LETTER FROM PORT SAID.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 58, 6 November 1915, Page 3

LETTER FROM PORT SAID.

“MICK” BOWLER IN HOSPITAL

Private Mick Howler writes an interesting letter to his people in Stratford, in which many references are made to the gallant men (many, alas, now in their graves), who lett this district for the sake of Empire and all that it holds dear. The letter was dated September 24, win'll Private Howler was in tlie New Zealand Hospital suffering from an attack of rheumatism, which had been the reason of his departure from the Dardanelles a fortnight before. The weather had been very cold, and the writer was of opinion that a lot more men would be crippled with rheumatics before the winter was over. Continuing, Private Bowler says: I arrived back at Gallipoli in time for the big light at the beginning of August. It was a terrible light. The Wellington Regiment had 403 killed and missing, and 300 wounded in taking hill 971. It was a shock to ns to hear the roll call with only 280 out of a thousand men. We stretcher-bearers had a hard time; there were only 12 of ns, and three were killed and two wounded that day. Colonel Malone, W. Surgenor, IV. Woods (baker), Jim Fearon (he wcutback to Gallipoli with me), Clyde Kennedy (I was talking to him just before he died), Ted Early and Bill Early, and Norkey Dewar were all killed; poor old Furby was wounded in the leg (the second time); Maurice Flynn was wounded, and poor Jack Petrie was badly wounded again; this time in the chest and arm with shrapnel. 1 was speaking to him, but he seemed pretty bad. I can’t Hud out how he is getting on. George Loach is amongst tire missing, bub 1 am afraid he is dead. 1 don’t think any prisoners were taken except five Wanganui chaps, who are supposed to have gjveu themselves up. The Turks are putting up a very fair fight; don’t believe any tales you hear about them. It is a hard job to dodge their shrapnel—they send plenty of it over. The Fifth Reinforcements gob a lot of it. Their luck seemed to be out; as soon as they lauded on the beach a shell knocked fifteen of them out, and they got it all the way up the gully to the firing line, and were put straight into the trenches and got it hot ; very lew of them were left after the big fight. A. Burrell is all right so far. He is in the machine-gun section. The New Zealanders are at Lemnos, having a month’s spell. Bob Woods is a marvel ; he has been in every scrap and never got a scratch; he is now Sergeant, and don’t be surprised to hear shortly that he is a Sergt.-Major or Lieutenant—he deserves it. All. Jennings is away “crook.” His brother was killed. . . This is a fine hospital (tents) here, all New Zealand doctors and nurses. Dr. Wylie is here. I am getting a little better now and when I am right J am going to try and get on the ambulance staff here; I think 1 have a good chance. J can’t tell you what the town is like here, as 1 have not been around it yet, but I hear it is not much. ... I forgot to mention that the Tommies .dost the hill we took. We held it with a handful of men (what we had left) for two days; they relieved us at night (a full llegiment), and the (censored) retired hack t'o the- next hill in the morning. They are (censored) —a part of Kitchener’s new army.