Colonials at Gallipoli

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 August 1915, Page 4

Colonials at Gallipoli

Ghaplin-Major Grant writes from the Dardanelles :— There is a type of colonial who is a real dare-devil. He mates a sport of death and fears nothing. One day last week a party of Australians was working in a sap, one being detailed to watch for hand-grenades and deal with them in the interests of the workers,, the most effective method beingfailino- a catch and a hot return to the einemy, 'which often takes place-to throw an overcoat or blanket.on them.. On-this particular morning the bombs were conspicuous by their absence, and the watcher, be'iug a bit of a grafter, began to help by filling and handing up the sandbags for use in the trench. Just as ho was in the act of handing.up. a ba«» a bomb hopped over into the trench, and, quick as lightening, he dropped the same hag on top of it! But not content with that, he sat upon the sandbag, and, needless to say, was shot several feet into the air by tho force of the. explosion, yet, strangely enough without any injury. He grumbled audibly all the afternoon at tho headache the bond) had given himl There arc no free and independent, newspapers here, the only apology we have lor oho being a small sheet called the "Peninsula Tress," which, is specially prepared for home consumption. Consequently the boys entertain one another by concocting all sorts of possible and impossible happenings. Here are some of the latcst.-r "The Colonial Troops have behaved so gallantly and lost bo heavily, that they are to go into a rest camp in Engaiid for a couple of months.' "A couple of Swiss Dreadnoughts have arrived in the bay to assist in 1 tho bombardment." "Two divisions of Esquimaux are disembarking to reinforce the M.E.F." "Turkey has secured Bulgaria's rieu- ; trality by ceding her Adrianople." "The Turks in front of the trenches ■ havo just sent an ultimatum that un- ' less we surrender within twenty-lout • hours they will." "It's still a long way to Tipperaryl