LAST MAN ON GALLIPOLI

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 81, 31 December 1919, Page 8

LAST MAN ON GALLIPOLI

STATEMENT BY GENEBAL RYRIE.

Many Diggers have put forward t!ie claim of having been the last man to leave Gallipoli at the evacuation; but Majov-Genoral liyrio says lie saw tlio last, man—there was only one of him. Sir 'Granville was telling the story of tlio evacuation to a big welcome home pothering (states the Sydney _ "Sun"). "There is one incident," he said, "that would hnvc been most humorous if it •were not almost tragic. A man had been on listening duty in a tunnel. Gonerally, the period of duty was about two and a half or three hours. Five hours passed, however, and the mail was not volievcd, so he crawled back into the trench to investigate. Judge of his surprise and consternation when ho found all'tlio trenches deserted. An hour and a half later an exhausted, despairing figure staggered down to the beach—iust in time to lie assisted into the last boat. There was that lone man for hours after we bad reached the bench boldiit? up the Turkish army of Nifl.o9o men. There are. I believe, about 500(1 last men—(laughter) —lml he was the dinkum last man to my knowledge." v General Bvrie added that the Turks' were completely deceived, and that it was all rubVflh to say that tliey know of the impending evacuation, and let the Australians depart in peace. Tor hours after the ships got, under way, rifles and' bombs, cunningly arranged, exploded automatically, and they heard that soon afterwards the Turks charged with the bayonot, to 1» overcome with astonishment on reaching empty trenches. '