"THE MORNING HATE"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2570, 18 September 1915, Page 6

"THE MORNING HATE"

TURKS' NEW ARM FOR 'ANZAC.

■ "Tho days here are long and hot, and the flies a torment," writes .StaffSergeant K. Little from Anzao Bay.on July 14. "The sun climbs over the hills about 4.30 a.m., works hard iill day; and sinks Teluetantly over tho horizon at 8.30 p.m. We have witnessed some glorious sunsets —subjects for master artists, net for- my poor pen. When the shadows gather in tho valleys wo go for an evening swim. It is glorious after the heat of the day to dash into' the luke warm water of the Aegean Sea. Wo also bathe about 5 a.m. regularly. During tho day it is not 6afe in tlhe water. The enemy has a dotestable habit of Shelling the beach periodically. At first they used to pour light shrapnel over tho beach, but everybody gradually got used to it — the callousness of the _ men was truly, Tomarkable". Can you imagine yourself standing on the beach and laughing at shrapnel bursting near.by v Well, that's exactly what tho men did every day ■until one day "morning hate"' arrived —a 6in. common high-explosive shell. With/ the arrival of tile viate' it was settled without argument that tion was tho better part of valour, and it's now a race for cover whenever the 'hate' begins to spit along the beach and explodes with a Toar like thunder. The worst of the 'hate' is that' you cannot hear the sliell coming, until .it bursts right over you. .Hie small 18pounder shrapnel one can always hear. It shrieks as it cleaves the air, and there is generally time to_ take temporary cover if you think it is bound your, way." "Our position, here is considered: to be impregnable. Wo hold quite a large area of rough mountainous country, and the homes of those holding it are a network of trenches. 0n ! the day of tho eight-liour armistice I went all through the trcnches and out on to a narrow strip of land running. between our trenches and those of tho enemy. After a climb up mountains and down valleys wo cams to a road winding away inland at the foot of a valley known as Monash Valley. After walking along this l road for some distance wo came upon a flight of rough-hewn steps which' led to tho top of a rather steep cliff.' We' climbed' t!he steps, and on reaching the top found ourselves in a position commanding a view of all the trenches. North and south was nothing but a network of trenches. We went there with the object of witnessing the burial of the enemy dead—a ghastly sight, but with cultivated callousness the men, both ours and the enemy, went about their work as though it was ordinary work." The enemy lied Cross people were there in large numbers, and the'whole of the grim business was carried through as though wo were all the best of friends. It was an experience I will never forget."