LAST MAN ON GALLIPOLI.

Otaki Mail, 7 January 1920, Page 4

LAST MAN ON GALLIPOLI.

* STATEMENT BY GENERAL EYRIE. Many Diggers have put forth tne ■ laini of liliving been (lie last man to cave Gallipoli at .the evacuation; but Major-General Eyrie says he saw the |.,si. m! iii—-there was only one of him. Sir Granville was telling the story of the evacuation to a big welcome home gathering (states the Sydney “Sun’’). “There is one incident,” he said, “that would have been most humorous if it were not almost tragic. A man had been on listening duty in a tunnel. Generally the period of duty was about two and a-lialf or three hours. Five hours passed, however, and the mun was not relieved, so lie crawled back into trench to' investigate. Judge of his surprise and consternation when he found all the ttouches deserted. An hour and n-half 'later an exhausted, despairing figure staggered down the beach-just in lime to be assisted into the last boar. There was that lone man for hours after we had reached the beach holding up 'he Turkish army 01 KiO.ijoo men. There are. I belicse, about h'.ioo last mm:— (laughter)—but he was the dinkum hist man to my knowledge. General Eyrie added that the Turks • were completely deceived, and that it was all rubbish to say that they knew of the impending i" n'untion. und let file Australians depart in peace. lor hours after the ships got under way. rifles and bombs, cunningly arranged, exploded automatically, and ,De . v heard that-soon afterwards the Turks charged with the bayonet, to be overcome with astonishment on reaching empty trenches.