FROM ANZAC COVE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1915, Page 6

FROM ANZAC COVE

LETTER (FROM THE TRENCHES. WHY ARE YOU YOUNG MEN HANGING BACK? "THIS SOLDIERING IS A GREAT LIKE." The following is a copy of a letter received by a local gentleman from a friend an the Dardanelles, dated Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, and dated July C. The letter gives a graphic description of the methods of warfare against the Turks, and contains an appeal to all young, unencumbered men to play a proper part in the great contest by offering their services to the Empire. "I had hoped to have had a line from some of my New Zealand friends, but I think they have all forgotten me, for with every mail I get a disappointment. I do not think that there is anything that a soldier looks forward to as much as mail day, and letters from home and friends. It is a link with tin past that is especially dear to a man placed in surroundings such as these. "The trench war is a trying business, trying on both a man's nerves and health. Thank God, my nerves and health are still unbroken, and I still have a whole skin. Moat of our Third Reinjforcement officers have .been killed, wounded or gone away sU-'k.

"It is hard to say how much one *an say without displeasing the censor, and yet make a letter interesting. The colonials are some nine or ten mile 3 to the north of the main army, and for the time we are just hanging on. We have a front of several miles, running fran the sea inland a distance of aboat a mile, and then picking up the sea again some four miles from its starting point. The ground is hilly beyond all description. Were it not so the Turks' artiilo:y would Wow us into the sea. But thou§i they have guns on three sides of u.9 there ;ue many places in the deep guilds tlat are safe, or fairlj so, from their fire, and in such places men are crowded. Could ycu but see the roads and paths that have been cut up what would appear to be impassable cliffs and gullies, the ground over which guns have to be dragged cr carried, the roads (excuse the term) over which the Indian transports and muies move, you would marvel not a little, and, as a City Father, the sui roundings would broaden yoar mind considerably. "Our force is divided into sections, called posts; thus, there is "Walker's Ridge,'' "sPope's Hill," "Quinn's Post," "Courtenay's Post," etc, all named after officers who have played prominent parts in their capture. Then there are othar geographical spots, onch as "Bloody Angle." "No Man's Land," "Dead Man's Gully," "German Officer's Po.it," "The Chess Board," and many othe.'i, all ol which have helped or are helping to make history, and are stained with the fibest blood that Australia and New 7.&.\s.n\ can give. Let me describe inWy own unhappy fashion just one of these posts. I will take Quinn's Post, not because it is the closest to the enemy s trenches. (in places not more than ten yards divide them), not because it Is considered the worst part of our front, for more lives have been lost here than anywhere else, I think, but because it is the post that the Wellington Battalion held, and therefore our own (Taranaki), are helping to defend. Now Quinn's Post is divided again into sections, numbered from 1 to , counting from right to left. Two companies are on at one time and two are resting. Thus, Taranaki and the West Coast held the line while our other two companies are at rest in a deep gully, a short distance in our rear. Taranaki holds three of the six sections, namely, 1, 2 and 3.

"Now, Jet me narrow down my field of description still mors, not because .1 wish the personal pronoun to appear, 'but because what I can they say is 'backed by experience. Besides, what describes one section in a very large measUTe describes others. I will take No, 2 section. This is the particular section that No. 12 platoon (my own) holds. Of course, every platoon commander thinks, or should think, that his own is the best, but in my case it is really the best. It has attained a state of complete efficiency—no't, however, in any way attributable to my own personal efforts, These men are drawn from Patca, Hawera and the' Coast, with a few Eltham lads. R G— is my platoon sergeant, and he is one of the best. 'When our. regiment went into this J part I think I can safely say that the Turks had gained a very complete superiority of fire over our troops. This I attribute largely to the fact that our troops had been called upon to make a couple of futile attempts, which had little effect other than to build up our already high casualty list. We were told what was expected of us. For my part I was quite determined that for every bomb that was thrown into our particular section, we would throw back three, and for every shot they fired we would pay back five-fold. At'the end of eight days their battered and dilapidated trenches bore eloquent testimony of our work. Their overhead cover was a wreck. They had not a loophole through which to fire. If they made a new one under oover of darkness, daylight would find half a dozen rifles at work upon it, and we gave it no rest until it was ripped to nieces.

"Their trenches < iposite ours range from fifteen to thirty-five yards, and the only sign of life behind that battered line of sand bags and earth is an occasional rifle barrel poked up for a sufficient time to fire a wild shot in the air. At first periscopes were broken as fast as we could put them up. To put your head over the trench was death quick and sure, Now it is an unusual thing to have a periscope broken, and one may look over the trenches with comparative safety. And what is true of my section, is also true of the others.

"These are the lads at whom people were wont to sneer—the lads whom they were wont to abuse in the newspapers. Ilhere was a time when it was said that a territorial force was not needed, there were those too, who declared that such a force would he of little use. Do they still think so? Is any further proof wanted of their worth, and if so what is it? True our ranks are thick with men who have never been in the Territorials, but with few exceptions, the backbone of our force here, the non-commissioned officers, are drawn from our experimental little army, and the country may well be proud of them. They are figlitera, yea, every one or them. I do not know how much longer we will be hanging on to our present irregular line of trenches. Our movements, of course, depend upon the operations lower down the coast. However, I do not think it will be very long before we go forward, and when we do there will probably be another .casualty list that will send a wave of

pride throughout our little island home. I need not speak of our lrilled and wounded; you know them all. But I would like to tell you of how some of them died, but it would ha invidious to pick out a few from ihe many and iwould require a Garvin or a Boothby to do them all justice. Such being the case, I will say nothing. I have seen as many as fifty of our men lying side by side at a dressing station, waiting for the stretcher-bearers. There were wounds in every frightful form, but be-' yond the hushed voices of the few at tendants there was no sound that would convey to the miad that crowded upon that battle patch of Turkish soil was immense suffering. "It is such sights at these that make one feel proud of the country he represents —makes it impossible for him to act a coward's part. And yet in New Zealand young men are hanging back! Why is it? There are here serving in the ranks numbers of married men, and it is a standing reproach to every strong and unencumbered young man in the land that this is so. We all recognise that in the ranks of the officers there must be married men, and I say all 'honor to their women folk for the part they are playing—a trying part—ln tne great game of Empire. The time has passed when it reflects on a man's credit to enlist. It is now his bounded duty and in these days surely no man will expect special mention for doing his plain duty. We will all be glad when this war is over, none more than those who have felt its bitter sting, but as long as it is necessary for the Empire to talk from the iron lips of cannon, my prayer is that I may have health, strength and ability to play a humble part. "On Sunday I attended a little church service, held in one of the deep gullies which abound everywhere, During the whole time great shells went screaming overhead to the positions held by the | Turks, and in reply their gun 3 were roaring back a savage reply. A burst of rifle Arc would start away on our I right, and run, like tt thing possessed, along our whole front. However, our little service went on without interruption.

This soldiering is a great life. At present we are resting. It is unbearably hot, and most of the men are not overburdened with clothes. A few minutes ago I asked C if he thought that .any modification in his get up would be needed before he returned to New Plymouth. His last shave was several days ago; his shirt hung loosely from his shoulders, and his pants had been cut off at the knees with some very blunt instrument. He looked down at his bare legs and feet, and, after a moment's consideration, he said that perhaps it would be necessary to effect some slight improvements! There is a bright side even to this grim business ,and the merry peal of laughter and endless flow of banter are always with us."-