aken and the other left."
Many of these bombs landed near the junction of three communication
trenches. A notice had been put up: "Do not loiter here." Despite this
the Pioneer Sergeant and two other men selected the spot for a rest and
were sitting down--the Sergeant between the other two. A bomb was seen
to rise from the opposite trenches. Unfortunately the sentry's warning
was of little avail, the missile descending and exploding just in front
of the reclining trio. From the cloud of black smoke emerged the
Sergeant quite uninjured. His two companions were not so fortunate.

The fourth day of the month was one of alarms. At 9 a.m. "Jacko"--as the
Turk was called--suddenly opened a heavy fire with all weapons. This was
continued for some time and preparations were made to receive an attack.
Nothing eventuated at the time, and after a while normal conditions were
resumed. Late in the day Brigade Headquarters reported a considerable
body of the enemy moving south from Anafarta, and ordered a state of
readiness. The reserves stood by all night, but again the enemy failed
to show himself and the tired troops returned to the bivouacs after
daylight on the 5th.

Companies continued to relieve each other every six or seven days, but
on the 4th October it was decided to relieve the whole Battalion. One
company of the 25th Battalion arrived this day and took over from "B"
Company, which proceeded to the lower portion of the Cheshire Ridge. On
the following day the relief was completed. However, the Machine Gun
Section, a mining party of 26 men, a trench mortar party, and a certain
nucleus for each post, were left in the line to carry on the works and
assist the Queenslanders. A platoon of "C" Company, under Lieut. R. C.
Phillips, was sent to Canterbury Slope, and Major Welch's company was
directed to remain in its old position as brigade reserve.

The 24 days in the crowded narrow limits of the Apex had considerably
reduced the strength of the Battalion. By the end of September, 13 had
been killed, 9 died of wounds, 46 were wounded, and 35 evacuated sick.
The dead had been buried in the little cemeteries which had been
arranged on one side of the Chailak Dere or down near the sea beach. For
these the Battalion Pioneers made neat little wooden crosses which were
placed to mark the head of each grave. The wounded were first attended
to by the stretcher-bearers, who made use of the "first field
dressing"--an antiseptic bandage