AUSTRALIANS AT THE TURKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

AUSTRALIANS AT THE TURKS.

- VIVID BATTLE STORIES. THE FIRST AUSTRALIAN TO LAND. "CRUEL ANII TREACHEROUS 01AMKS. Tn a letter home. Sergeant A. F. Burrett, formerly of the Commercial Hank, at Lithgow (New South Wales)' says: '•The :!rd Brigade landed first, losing heavily. Tliey got the Turks on the run. We followed' next and had a narow call. Just as our destroyer was almost in position to land us a shell from one of th ■ forts burst on the beach 211 yards in front, killing 11 outright. We jumped into the water, ran under cover, threw oil' our packs, and charged up the hills. Some, of our landing boats were sunk in attempting to disembark the troops. There were dead strewn all along the beach. The ground had been carefully prepared with mines, etc. Vat lis and trenches were also carefully made. We struggled up the slope under heavy shell and rifle fire, hut fortunately reached i:i safety our first line on the second ridge. The Turks had now retreated to their main body, and then began three days of hell that T cannot possibly describe and can never forget. It ia generally thought that it was the enemy's scheme to manoeuvre us into that position. We jumped into the trenches they had abandoned. Of course they had the range to a nicety, and gave us the full benefit of it with shell and rifle fire. The slaughter was awful. "I lasted three days and nights. Shrapnel used to fall all around me, but somehow luck was with me. Our officers and non-commissioned officers suffered dreadfully. The Turks used to creep right up to our trenches, and we caught ' some of them dressed as Indians and Xew Zealanders. When T wan hit I crawled down the side of the hill and was dressed by the ambulance. After a. perilous walk to the beach 1 was eventually put. on board a destroyer and taken to the hospital ship, under fire most of tho way. My nerves were so highly strung that for the whole time I only ate a couple of biscuit*. On hoard the horrors of war were brought home to me. Doctors were doing their best, hut wore, only able to rendu' first aid. Then came the awful voyage l>a«k to Alexandria. We buried 110 on the way over. I All I have to my name now is the clothes I was wearing when I left the trenches. The A.M.O. ripped the sleeve and back out of my shirts and tunic, so I can truly say that I am in rags."