Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From London Legacy

GALLIPOLI STORY: QUINN'S POST
One of our Legacy widows, Mrs Catherine Constant, has very kindly provided us with previously unseen information about her father, Thomas Arnott, DCM, who served with distinction at Gallipoli. This is the first time the story of Thomas Arnott’s service —before, during and after Gallipoli — has been told. We are grateful for Mrs Constant’s generosity in sharing this story of her father’s Anzac experience with us. The following article has drawn on family diaries, newspaper cuttings and published books, which have been duly acknowledged.

THOMAS ARNOTT AT QUINN’S POST, ANZAC
by Simon Kleinig

“…One afternoon we took a small trench from the enemy and it was during the attack that I was working the machine gun when another [Turkish] machine gun chap opened fire on me, blowing my sand bags down, leaving me open at the side. We fought for about a quarter of an hour when at last he got me in the jaw.”
Tom Arnott’s war was counted in weeks. A machine gunner with the 1st Australian Infantry Battalion, Tom formed part of the second and third waves who waded ashore at Anzac Cove in the half light of Sunday, 25 April 1915 to write themselves into Australian history. Five weeks later to the day he was seriously wounded at Quinn’s Post and evacuated to hospital in Alexandria. Although Tom’s war was over, in those five weeks he had done enough to ensure he would return to Sydney a hero.

Thomas Arnott was born on 9 July 1894 into a family of eight children. Tom’s father (Thomas senior) was originally a mining engineer from Dunfermline, Scotland; his wife Elizabeth was born in Sydney of Scots immigrant parents. Thomas senior raised his family as protestant Presbyterians, instilling along the way a strong, principled work ethic. The Arnott family lived in the inner Sydney suburb of Balmain.

By 1911 Tom, now aged seventeen, had been working for two years in the “seed trade” for the plant nursery firm of Horton & Co. Tom now felt it was time to move on. He left Horton’s on good terms, his former employer writing that Tom had “fulfilled his duties in every way to our satisfaction.” His working life also included army service in the militia, where he served as a “compulsory trainee”.

The following year his father wrote to his son in a letter which may seem rather harsh by today’s standards: “A little criticism from me may do you good … your composition is fair; your spelling very careless; your punctuation is very bad. A lesson from the schoolmaster would be of great value to you. I will promise you a new fountain pen if you promise me to make good use of it.” Despite the corrective tone of the letter the relationship between father and son was a good one.

Tom began work with James Bonner Ltd, a firm of engineers and founders situated in Ultimo on Sydney’s south shore. As a pattern maker Tom quickly demonstrated high levels of skill and creativity in his work, which eventually took him to the dockyards. Tom successfully completed his four-year apprenticeship as a pattern maker. It was around this time that he became good friends with Roy Simon, a New Zealander from Invercargill. Roy was taken under the wing of the Arnott family and treated as one of their own. Tom and Roy would forge a close friendship. They were destined to serve at Gallipoli together.

In 1914 Tom and Roy Simon enlisted in the AIF. On 18 October their troopship, Afric A19, cleared Sydney Heads bound for Albany in Western Australia. Tom kept a small diary, dutifully recording each day’s entry in the neat, precision hand of a pattern-maker. A week later, having marched through the streets of Albany, their ship joined the flotilla of 40 troopships bound for Egypt.
Tom and Roy Simon were posted to a machine gun section within the 1st Battalion, ‘a good lot of chaps’. The long voyage provided plenty of time for the men to get to know one another, although everyone on board suffered from sea-sickness. On 4 December 1914 their ship berthed in Alexandria in Egypt. In Cairo they joined Mena Camp to begin their training in earnest. For these young Australians the past eight weeks had been an amazing adventure.

Sailing halfway across the world, through the exotic ports of Colombo, Aden and Port Said, they now found themselves encamped in the shadow of the pyramids. Tom and Roy did not forget the Arnott family in Sydney; each of Tom’s brothers and sisters received an Egyptian postcard for Christmas. On leave they took donkey rides around the pyramids, visited Heliopolis and marvelled at the wonders of Ancient Egypt. In Cairo they walked through the bazaars — a heady mix of the sights, smells and sounds of a culture utterly different from their own. Egypt and Mena Camp now rests cheek by jowl with Gallipoli as an enduring part of the Anzac legend.

Tom’s diary falls silent between February 1915 and the landing at Anzac Cove. His story comes dramatically to life again when describing the events of Sunday, 25 April 1915:

“After many weary months of waiting and training in Egypt we landed on the enemy’s shores just before daylight”, Tom wrote in a letter to his mother. “As soon as the enemy knew we were there they opened up a heavy rifle, machine gun and artillery fire on us. Although it seems as though the odds were against us we charged right into them sending them running. Fierce fighting continued for the next few days.”
Tom, now aged 20, wrote to his father at the same time: “After having waited to see a bit of a scrap for so long I only [had] about one month. We landed on the enemy’s shores one Sunday morning [25 April 1915] and had a real good go-in with them, establishing a good landing for ourselves. The fight was fast and furious whilst it lasted. After four days tough fighting we found ourselves a good deal inland and established ourselves in a very secure position [Quinn’s Post].”

Of all the positions held by the Anzacs none was more vital than Quinn’s Post. It was named after company commander Major Hugh Quinn, and was established the same day as the Anzac landings on 25 April 1915 (Major Quinn was subsequently killed on 28 May 1915 and is buried in Shrapnel Valley Cemetery). Quinn’s Post remains one of the most evocative of names at Anzac, ranking in importance beside Lone Pine and Anzac Cove.

Originally a scrubby hill, its vegetation was quickly blown away by enemy explosives and the soldiers’ own digging and burrowing. ‘Our most difficult and dangerous post’, one general described it. Subjected to incessant sniper fire and grenade bombardments, Quinn’s Post was overlooked by Turkish positions on three sides. Quinn’s was a key strategic position, central to the defence of Anzac, and both sides knew it. If the Turks could overwhelm the heights at Quinn’s Post, the way lay open for strikes deep into the heart of the Anzac-held areas below. Its loss would be devastating, even fatal, to the Anzac bridgehead.

His initial enthusiasm of the early events at Anzac was tempered by the awful news that his best mate, Roy Simon was killed on the second day after landing. “I have very, very painful news to tell you”, Tom informed his father. “Roy Simon was killed in action on 27 April 1915 while bringing ammunition up to my gun. He wanted to be with me and I had put him on the gun the night before.”

A few days after Roy’s death Tom was wounded and hospitalised (probably at a Field Dressing Station at Anzac Cove). Tom wrote to his mother that he had received treatment for two wounds to his face, after his periscope was shot away by enemy fire. Back at Quinn’s a few days later, Tom found himself locked in heavy action with the enemy.

Tom recalls the action of the afternoon of 30 May 1915 in a letter to his father: “One afternoon we took small trench from the enemy and it was during the attack that I was working the machine gun when another machine gun chap (enemy) opened fire on me, blowing my sandbags down, leaving an opening at the side. We fought for about a quarter of an hour, when at last he got me in the jaw”.

Tom had fired seven belts of ammunition until a stoppage required him to stand up to fix the problem. He was hit in the cheek with four bullets and the gun was put out of action.

“I will be alright in about a week’s time”, Tom reassured his father. The whole exchange was witnessed by Brigadier-General Walker, who asked who the soldier was, before adding “I will recommend that man for the DCM [Distinguished Conduct Medal]”.
The next day Tom received a note from General Walker’s ADC (aide-de-camp), Lieutenant Richard Casey (Casey would later become Governor-General of Australia) in which he wrote: “Brigadier-General Walker has ordered me to write to you and congratulate you on your fine work in serving your machine gun under fire on the afternoon of the 30th May and wishes you to know that he is recommending you for the Distinguished Conduct Medal.The General would like to hear from you as to how you are getting on and hopes that your wound is not a serious one”.

Tom had been badly wounded in the jaw. In Cairo hospital he asked a visiting padre whether he had been shot because he swore when the gun jammed. The padre replied that he didn’t think so. Next, Tom was sent by hospital ship to Alexandria for further treatment and recovery. Eventually, his wounds were deemed serious enough for Tom to be returned to Australia. At Suez he embarked for Sydney on 17 August 1915 aboard S.S. Themistocles.

In October 1915 Tom returned home to a hero’s welcome. His exploits at Gallipoli had been lauded in local newspapers and he was given a civic reception at Balmain Town Hall. Tom’s mother was presented with a bouquet of flowers tied with coloured ribbons representing all the allied forces. Tom’s sisters were extremely proud of him, dutifully keeping all letters and newspaper articles describing their brother’s exploits at Gallipoli.

That eventful month in his life culminated when Tom was presented with his DCM by the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Ronald Munroe Ferguson.

REFERENCES:
Thomas Arnott’s letters, newspaper articles “The Maxim Jammed” and “Pals At The Front” and his diary (14 October 1914 to August 1915), in possession of Mrs Catherine Constant.
Quinn’s Post by Peter Stanley (Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 2005).
Quinn’s Post references: p.34; p.35,41; p.79; p.53; p.57; p.59; Quinn’s Death–p.77-78; 87.