WITH THE NEW ZEALAND FORCE.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 63, 30 July 1915, Page 2

WITH THE NEW ZEALAND FORCE.

Private Robinson's Experiences. Private Albeit Robinson, of Patumatoe, who returned from Gallipoli on board the b.s. Willochra, Buffering from a bullet wound in bis left arm, was this week interviewed by a "Times" repneentative as to bis experiences in the landing operaion;. Private Kobinson's story was as follows: WITH THE ADVANCE PARTY.

1 was one of the advance party that left Egypt and we first went to Lemnos Island, where we remained ten days practising disembarkation. Lemnos Island, which U about 50 miles east of the Dardanelles, was used Hi the base for the Army and Navy. We at.timed away from Lemros Island in the middle of the night, the boat I was on being a vess.l that had been captured frcm the Germans, and arrived at Gallipoji by daylight. THE LANDING.

Five hundred men of the Australian 3rd Brigade first went atshure, being detailed off as a covering party, and the next force to land was the balance of the same Brigade. In face of a hot lire they rushed up the cliff, bayoneting the Turks right and left. Tha landing beach was only 30 feet to 40 feet in width, sloping to the high cliffs, and the Turks were entrenched oa the beach, but the Australians pot them out and chased them over the clitf ti tbo secjed ridge; The n-.xt to land was the Auckland Battalion, of which I was a member, together with two companies of the Canterbury Battalion. We reached the shore amia a hail of shrapnel fire directed on ui from the height*. We nevertte--1 ss ascended the cliffs and met the Australians coming back, they having evidently gone a little too far and having loot heavily. At 3 p.m. we bad orders to retire for some distance, viz. to the edge of a gully, where we entrenched ourselves. At this time Major Dawson, who whs wounded on the same day that I wes "knocked out," was in command of our Battalion.

AN UGLY OUTLOOK. On the first night our position was somewhat desperate and we anxiously awaitd reinforcements, wbich however did nut then arrive. The Turks made several attacks but we made a great noisa so that the er,em> thought our numbc s were considerably more than was actually the case. Tha Turks tried to draw us out by pretending they were Indian soldiers come to support us, but one of the men in our trenches could speak Hindoostanee aid the trick w£s of no avail. Other Turks also prow.ed around wearing Australian uniforms, probably taken from the dead or wounded, and tried to induce us to believe they were stretcher-bearers. The next morning there was considerable sniping from Ihe Turks concealed in the scrub and we lost a goud few men. TO THE KESCUE.

Things continued to look ugly for us but about eight o'clock the Queen Elizabeth opened fire from tbe sea acd Btnt shrapntl over our heads on to the Turks, killing some hundreds of the latter. Later on the 4th Australian Brigade appeared on the ocene and with their help our Hoe was lentghencd and the sniping was stopped for tbe time being. A SPELL.

My company was ordered back to the beach, where we re-assebmled, only mustering 92 men and no officers. On the beach we and otbers wera set to dig trenches, shrapnel lire tailing. on us and laying several low. After two or three days we sent back to the firing line with new officers. AT WOKK AGAIN.

On May sth we received orderß to proceed ti Caps Helles, some 20 miles away, to reinforce the regulars, berg conveyed there on destroyers. There we commenced to advance two days later and slept the night in the trenches.

PRIVATE ROBINSON WOUNDED. The text morning Bugler Cook, of I'ukekohe, and I were told off to carry ojt s-outing du'y, our insructious being to report on an old windmill tome distance away that was known to contain machine guns. Bugler Cook and J were carrying out our work and wera makirg our way thrcigh the scrub, when a Eh-11 from one of tb: warshins Hew tSe windmill and its content? to pieces. Bugler Cook started to go forward and called on me to follow, but 1 was picked off by a super, my left arm being disabled. Fo'tunately I was promptly assisted and was attended by an English Doctor and thanks to treatment being so quickly forthcoming the use of my arm will in time, I hope, bz preserved. Near by 1 saw two regulars on the ground, who had been there lor a couple of days. 1 heir wounds had be?n attended to but it had been found impossible to get the stretchers to them to remove them owing to the deadly work of the Turkish snipers. OUT OF ACTION.

I went back a little way and then went to Eleep in a dug-out in company with two ur three other wounded men. Later on I made my wny to the beach and was taken on a pinnace to a transport that was being used as a Hospital Ship. Before the vessel sailed we had 1700 wounded on board. We went to Egypt and i was fuur weeks in the Alexandria Hospital. 1 was then instructed 'u go to Suez by rail and there I boarded the Willocbra and eventually reached New Zealand, and in due course Pukekohe and Fattymahoc." - GOOD RATIONS. Private Robinson spoke with enthusiasm of the commissariat arrange* inents for the troops at (jallipoli, 1 They were always well fed, he said, in the trenchts. before landing, they were served nut with three days' rations, viz , tbree bags for one day each, each bag containing bully beef, extract of beef tea, sugar, and biscuits, and a bottle of water to each man. HUM AND TOBACCO APPRECIATED. At night a portion of ruin was also served out to eiich man. He did not accept the rum himself, he said, as he did not drink intoxicants, but he was ore of the very few exceptions. Ho nevertheless rceognised tint the rum was appreciated by all, as it served not only as «

beverage but aa a deterrent againat pneumonia. Further, each man ' received a fair share of tobacco, which was keenly accepted, and non-imokers took their quantity to give it away to their pals who would use it. THE WILLOCHRA FARE. Private Robinson also referred to criticism passed in certain quarters on the tare provided on the Wil lochra. Such, in his opinion, was distinctly gond tor a transport, although not naturally it did not enme up to the level of hospital food. THE STRETCHER BEARERS. He alio spoke admitiagly of the gooi work performed by the Austrian stretcher bearers, mentioning also that the members of the Auckland Battalion Band were eogaged in similar duty. THE DARING INDIANS. Pr.vale Robinson referred enthusiastically to the smart and daring performances of the Indian Mounted Bat'arie?, who he said carried their guns oi mules and got so close to the Turks that they practically fired point blank at them. A CELEBRATED SHOT. To Private Robinson's mind, Cap tein Wallingford, Auckland's Musketry Instiuctor, was the central figure at [Gallipoti. His accurate shooting was rema kable, and on one occasion he brought his man down at a 1301 yards lange. On another occasion, ne aaid, Captain Wallingford essayed to "pot off"

aix Turkish anipers, who were doing a lot of damage. He. found, towever, that he could not reach them so be signalled to a warship, who aent in a shell and killed the lot. FAIR AND CLEAN FIGHTING. Su far aa hia experience' went, Private Robinion said the Turks were clean and fair fighters, except foi the incident en the first light whin they tried to pass themselves off aa Indians and Australians. IHE BAPTISM OF FIRE. Asked what his feelings were when be received bis baptism of fire, Private Robinson stated . that sneb at hrst was slightly un-nerving, but one toon got used to it, especially after firing one's first shot. First acquaintance with shrapml was, however, decidedly startling, and he thought every one got a fright at tbat to commence with. The shells would come screaming towards one making a most uncanny noise and when they exploded with a terrific bang some 300 bullets would fly in all directions. DODGING THE SHELLS. As one got accustomed to shrapnel, however, the original feeling passed away and it was even somewhat amusirg how one learned to dodge it by hearing it coming and "ducking" as low as possible in the trenches. If one was smart enough it was even possible to throw the shells bsck into the Turkish trenches before they exploded. THE "SILLY HALF-HOUR." Private Robinson added.that the ■Turks seemed to take a delight in giving them shrapnel at their breakfast and meal times and for tbat reason they styled such periods "Ihe silly half-hour." FOR THE EMPIRE'S SAKE. In conclusion, Private Robinaon ■aid be deaired to appeal to all eligibles to go and fight for their Empire. "More and more men" be said,, "are urgently required and then victory will be with the Allies."