WITH THE ANZAC REARGUARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5390, 20 February 1929, Page 1

WITH THE ANZAC REARGUARD.

WITHDRAWAL FROM GALLIPOLI.

(By the late Lieut.-Colonel C- EAndrews, N.Z. Staff Corps).

HOODWINKING THE TURKS.

Parties 01. men moveiT about ostentatiousuly carrying, bundles of stores up the dores, others kept throwing dirt out of the trenches to stimulate activity in improving our positions, and a good citeaj of ingenuity was displayed in doing these things with a minimum of personal, effort. These “ supers ” must have; convinced the Turks that Kitchener's army had indexed arrived; for at 11 a.m. he opened a really hot, searching bombardment at the Apex and the deres in the year, using very heavy howitzer shells with high explosives, each being accompanied by a salvo of shrapnel. Fortunately, the enemy didi not attack the front line, but confined his attention to the support lines and reserve positions. The men in the trenches were much amused, but headquarters at the Apex held an immediate muster parade 30 feet under ground, which was attended even by the cook, who brought the frying pa'n with him. It was fairly obvious that the enemy thought we were still in strength, and. this fully compensated us f'Ph the inconvenience of the bombardment, but it made an awful mess cf a series of new dugouts, th© constructions. of which had been my pk*T t.icular charge for some time. FINAL “ COACHING’. ’ The commanding officers of rear parties had met that morning, and received their final instructions, and the rest of the day was. spent in coaching all concerned in their .various duties. Bach man was to 'have a liberal supply of Mills bombs, ready at hand, and the machine-guns were ready to “rum for hours.” Firing during the night was to be kept normal, and to prolong this “normality” for a few minutes after the last partv left we had fixed a number of oldrifles, in the parapets in such a manner that they W 9uld be automatically fired at rec,ent internals by the weight of water leaking from one tin can into another. The contraption was a clumsy one, but. the rifles worked splendidly. I saw one db it. in fact, for when going Pound; that night I entered a bay in which a lone soldier crouched.' He, op hearing my steps, changed his position and! upset the infernal spring gun. It went off right enough—on the floor of the trench, and nearly bagged me. Nightfall came at last, and the little headquarters party sat down to our last. meal in that bld sandbag, messroom on the Apex. I was very gladi when the others, fallowing the retiring battalions, had gone, and the watch had begun to tick off those hours that meant, safety to our comrades and life to us. “ NORMALITY.”

“Normality.” “Keep everything normal as regards movement. The password is Cucumbers. Good night. Good luck. See you in Cairo.”

The night was still as death, and the sea shone, like a sheet, of glass Overhead the moon was veiled by light clouds, and as the night wore op. a light mist settled) on the ground. As on the previous night, the heavy traffic on the smooth sea was. quite apparent, but still the Turks male no move.

At eleven o’clock we were informed that all was going well on the beaches, and that only five thousand men were on Anzac. Our Own observations had convinced us. that the enemy were exceptionally busy strengthening their defences, and this was confirmed by the troops on our flanks. Needless to sav, we did nothing to hinder him in this healthy exercise. Our rifles c,r,acked and occasionally, a Maxim rattled off a few rounds, but It was all for the sake of “normality,” and without. murderous intent. If "Jacky” would only keep on working we were quite content to have it s<x

A bomb was fired occasionally from some of the prehistoric trench mortars, and the enemy sent one or two rolling down <xur communication saps in return. • To highly-sti.ung nerves all these normal noises seemed vastly louder than usual, and when a sharp burs.t of firing broke but away ion the right of Walker’s Ridg.e, as it did ° a two or three occasions during the night, we waited, listening and pondering if it meant, that the enemy were playing a catr-and-mouse trick, and that at any moment Hell yvould be let loose. But the. Turkish .artillery remained silent.

After midnight, as was usually the case, the firing died dbwn very appreciably, as though both sides had tired and decided to call it a night. It was then that the ground) mist c.ame and the place took on its most unearthly aspect. 1 crept up to a from where a general view could be obtained, and shall never forget, the ghostly appearance .of our surroundr ings. The deep trenches andi yawning tunnels and dugoiuts, which had bqen hewn out with such infinite labour, seemed devoid of life. The occaibonal cra.ck of a rifle or the swish of a passing bu]let alone broke the unaanny silence, and just then, a gentle breath of night, air stirring; that dreadful smell of human dqcay c.ame in from “No Man’s Land” It was unaanny, and 1 hurried back to where there were other human beings. At one o’clock we knew that whatever happened our task was done, and that all but the rearguards had embarked safely. (To be continued on Friday.)