SOLDIERS’ LETTERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3980, 13 July 1915, Page 3

SOLDIERS’ LETTERS.

AUCKLANDERS* EXPERIENCES.

FORCING THE GALLIPOLI TRENCHES.

By Telegraph—Special Correspondent AUCKLAND, July 12. Many interesting personal references arc contained in a letter received in Auckland from an officer of the 3rd Auckland Regiment, who was wounded at the Dardanelles. Incidentally, the writer mentions that Lieut.-Colonel A. Plugge, in command of the Auckland Battalion, was the first Now Zealander to land on Turkish soil. He was closely followed by Major H. Dawson of the Auckland Battalion. The Auckland men, when they landed, were first ordered up one hill and came back to the beach and went up another hill. Once more they were ordered hack to the beach and were just leaving it again when Lieut.-Colonel Plugge was wounded in the wrist. Finally they were ordered to reinforce the Third Australian Brigade on the left. One writer continues:— ) “To get to them we had to cross the first ridge—a kind of plateaux—over which bullets and shrapnel were faJling continually. Here Lieut. G. H. YVooley of the 3rd Auckland Company was injured—wounded in the arm, J believe and among others Sergt. Roy Lambert of Auckland was killed. As we went helter-skelter down the other side there was an awful uproar from the bottom, where was stationed a sentry to keep men off some Turkish land mines. Well, an we could make out from the confusion of about 20 calling out at once was that we were either to keep on the track or off. hut we did not quite gather winch. .However, wo reached the bottom more or less safely, though widely scattered. Captain B. G. Fraser of the Auckland Battalion was wounded in the foot.

“The men reached the ridge after a stiff climb and lay there throughout Sunday, Sunday night, and all day Monday, returning to the beach on Monday evening when it was found that of the officers in the Auckland Battalion four had been killed and about 10 wounded, the latter including two majors. “During the following week,” tie letter continues, “men kept rolling from the firing line, some even having spent five or six days without a decent sleep. Corporal Soddon of Auckland went to sloop in his trench after about three days and, when lie woke, found three Turks crawling over bis sleeping place. He accounted for one by hitting him on the head with a shovel and bayoneting lorn with his (the Turk’s) own bayonet. “On Monday evening (May 3) we got back to our old place, where we had supported the Third Australian Brigade. We were supposed to be a support only, but those in front of us retired and we woke up on tile Wednesday morning to find ourselves in the firing line. All T could see of the enemy at first were shovels rising and falling regularly as the Turks deepened their new trench, hut we soon discovered five or six quite close sniping away comfortably. “Captain A. G. B. Price of our crowd was wounded here and several men were killed and wounded by machine gun fire and shrapnel. “At noon on Wednesday the men returned once more to tho beach, where they embarked and were taken down to a southern point of the peninsula, the landing at the latter place being without much incident. 'I hey wove again moved here and there in support, losing men—one or two at a time—until Saturday, May <S. We were then in support, but a genera] advance was ordered at 10.30 n.m. We had to advance across the open up to our own fire trenches then over these and on towards an invisible enemy. About half an hour after going into action Lieut. F. L. West ol Auckland went down with a wound and was followed soon afterwards by Lieut-. J. B. Macfarlane. The latter was hit five times, hut was still able io talk about it. Another big attack took, place about 5 p.m. the same dav.”

In conclusion, tho writer mentions that, when ho was writing (May 10) Captains Price and Fraser and Lieut. Woolev were at Alexandria, Lieut.t’oloncl Plugge, Major Harrowell and Lieut. West were on the Braemer Castle and Major Dawson and Lieut. MacFarlane were at Cairo.