so that food, water, and ammunition could be brought to the new front line.

The Turks were brave and fearless fighters and fought hard to win back their trenches. Many fierce hand-to-hand fights took place and brave men died on both sides. During the battle, which lasted for nearly a week, no fewer than seven Anzac soldiers won the Victoria Cross.

With the exception of Rorke's Drift this is more than has ever been won in any other single battle since the V.C. was first awarded over 100 years ago.

Medals of Tubb VC, a Lone Pine VC winner

At last the Turks had to admit defeat and the Lone Pine trenches became part of the Anzac front.

A pile of equipment taken from men killed and wounded in the fighting at Lone Pine between 6 and 9 August.

The 1st Division lost over 2,000 men in the battle, which saw some of the fiercest hand to hand fighting in the entire Gallipoli campaign; Turkish losses were even heavier.

The fighting at Lone Pine is said to have been the severest hand-to-hand battle of the whole war; certainly it was the heaviest of its kind in which Australian soldiers ever took part. It achieved the purpose for which it was planned, as it made the Turks think that the main attack was being made there, at the narrowest part of the whole Peninsula, and caused them to throw many thousands of troops into the fighting before the main attack was made further left, on the slopes of Sari Bair.

Although the actual ground won was not more than 100 yards in depth, the Australian losses during the course of the five-day battle were over 2,000, and the Turkish losses over 7,000. It was indeed a terrible battle in which neither side would admit defeat.

A trench at Lone Pine after the battle, showing Australian and Turkish dead on the parapet.

In the foreground of this much published image is Captain Leslie Morshead (later Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead) of the 2nd Battalion and on his right (standing facing camera), is 527 Private James (Jim) B Bryant, 8th Battalion, of Stawell, Vic.

As a 60th Battalion ("daughter" or "pup" battalion of the 8th) Company Quartermaster Sergeant (CQMS) Bryant was awarded the Military Medal MM in 1918. He enlisted in the Second AIF as VX55299 Lieutenant J B Bryant, and survived three years as a prisoner of the Japanese in Changi Prison, Singapore. Bryant lent his camera to an unknown friend who took AWM image A03869, an equally famous image of the Gallipoli trenches. Later in life he was one of the few Gallipoli veterans to undertake a private pilgrimage to Anzac Cove. Private Bryant was previously identified as Private Angus Sutherland Allen, later (Captain Angus Sutherland Allen MC), who was killed in action on 21 July 1918 in France. Note the prominent white over red 8th Battalion colour patch worn on Bryant's right shoulder.

Joseph Climpson, MC MM

Joseph Climpson was born at Redfern, Sydney, in May 1894, and as a young man was employed as a printer. He also completed several years of compulsory cadet service, and then joined 16 Signal Troop of the Militia.

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He enlisted in the AIF immediately after the outbreak of war in August 1914, and presumably due to his previous experience, was allotted to the 1st Divisional Signal Company with the service number 78 (later 78A). He landed at Gallipoli with his unit on 25 April 1915, and was promoted to lance corporal the following day.

Climpson served throughout the campaign, and was Mentioned in Despatches (along with a number of his 1 Div Sigs compatriots) for distinguished service in the action at Lone Pine in August. After the evacuation, the AIF was reorganised, and Climpson was transferred to the 4th Divisional Signal Company, with whom he served for the remainder of the war.

During 1916, his gallant conduct at Pozières saw him awarded the Military Medal, and by the end of the year, he had been promoted to sergeant. He was awarded a Bar to the MM after the fighting a Bullecourt in April 1917, and having reached the rank of Warrant Officer, was selected for Officer training late in the year.

Climpson returned to 4 Div Sigs as a 2nd Lieutenant in March 1918, and was almost immediately awarded the Military Cross for maintaining communications during the crucial fighting at Villers Bretonneux in April. Shortly afterwards he was evacuated after being gassed, but soon returned to his unit and was promoted lieutenant in June. After his return to Australia in June 1919, Climpson was discharged from the Army and soon enlisted in the NSW Police Force, with whom he served until 1954.

He eventually reached the rank of Sergeant 2nd class, and was awarded the Imperial Service Medal. Joseph Climpson died in Cooma, NSW, in January 1973. The citation for the Mention in Despatches which was awarded to Climpson and twelve other members of 1 Div Sigs reads as follows: "These N.C.Os and men distinguished themselves by their unflinching devotion to duty and excellence of work under fire in maintaining and repairing telephone lines during the action of Lone Pine from 6th to 9th August."

Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey. 10 August 1915.

Australian troops relax inside a captured Turkish trench at Lone Pine. The effect of our howitzer shells on the heavy head cover of pine logs, the breaking through of which in taking Lone Pine was the great difficulty, is shown.

The officer with the wounded hand is Major (Maj) McConaghy, one of five officers of the 3rd Battalion who was not seriously wounded or killed in the attack.

Back row, left to right: Driver Matthews, Field Artillery; Harry Harvey, C Company, 2nd Battalion AIF (killed at Bullecourt), (possibly Private (Pte) Thomas Oliver Gardner); 239 John Davis, C Company, 2nd Battalion AIF, peak hat; Frank Pierce, 2nd Battalion AIF. Front row, sitting: Maj McConaghy; Sergeant Matthews, 3rd Battalion AIF; Robert Whelan, 2nd Battalion AIF (killed at Bullecourt), (possibly Pte Alfred James Milton), wearing peak hat.

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