Of all the posts and trenches at Anzac the most dangerous and difficult to defend was Quinn's Post, at the head of Monash Valley, and at the apex, or point, of the whole Anzac line. The ground was so rough and the trenches so close together that there was terrific firing and bombing day and night. At some points the Turks and Anzacs were only five yards apart, whilst at no part of the post were they more than 17 yards apart which is less than the length of a cricket pitch.
It was not possible to look over the top of the trench without being shot so periscopes were used to see what the Turks were doing. A periscope is made with two rectangular pieces of mirror fitted into a tin case about eighteen inches long, one piece of mirror at the top and the other at the bottom, or sometimes the mirrors were fixed to each end of a stick. By holding the periscope with the top mirror above the trench, then looking in the lower mirror, the Anzacs could observe the Turkish trenches and see what was going on.
When the Turks found they could not use their rifles very effectively they started throwing bombs, or band grenades as they are sometimes called. These were
hollow steel balls about the size of a tennis ball filled with explosive, and fitted with a wick or fuse which would burn for about a quarter of a minute before exploding the bomb. The Turks lit the fuse and then threw the bomb into the Anzac trenches.
At first the Anzacs had no bombs to throw at the Turks, so some of the bravest Anzacs caught the bombs, as
you do a cricket ball, and threw them back into the Turkish trenches to
explode there. At some places the Anzacs put up wire netting to stop the Turkish bombs falling into the trenches.
Throughout the whole of the Gallipoli campaign Quinn's Post was always garrisoned by brave and experienced soldiers and it was looked upon as an honour to have served there. |
