A RACE WITH DEATH

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2524, 27 July 1915, Page 6

A RACE WITH DEATH

IN GALLIPOLI WITH A MULE CONVOY IN "SUICIDE GULLY," Private G. Bitossi, of the. Now Zealand Army Servico Corps in Gallipoli (and lately in hospital at Alexandria), has a stirring 6tory to tell of his experiences with a mule convoy in Dead Man's Gully in Gallipoli—otherwise tailed tho Valley of Death and Suicide Gully. He writes: — "Our duties consisted in carting stuff on mules to the trenches, 'somo threo miles to t'lie right or left flank. On tho rignt flank we had to go tip a winding valley, appropriately named 'Dead Man's Gully,' for the reason of tlio number of deaths by shrapnel, and, worst of all, snipers. In the. time ashoro I suppose I have gone up this gully two and three times a day. Each time I liavo been sniped at, but fortunately without being hit. One day a bul'et just grazed my tunic and embedded itself in the bank —tho nearest go I have had yet, and I have had some near goes. My mules have saved me on a number of occasions. "To give you an idea of what tho risks are. and how hot tho firo is in this valley, the General Commanding, Genr eral Birdwood, issued an order tnat all convoys of mules up to the depot at tho head of this valley wero to cea-so by daytime, and wero to bo carried out by night. It was a great relief, for tho tension was great. After this order had been in force for a day or two (in tho. daytime wo never, left our dugouts), our sergeant" sent for mo and two others, named Wilson and Patterson (who, by the way,' used to be an old schoolmate of mine at Mount Cook School, 1 and whoso father, 'Bob' Patterson, is ' well known in Wellington), and wo' were ordered by' this sergeant to_ tako five • mules each up this gully and give them a drink at a trough halfway up. An order •is an order, even though it be wrong, which proved, unfortunately, in this ' case. With five mules eacii, and mo in the lead, we started for this watering place...

The Mules Jib. "We.had progressed 'a mile or so up the valley, _ and X was having a deuce of a time with' my five mules all the way up. At a certain point, which, I might add, was . the most dangerous point of all, owing to the snipers my mules would not go any farther. Didn't I curse and swear. It's really surprising how fluent one gets at swearing in the Army. I swore ill Italian, English, and Arabic — a few words of which I know—but all to no purpose. I coaxed them, promised those mules anything in tho wido world from a big feed down to knocking their heads off. Simply a waste of energy; I could.not proceed, so tho only thing to do was to turn back.

• "Back I turned, went to the sergeant, told him it was a matter of human impossibility for a man to manage fivo mules.,-. Ho called another man, Wilkinson by name, to assist nio up this valley again. I forgot to stato that my oblier two mates had passed nie on the way. Wilkinson and. I had just reached the very place where my mules would not- progross any further, when the shrapnel started to come over. Six shells burst one hundred yards in front of us, the bullets flying all round us. The Death of Patterson. . "One of my mules got a, bullet in the fetlock,, and;.,was;.,shot.-' by. the Major later oil. I yelled to my mate to turn back, and he needed no second asking. Wo raced down this valley -with tho shrapnel following us. My,, how thoso' mules did gallop home! I firmly believe that I could have given Donaldson, the runner, fifty yards in tho one hundred and beaten him, A lieutenant told us at once to get irnder cover, which you may be sure we did. Patterson and Wilson were at this time coming back, and had just reached the road ieading down to the beach, when a shrapnel burst fivo yards behind Patterson. Ho knew it was coming, becauso you can hear shrapnel singing through the air. He immediately rushed'for the cover of the bank, but he rushed right into it, and four of the bullets penetrated his heart, killing him instantly. Three of his five mules were also killed.

_ ""Wilson,, w*ho was some yards behind, missed being hit, as shrapnel only goes forward,' not behind. Nevertheless, tho shock totally unnerved him. To the mules, who would go for me, I doubtless owe my'life. One used to run these risks every day, and for that matter at night also, but evidently in my case it was not to be so. Enough said. ••

. "After a three weeks'stay on this island, we were all shifted to the rest camp at Alexandria; from where I, am writing thi9 letter. We are now camped at tho most popular health, resort in Alexandria, but how long our stay here is I do not know. I _ met Captain Erandi ashore, but had just a passing word with him. In the littlo time I was ashore I did not think war could bo so terrible. Such sights as I liavo seen will live in 'my memory until, tho end."-:.