A GALLIPOLI PICTURE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2641, 11 December 1915, Page 2

A GALLIPOLI PICTURE

IMPROVED CONDITIONS

CONDENSED WATER AND FRESH BREAD

STORM AT ANZAC

Staff-Sergeant Keith Little, writing from Anzao Cove on October 10, includes an interesting description of things as they then were. Referring to tiie 'all-important food question, about which much. has been written, ho says:— "Quito recently a canteen was established on a near-by island, where all Kinds, of 'extras! may bo purchased at fairly reasonablo prices. Different days are set aside each-week for the forces on the .Peninsula and when our turn comes we generally send over a representative with a bulky order. We can purchase such luxuries as tinned butter—sold in lib. tins for 25.-3d. I notice you are paying. Is.- 9d. for the real stuff in Now you are not so badly off as us. However, its a, red luxury, and wo appreciate anything like that. .' question here has been receiving a good deal of attention lately, and arrangements are . being made to improve the variety. 'We were some considerable time on bully beef and biscuits but that was necessary, as circumstances prevented, lor a period, "any improvement. We all existed on this diet, which, while_ rough, satisfied the hungar of a soldier. 'Its marvellous what one will eat when out on an expedition such as this. Now we get fresh bread. practically every day, as well as a.good deal of frozen, meat. Fresh vegetables are rarely seen. We have bad cabbages once or twico, and they were really delicious; .onions aro plentiful; potatoes are as scarce as gold. There is a fairly good water-supply now —most of, the. water is condensed—a condensing plant having been erected on the beach, in order to limit as far as possible the necessity of having to bring water in barges from • another land. The issue of cheese which was made during { the hot weather has been cut cut, and condensed milk is issued in its stead. The milk is a real boon, because it used to be a case of drinking tpa without milk. It's just a matter o:: getting used to active service rations. and then everything runs smoothly—tie colonials soon learnt that their constitutions were capable of dealing with the most rough, food. End of the Fly Season. "There has been_ a good deal of sickness here,_ and this is mainly due to the conditions iiridor which we are living. Diarrhoea and dysentery, are quite common ailments, but adequate arrangements are in vogue to deal with, •all cases.' It's wonderful low much these complaints will' take ono down. Strong and healthy as you are, either of these complaints will, unless you watch yourself, reduce your weight considerably. During the hot weather here flies wore a source of danger to health. They used to worry tho life out of one—they could bite, too, and it was n most difficult, job keeping them off the .food. Now that the cool weather has set in the .flies are dying off fust, much to the relief of everyone., In the trenches they are a continual source of annoyance, and at times the off their heads-with' the'pest. 0 ' s *«l

I Storm and Wrookaga. "A couple of evenings ago we oxperie:icM the third- real Mediterranean gale iiinco we have been here. For some days the weather conditions suggested an approaching gale;' but as tlie days came and went without'any trouble, nothing more was thought of it. However, ,on the night of the Bth, at about 8 p.m., the perfect calm suddenly changed to a raging gale. The wind swept up the gillies and over the hills with the speed of a hurricane, and brought with it, as far as the narrow strip of 'beach, a troublesome sea. Rain fell'for a while, but the wind settled that. ' Dug-outs with only light top hamper were blown in, and generally we on the hills had a really,wild night. By morning the gale had moderated considerably, but the beach had suffered considerably during the Dight. Wo possess here a couple of fairly • substantial pile-driven piers, as well ;is several smaller ones, but these had all failed to withstand the fury of the gale. The two main piers had severed their connection with the shore, and the smaller ones had'been washed out of existence. The beach was strewn with cases of stores, tins of biscuits, and camaged timber. The angry swell appeared to delight in recoiling and •thon hurling with fresh vigour each time cases and timber on to the sorrowfullooking beach, • Several lighters were also ashore, and 1 also a steam water barge. Talk about wrecks and debris' •from same, why this scene outclassed any wreck "I have seen. The damage to tha piers was attributable to largo lightors latleu with stores being alongside Then tho storm came down., These' storms come down so ' suddenly that there is little time to take precautions. The sight was enough to malie the most forbearing swear. However, the storm had done its dirty work,- and it was left to us to turn to_ once_ again and repair the damage. Bigfatigue parties were ;*ot busy, and soon the beach was brought into a state of order from a state of chaos. Several of the lighters wore i;ot off with an effort, but they are still working on the water lighter'. The piers ire fast being rebuilt, or, I should say, connected once again with terra firma. The stretch of beach I refer to is very open. We, however, hold another large-bay,'where the piers can be dealt with in safety in bad weather.

Australians at Work. "Mutters in the firing line aro still very'quiet—in fact, ever since we moved the enemy in August things have been prnctbally at a standstill. Trench warfare ii> slow and deadly work. The digging of trenches is no. light task, and if you could only .see tlie lines and lines of -trenches stretched over ,the large area wo now hold yoii would be astounded. To watch tlie chaps digging, one would gain the impression that it was easy work. As a matter of fact, when my brother (Guy) had charge of a party of Australians- and saw them at work with the pick and shovel, he was amazed at tht' strength and vigour of them. 'They are real terrors,' lie said, 'and hurl the earth fully twenty feet away.' For work they can't be beaten. Everyone tnrns to and works with a'will;'the hardest jobs'they do without a. murmur, and some of tlio jobs they liave to do would make an ordinary navvy think twico before taking it 011. The physique of tlie colonials enables tlioni to tackle almost any job, and they do their work without the need of an officer's eye. I have heard Imperial Staff officers mention that they Imve never seen such workers as tlio colonials. It is remarkable how quickly one falls in with the ways cf the majority. One-time clorks work 'ritli 'the pick and shovel alongside tlie experienced navvy, the latter often .regretting his chaffing remarks about the weeds of clerks in tlie force. Everyone becomes just as capable at performing any possible task as the most experienced manual labourers. These sanio men performed some great work when the water supply arrangements were being constructed. Huge iron tanks wore landed by hand on to the small piers by the men, and then manhauled up some prott.v steep inclines to jjosiiioiis oa tha sida\ of tho kills.

I have seen one hundred men hauling one large tank up a steep and narrow path. The weight of the tank r.eeded-ths men, but they laughed and joked with; each other as they dragged the big tank up to its position. This work occupies some days, tho men working ill shifts day and night to push the joo through. Tha job is done now, and the area is supplied with water, tho result of a) month's hard work." .