The 1 RDF War Diary entries continue to be still comparatively sparse, and information on the Battalion's movements has been augmented with data from the 86 Brigade War Diary.
1 Aug Helles Quiet night. Enemy shelled our trenches frequently during the day. Owing to the arrival of drafts, half the RDF Battalion was back from the reserve trenches to the Eski Lines, in order to allow more room for the Battalions in the firing line. Strength 15 officers, 551 ORs. Casualties, 3 sick.
2 Aug Helles More firing than of late by the enemy during the night. Enemy was seen using periscopes for the first time, and appears to be considerably strengthening his trenches. Casualties, 7 sick.
3 Aug Helles Very quiet night. Drafts arrived for Dublin Fusiliers, bringing the Brigade nearly up to full strength. Strength 18 officers, 813 ORs. Casualties, 3 sick.
4 Aug Helles Very quiet night. Casualties, 6 sick.
5 Aug Helles Battalion took over fire trenches prior to an attack on H12 trenches to be carried out next day. Casualties, 5 sick plus 2nd Lt Rose McClelland.
6 Aug Helles As soon as the assault was launched the 2nd Royal Fusiliers took over entire firing line, with 1/Munster and 1/Dublin in support, and 1/Lancs Fusiliers in reserve. At about 8pm, the assault having failed 1/Munster and 1/Dublin were ordered to move up to the fire trenches and organise an attack to be delivered at 9.30pm. At about 9pm an order was received to stand by till 10.30pm. At 10pm this was extended to midnight as patrols had been sent out from Essex, Hants and Worcester Regiments (85th Brigade) to search for wounded and ascertain if any of the enemys tenches were held by our men. Casualties, 9 sick plus 2nd Lt J L Jacobs.
Southern Barricade is at the southern end of this trench map
7 Aug Helles 2am order to attack cancelled. Units of the 86th Brigade were ordered to withdraw, and later at about 3am the 1/Dublin Fusilers were ordered to take over the whole firing line allocated to the 86th Brigade from 2/Royal Fusiliers on the right of Gully Ravine. This was carried out and just before daybreak the Adjutant of the Essex Regt reported to our CO that a party of Essex officers and about 40 men were still holding enemy's communication trench leading from our southern barricade. Lt Hannon and 2 platoons were passed out through this barricade and the detachment of Essex Regt was relieved and withdrawn. About 8am heavy shrapnel fire and bombing were opened on Lt Hannan's party who were driven back, followed by Turks, having some 30 dead and badly wounded in the trench that they had held. Some 20 Turks got into our trench and were at once bombed out, good work being done by Capt Carruthers. The following casualties occured
8 Aug Helles The battalion remained in the firing line while attacks were made on adjoining trenches by the 42nd Division. The Brigadier and General de Lisle inspected the trenches during the day. Capt O'Hara, RDF, went out about 8.50pm by the southern barricade and proceeded towards Turkish trench H12a which was reportedly strongly held. He then moved south, found no wounded men, and re-entered our lines by the new communicaion trench running east from Hampshire cut. Capt O'Hara's report that the H12a was held as strongly as before wa confirmed by the fire from the trench during the feww spaspotic bursts of firing that took place during the night.
9 Aug Helles The enemy fired almost continuously during the night. Casualties, 2 wounded, 8 sick
10 Aug Helles Quiet night broken occasionally by short sharp bursts of fire from the ememy. Casualties, 1 wounded, 6 sick
11 Aug Helles Demonstration started at 02.20 to divert ememy from British attack further north. RDF ordered to bomb. Enemy replied to our bomb attack with rifle fire and bombs, and eventually with machine gun fire from H12a as the bombers advanced. Casualties, 1 killed, 1 wounded plus Capt O'Hara, 5 sick plus 2nd Lt Tooth.
12 Aug Helles Quiet night. 3 patrols went out One from Essex Knoll under Capt de Wolf saw flashes from old Turkish Trench. A second from Southern Barricade with Sgts Byrne and Dunn and 1 Private, goy within 15 yards of enemy's trench joining west end of H12 and H12a. From flashes and talking they judged 50 Turks were in the trench - they were fired on while returning. Casualties, 8 wounded, 6 sick plus 2nd Lt A R Chandler.
13 Aug Helles All quiet on our front during the night. 18.45 enemy shelled left section trenches held by RDF for about half an hour. A Sgt and 1 man of RDF got into a Turkish trench between Essex Knoll and H12a and found it unoccupied. A Turk had been hit there earlier in the afternoon by Lt Fenning. Casualties, 5 wounded, 5 sick
14 Aug Helles 05.30 RDF report that trenches are being enfiladed by enemy shell fire from direction of H13c. Counter battery fire requested by Brigade, but at 06.00 enemy artillery still firing at RDF trenches. After extended communication with our own artillery, some shrapnel shells were fired at western end of H14 and enemy artillery ceased firing. Strength 14 officers and 650 ORS. Casualties, 2 sick
15 Aug Helles Quiet day Casualties, 1 killed, 2 wounded, 6 sick
16 Aug Helles The battalion withdrew to Y Ravine as Brigade reserve. Casualties, 2 wounded, 5 sick
17 Aug Helles Quiet day. Casualties, 1 wounded, 14 sick
18 Aug Helles The RDF were informed that as they were Brigade reserve they would not be relieved by another battalion. Casualties, 17 sick plus Capt W F Stirling.
19 Aug Helles Battalion instructed to load tools on waggons and send to Gully Beach as soon as possible. RDF first ordered to go to V beach for embarkation, and later order altered to W Beach. Casualties, 1 sick
The Battalion embarked at W Beach on HMT Prince Abbas and landed at Suvla Bay
20 Aug Suvla Battalion arrived Suvla at 04.30 and went into bivouac at A West Beach. At 7pm the battalion moved to Chocolate Hill and from there into the firing line on Hill 53 (map Avafarta Saghir). They completed the relief by 9pm
21 Aug Suvla Battalion improved firing line and communication trenches
Battalion held firing line during the assault on Hill 112 by 1/Munsters and 1/Lancs Fusiliers, 2/Royal Fusiliers in reserve. Casulties
22 Aug Suvla Repaired damage to trenches and at night battalion was relieved by 5th R.I. Fusiliers, and proceeded to fire trenches 2 miles north to a place called Kuchuk Anafarta Ova. 22.30 Brigadier arrives at RDF trenches in new lines. Casualties, 4 wounded, 2 missing, 7 sick
22 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Over the next week the battalion continued the improvment of the fire trenches and the communication trenches of this area and also built a blockhouseon the salient of the northern section of the defence line. An existing hut was used for this purpose. Casualties, 5 wounded, 1 missing, 3 sick.
23 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Quiet night. Trenches not bad, but only one line and no communication trenches.
24 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Quiet night. Orders received for the position to be made as string as possible. Lots to do as no communication, support or reserve trenches. Casualties, 3 wounded, 5 sick
25 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Quiet night. Enemy artillery active during the day.Divisional commander, General de Lisle, inspected the trenches. Casualties,2 killed, 5 wounded, 10 sick
26 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova All trenches being improved and strengthened. It was decided to straighten the line by advancing it to the right. The RDF were ordered to reconnoitre the ground and house to their front. Casualties, 9 sick
27 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Quiet night. RDF instructed to take Turkish house tonight, and commence advanced trench. Casualties, 1 wounded, 1 missing, 8 sick
28 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova On this date orders were received to commence a new fre trench, in order to straighten out our fire trench which was too much of a recutrant. A new trench therefore was worked out and entrenching commenced after dark. To cover the working party and to creat a diversion it was decided to sieze and hold a small hut in front of one flank of the proposed new trench. About 8.30pm 16 men under Lt Tooth, followed by 16 men under Capt de Wolf crept into position opposite the hut. The men under Lt Tooth then rushed the hut and Capt de Wolf's party moved up with picks and shovels to place hut in state of defence. About 1am Capt de Wolf had to be reinforced by 10 men from Y company owing to casualties. Previous to this Capt de Wolf had taken 30 men of his company with sandbags to complete the defence of the hut. Meanwhile X Company under Capt Carruthers had been entrenching hard. About 2.30pm the hut could no longer be retained owing to the heavy fire and frequent casualties. The dead and wounded were al evacuated. The diversion was sucessful in as far as that it drew the emeny's fare and X Company had no casualties while entrenching, and the essential part of the trench was completed that night. The casualties in Z Company were 4 killed and 8 wounded, in Y company ? wounded. Capt de Wolf, Lt Tooth and Cpl Doyle did excellent work on this occasion, and also Sgt O'Connor who unfortunately was killed. Casualties,5 killed 9 wounded, 11 sick
29 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Sapping and trench work during 29th August. Lt Col J W O'Dowla arrived and took over command of the battalion from Lt Col Ward. About 100 yards of new trench dug by RDF to advance the line. Casualties, 7 sick plus Lt Ingram
30 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Arrangements were made during the day to continue the new fire trench, but on a different plan. After dark a covering party of 20 men under ? moved out in extended order and covered the line to be entrenched. Then 60 men carrying filled sandbags moved out from the 2 flanks and rapidly laid out the line under Capt de Wolf and 2nd Lt Harris. This gave slight cover for the 60 men entrenching. Orders were given for no fire to be opened by the covering party unless absolutely obliged. The usual intermittent sniping went on along the rest o the line so that it would not cause any suspicion. The operation was quite a sucess and the next day there was a new section of trench 120ft long with enough cover to work by day. Casualties, 3 wounded, 7 sick
31 Aug Kuchuk Anafarta Ova Sapping and trench work continued. About 8.45pm 1/Munster Fusiliers arrived in relief and by midnight the Battalion was in the Brigade support trenches 1 mile in the rear. Here the battalion dip by night in the communications trench. Strength 11 officers and 796 ORs. Casualties, 15 sick