that the French (the 6th Colonials under
Nogues) had carried the village by a bayonet charge at 9.35 a.m. On the
Asiatic side, then, things are going as we had hoped. The Russian
_Askold_ and the _Jeanne d'Arc_ are supporting our Allies in their
attack. Being so hung up at "V," I have told d'Amade that he will not be
able to disembark there as arranged, but that he will have to take his
troops round to "W" and march them across.

At two o'clock a large number of our wounded who had taken refuge under
the base of the arches of the old Fort at Sedd-el-Bahr began to signal
for help. The _Queen Elizabeth_ sent away a picket boat which passed
through the bullet storm and most gallantly brought off the best part of
them.

Soon after 2 o'clock we were cheered by sighting our own brave fellows
making a push from the direction of "W." We reckon they must be
Worcesters and Essex men moving up to support the Royal Fusiliers and
the Lancashire Fusiliers, who have been struggling unaided against the
bulk of the Turkish troops. The new lot came along by rushes from the
Westwards, across from "X" to "W" towards Sedd-el-Bahr, and we prayed
God very fervently they might be able to press on so as to strike the
right rear of the enemy troops encircling "V" Beach. At 3.10 the leading
heroes--we were amazed at their daring--actually stood up in order the
better to cut through a broad belt of wire entanglement. One by one the
men passed through and fought their way to within a few yards of a
redoubt dominating the hill between Beaches "W" and "V." This belt of
wire ran perpendicularly, not parallel, to the coastline and had
evidently been fixed up precisely to prevent what we were now about to
attempt. To watch V.C.s being won by wire cutting; to see the very
figure and attitude of the hero; to be safe oneself except from the off
chance of a shell,--was like being stretched upon the rack! All day we
hung _vis-a-vis_ this inferno. With so great loss and with so desperate
a situation the white flag would have gone up in the South African War
but there was no idea of it to-day and I don't feel afraid of it even
now, in the dark of a moonless night, where evil thoughts are given most
power over the mind.

Nor does Hunter-Weston. We had a hurried dinner, de Robeck, Keyes,
Braithwaite, Godfrey, Hope and I, in the signal office under the bridge.
As we were finishing Hunter-Weston came on board. After he had told us
his story, breathlessly and li