The War on Gallipoli.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 71, 23 November 1915, Page 5

The War on Gallipoli.

NOTES BY A RETURNED NEW ZEALAND SOLDIER. OPERATIONS AT LEMNOS. (By C.S.K.) More or less all parts of the Empire have felt the effect of the war—everywhere there' 1 lias been something happening to keep before the minds of people the fact that the greatest war of history is being fought. In all towns the businesslike men in khaki indicate clearly that they have something on hand, at the ports the operations of precaution are sometimes a little irksome to residents and in numerous factories the manufacture, of war material keeps the big conflict before the minds of the workers therein. But it is doubtful if there is any place which has been so completely overwhelmed by warlike operations as the small island of Lemnos, which lies a few hours' sail from the Gallipoli Peninsula. Its area is only 180 square miles and its population 27,000; but there will be few soldiers, French, British or Colonial who have fought on the Peninsula wiio have not been there at. least once. For instance : The Australians picked to make' the first landing at Gapa Tepe were sent there, were landed, and put in some time on land, waiting and preparing for the time when they would be called upon to act. Then, 1 think, the other troops for Gaba Tepe called, there: certainly the third reinforcements waited there for a few days on the transports before finally sailing for the Peninsula. It is very noticeable that in the evening a very chill wind blows to the sea across the island, and many men who, in Egypt, thought there could never be any more use for a greatcoat, were glad to have their coats handy when going on deck in the evenings. The site of all the operations is on the harbor of Much-OS, and in referring to the island the name of the harbor is frequently used. It is a fine harbor, or rather bay. In the rough season the, sea may rise a bit, but there seem to be enough sheltered corners to accommodate all the shipping, which would use the port* in nominal' times.

TliSUsland has a pleasant appearance vaswted from .the sea, though, as with all the Mediterranean lane} I ever it tends to become extreniely dry m a ver,t J low altitude. However, • tent of the cultivated poiiions :|and their greenness make a pleasant (impression. • Across the mouth of 1 the.'Tbay (measuring perhaps a mile), there is a submarine not, which is provided with a gap for, the passage df shipping, the gap, I believe, being closed at sundown. A feature of the island is the great number of windmills, which, apparently, can work only when the wind is in a certain quarter. The. sails are not fixtures of woodwork, but are of canvas and are rigged on the eight or twelve 'spars life the sa|s «pf : a ship, being taken off * when the-mill is not working. The most permanent military feature is the hospitals, or, rather, series of .hospitals,iflfi I GS U W i ■ make out there were some Australian hospitals > and : some British, each having a seperate designation. "Without pretending to precise knowledge I think the following is the rule for medical work: In the first place there is "(1) "the field ambulance, which conveys sick and wounded men to (2) the. fieid hospitals, which is situated near.,, the field operations. Hence the soldier gets his wound thoroughly dressed. Each soldier carries on his person a bandage, which is applied as soon as possible, either by the man himself, a mate, or, if he is badly wounded and separated from his unit, by the ambulance men. From the old hospital the wounded man is passed on if necessary (in the bulk of cases.it is necessary) to (3) the stationary hospital, which is planted well outside the fire zone. Here slightly wounded men may stay in peace and quietness and get ready to "once more into the breach." ■ The badly wounded man goes further on to (4) the base hospital, which is, no doubt, usually created where one may have '"ah* the comforts of home" and the best of medical and nursing attendance. In the case of the Peninsula the whole of the land is in the fire zone and Lemnos lias therefore been chosen as the site for the sta- ' tionarv hospitals. (Mem: It%iay perhaps be found by anybody who cares to consult the text-books the "stationary" hospitals are to some extent ambulatory—that if the firing line makes a habit of going forward a few miles every few days the "stationary" hospital will "take up its bed (or beds) l.ud walk" forward also, keeping always a certain distance away). The mo'.ve serious cases from the Peninsula, in the circumstances, do not visit the stationary hospital—they are made comfortable on the hospital ship and taken straight through to the base hospital at Alexandria or Cairo. The hospitals at Lemnos consist wholly of tents, and it is remarkable how comfortable they are. considering the many difficulties which have to l.e overcome.—l find now (a) that I have noarlv filled my'space, (h) that I have digressed on the matter of hospitals, (c) that I am only half way through the rough tale about Lemnos and (d) . that I have had enough of writing for one day; but there is a whole day tomorrow that has never been touched and 1 will use it, up in setting down the rest of the tale.