THE AUGUST ADVANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2605, 29 October 1915, Page 3

THE AUGUST ADVANCE

GREAT CHARGE BY WELLINGTON , REGIMENT : GHUBKAS GREAT FIGHTERS Private W. N. Stanley, of Hastings, who went to\tho front as a member of the Wellington Infantry Battalion (Main Body), and who returned to Wellington yesterday by the Mararoa, gives-a veiy clear and concise account of the Wellington men in the big advance, made on August 6, 7, and 8 from Anzac. A report had gone round amongst the men that'they were about to be spoiled, arid when the order was given to get ready for a move at about 5 p.m. on August 5, many believed that tlioy were about to trek for the beach from the trenches at Quinn's Post. They moved out at about 10 o'clock that night—a pitchy dark night—and marched away through a maze of trenches 'and saps until soon it became clear that an advance was intended. They at>length reached Happy Gully, to tie loft of Quinn's Post, arriving there at 2 a.m. There tliey squatted about in the scrub, good thick scrub' about 3ft. in height.' Orders were given that no one was. to smoke or move about. There the men tumbled to sleep, and at S a.m. on a. cold morning they were wakened and given a ration of biscuits, all feeling cold and uncomfortable. At 6 a.m. an aeroplane guard was posted to watch out for hostile aeroplanes, and two aeroplanes , did actually pass overhead, but they could not have discovered the - position owing to the good cover. There they lay throughout the day. At 4 p.m. some battleships commenced a- bombardment on the Turkish positions above, but it was not until 10 p.m. that the battalion was ordered to advance, and away they went again to tho left, stumbling'through the night, past old Turkish bivouacs and trenches, all severe uphill marching. At about 2 a.m. they; wero startled by tho war-cry of the' Maoris, which is said to have scared the Turks pretty badly. Then the Turks commenced to fire, and under a heavy machine-gun fire the Wellington men advanced until at 8 a.m. they reached a position overlooking a salt lake. At 10 a.m. they functioned with the Ghurkas, and the Auckland Battalion, and these two latter ■ units attacked under heavy fire and\ -. gained about 600 yards. The Wellington Regiment was held in reserve all day, and in the evening were occupied in ' filling sandbags to secure the position ahead, 1 ' and digging themselves in m case the front line had to give way— all this ' work being done under heavy shell fire from tho enemy. At 3 a.m. all hands were awakened. The Turks had ceased fire, and all was pretty quiet. - The Auckland and Wellington Regiments, with the Ghurkas, were then ordered to cnarge and take Hill 971. The Wellington Regiment led the charge and went into it in good style, and though the losses were severe they advanced steadily. ' At 10 a.m. Private Stanley received his conge and knew- little of what occurred subsequently. . One bullet penetrated the collar of his tunic, the knot of < a khaki neckerchief, lacerated 'his throat, and brought up against his "Adam's apple," and almost at the. same , time a shell struck a sergeantmajor near him, killing him instantly, A bit of shrapnel also grazed Stanley's back. What actually happened, subsequent to his wound was that a British Territorial Force, which should have protected their left flank, did not arrive in time, and both regiments and the Ghurkas were very badly cut up by an enfilading firo of machine-guns, and had to retire to safer quarters. •''

Private Stanley gives the Ghurkas the palm for being the best fighters on the Peninsula. . Hiey were simply marvellous fellows at wriggling through-the scrub, and would often get right up to the Turkish trenches and returu unharmed. He also speaks ally of the. prowess of Captain Wallingford with the rifle and machinegun. He relates an incident in which a soldier was "rotting" a. rifle, saying that, it would not fire true and, was a "■crookie." Captain Wallingford looked the rifle over, and then, having a look through the sand-bags, asked the "Tommy" if he could see a Turk in a patch of scrub ahead. The man admitted that he couldn't. "Then look," said the captain, and taking aim he fired and the form of a Turk Tolled into sight. Captain "Wallingford simply made an entry .in his pocketbook and passed on—he had notched another victim! Captain' Wallingford also carried with him what resembled ordinary walking stick, but when a target presented itself, he whipped the brass cap off the end, and taking aim with his "stick," there was . another Turk less. ' : '