For a time the column had to halt and get what shelter it could in the prickly scrub along the shore, while the rear closed up. But it was soon moving on again, the 4th leading, though much delayed by the rugged ground, which was littered with boulders and covered with hollyoaks, a species of scrub standing about three feet high, with stiff and prickly leaves like a holly and bearing small acorns. The night was intensely dark, but the bursting shells and the naval searchlights playing on the hills, which formed the Turkish position, provided an intermittent illumination and made it possible to keep touch.¹⁷

The force moved along the coast road and around Walden’s Point, which was just about to be assaulted by the New Zealanders, and continued on, still undetected by the Turks. As they neared the mouth of Aghyl Dere, several men were hit by bullets coming from a trench the other side of the valley. This was quickly rushed and the Turks were successfully evicted. Several other groups of Turks in the area were also taken by surprise and by 1.30 am Damakjelik Spur had been fully captured. The 4/SWB and 5/Wiltshires then dug in to protect this flank from the expected Turkish counter attack. It was estimated that the Turkish garrison, all from 2/14 Regiment, suffered some 200 casualties, killed, wounded or captured, whilst 4/SWB had suffered relatively lightly with twenty five casualties.

With both covering forces achieving their objectives successfully, and the area still in darkness, it was now the turn of the assaulting columns to achieve the goals of the heights before dawn broke on 7 August. It remained a tall order but, with the success of the earlier actions, it was looking hopeful for the allies.

The Right Assaulting Column, under the command of Brigadier General Francis Johnston, consisted of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Canterbury, Otago, Wellington, Auckland), the majority of the 26 (Jacob’s) Indian Mountain Battery and No.1 Field Company, NZE. Johnston’s objective was to reach Chunuk Bair an hour before dawn, by way of Rhododendron Spur. The Canterbury Battalion was to proceed along the left side of the Sazli Beit Dere, taking them past the northern side of Destroyer Hill, and then climb up the eastern side of Table Top to the saddle that joins Rhododendron Spur. The rest of Johnston’s force would proceed along Chailak Dere, where they would ascend the northern face of Table Top, where they would join up with the Canterbury Battalion. From there the entire force would capture two minor Turkish trenches on the western shoulder of the spur, before proceeding the last kilometre onto Chunuk Bair.

Because of the fighting still going on at Bauchop’s Hill, Johnston delayed the start of his column until 11.30 pm, when he decided that further delay would jeopardise the attack and ordered the advance. The main elements of Johnston’s force, led by the Otago Battalion, made slow but steady progress up into Chailak Dere towards its first objective, Rhododendron Spur. It was now about 1.00 am, only three hours before daylight.

The scrub, the uncertain track, the darkness all hindered the advance. There would be a move forward of perhaps fifty yards, then a block in front, a crowding up behind, men standing wearily beneath their loads, expecting to move any second and not moving for five, ten or fifteen minutes. At last, tired of waiting, they would lie down, but no sooner had they done so than the file in front was moving, and they must race to join up again, and then, having done this, there was another halt. Nothing is harder than marching in this fashion at night, especially when men are loaded up with ammunition and weakened by privation and disease.18