GALLANT DEFENCE OF A TRENCH

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2490, 17 June 1915, Page 7

GALLANT DEFENCE OF A TRENCH

FIGHT TO THE END. Private Phil. Carroll, in a letter written to Mr. R. L. Moore, of Litbgow (N.S.W.), says that when the men disembarked they were perfectly cool, and cracked jokes continually. One shell struck tho boat immediately behind his own. Marvellous to relate, no ono was wounded in tbe slightest, and they all managed to swim ashore. Ho proceeds to give a stirring account of the Australians' bravery. "My company (C) were the first New South Welshmen to laud, the third brigade, consisting of men from New Zealand and other States, having disembarked at dawn. It looked a walkover for us, but when we got to the heights, where the Turks wero entrenched in thousands, as fast as our men appeared the enemy's machine guns and rifle fire, not to mention shrapnel, knocked "J'ipperary' out of us; but a gamer lot I never saw. Wc were fighting a real up-hill fight. Our artillery could not get up owing to the rough stato of tlio country, but I hoar the batteries aro mounted now (May 8). However, wo had the .ships' guns to assist us. Our platoon was tho first to top the rise. We rushed the Turks and got posse&sion of the trenches. "We had to hold that position, and a merry time we had from Sunday morning to Tuesday night. The Turks used to rush that trench every night, but wo were too alert for them. For three solid days and nights they never kept their machine gun fire off our trench for five minutes; but having taken tho trench wo were jolly well going to hold on to it. On Monday night they shifted two of their big guns to our left, and enfiladed us. They fairly blew it to pieces all day long, About 4 o'clock on Tuesday the enemy, 600 strong, charged our trench. We wero also under a very heavy shrapnol lire. We passed the word along that none of us was to be taken alive, but to die fighting. They will not forget ill a hurry the withering fire we poured into them as they crept up the gully. They were so crowded that tlio rear ones could neither firo nor advance, and we heaped them up like rabbits in front of the trench. But they got all but one of us, including our officers. It was pitifu 1 to see tho bravo chaps falling one after another, until there wero only four of us left standing. Two of thom almost immediately fell—to rise no more. I was just congratulating myself on being ono of two to escape unhurt when fragments of one of their shells got me in both hands and on the shoulder. For fully twenty minutes there waa only ono man on his feet, and then reinforcements arrived. ■ Hlit- «•<? had done our duty—held our position and driven off all attacks. There were only about 60 ill our trench, but I think we accounted for fully 300 Turks. "There are about 1000 German officers with the Turks. They 'sool' the Turks on to us, but never come near themselves if they can help it. We captured one German officer, and lie was wearing a British marine khaki uniform and helmet."

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