STORIES FROM GALLIPOLI.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1915, Page 6

STORIES FROM GALLIPOLI.

FROM SOLDIERS WHO EETURNED BY THE TAIHTL ; THE REAL THING. , MAGNITUDE OP LOSSES. One of the most interesting stories was that told conjointly by several members of the 14th (South Otago) Company of the Otago Infantry Battalion, all of whom had been in the firing line for over eight weeks before they "stopped a bit of metal." The chief impression all of these men had was the magnitude of their losses. As one of them said, "You people here have no idea what it is really like. You see the casualty lists from day to day, but they are spread over a long period, and do not by any means tell the true story. For instance, you will hardly believe what happened to our own company. Yyueii we landed at Gaba Tepe we numbered 284, and when we were transferred to Gape Helles a week or two later we mustered 98. After the attack on Kit thia wo went back to Gabo Tepe, and those who made that journey totalled 23. It took a big transport to carry tho Otago Battalion to Ajizac. A destroyer took us to Cape Helles, and on the return journey a supply ship accom- . modated the whole New Zealand Infantry Brigade, including a reinforcement draft. That gives you some idea of what we went through." The general opinion on board the ship was that there was a crying need for more men at the front, and they openly expressed their scorn for those young men still In New Zealand who are able to go' and who have not yet handed in their names. TRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIANS. One of the soldiers who saw the most fighting of all was a young man who was brought up in America, and whose speech betrays that fact to a certain extent. He happened to be in New Zealand when the war broke out ,and his adventurous nature led him into volunteering. He has been invalided back, but is fully determined that he will return to the front as soon as he can. He said: "I am a cosmopolitan, but henceforth I am going to be a New Zealander. Theer are no soliders in the world like the New Zealanders. At the same time is must not be forgotten that for dash and absolute sheer gallantry there are no troops like the Australians. They are magnificent. The way I put it is this—the Australians are extremists. They are extremists in everything—in sport, in drinking, even in rioting, and, by jove, they are certainly extremists in fighting. Tley are absolutely the best rush fighters in the world, Of that there can be no doubt. "The New Zealanders are different. They are far more skilful tacticians, and use "their heads more. Under BritishIndian or French officers they will go anywhere and do anything. It has been said that New Zealanders would not take to discipline, but that is all rot. They are wonderfully well disciplined. I am sure* that the New Zealander is the best soldier of them all—but don't forget, mate, that for absolute dash and recknessness there is no one in the world who can come anywhere near the Aus- 1 tralian." OFFICERS' GALLANTRY. Many of the wounded soldiers were loud in their praise for the gallantry of their officers, and they were especially anxious to hear of the latest casualties amongst those under whom they fought. They were genuinely grieved to hear of the deaths of such fine officers as Colonels Beauchop, Malone, and Mackesy. They did not disguise the fact that some of the junior officers were not so skilful as others, but about their courage there was no question. Of {liob-s who have made the supreme sac'rifice they said, "They died like men, shot at the head of their units in a charge." One and all singled out General Godley as one of the most reckless officers in the campaign. Private Mellor, of the Otago Battalion, pift it thus: "When we were in Egypt we did not understand tho general. It was only after we got into the fighting that we got to know him. He is absolutely without fear. In fact we had the idea that he and one or two of the other officers had no sense at all. He would walk along the top of a trench \with the bullets going whizz, whizz all the time, and he would not come down, although the men were .calling out to him all the time. Some of the things they called him were funny, but all he would do was to turn round with a smile and say, 'Oh! I am too thin to get shot.' Once an Australian said, 'Get in out of that you- — ,' and pulled him back into the trench by the tail of his coat. They are no respecters of persons, these Australians." SAVED THE SITUATION. Private Johnson, of the machine-gun section, refused to tell of his experiences, but it was gleaned from several that this man of reserve had accomplished deeds of valour that warranted his name being mentioned in dispatches ou more than one occasion. One instance that was mentioned was when Private Johnson successfully procured water under very difficult circumstances. Bullets were Hying very thick when the gun to which Johnson was attached was getting too hot to be served. He volunteered to bring water, and saved the situation. A HUGE GRAVE, Private P. .J. Steven?, of the Auckland Battalion, was one of those who landed on the peninsula on April 25th, and came through the ordeal until June 23rd, when he was wounded in the foot by shrapnel. During a charge in the darkness lie ;,'ol mixed with the Australians, and after returning to his own lines a day or two later assisted in putting in the reserve trenches on Plugge plateau. lie was among those who went down to Cape llclles. but was mostly employed on the beach. During the big armistice, Private Stevents v:as one of a party told oil' to bury the dead, and in one grave, measuring 100 by 200 yards, there were six hundred men Jjuried, mostly Turks, and in another patch he saw. upwards of 500 Turks covered over by earth. HEAVY TURKISH CASUALTIES. Trooper P. Brewin, 4th (Auckland) Mountcds, stated that his regiment was sent to reinforce the Royal Marine Light Infantry in the trenches at Gaba Tepe ou May 16_th, On the 18th the enemy was

reinforced by the pick of the Turkish army from Constantinople, after which hell broke loose for a while. At 3 o'clock in the morning the Turks made a charge on the Australian and New Zealand lines. They were beaten off, but the attack was renewed and maintained until about 10 o'clock, when it slackened off. The Turkish casualties on that occasion numbered 7000 and tho Australian and New Zealanders 450. This was just before the big armistice, and two nights after the armistice, had been granted Turkish Ked Cross men came into our lines, and were discovered with a machine-gun on a stretcher. They were also detected re- | lieving the cler-d of ammunition .and throwing it back into tho Turkish j trenches. "I forgot to say," said the '.trooper, "that on tho afternoon of May 18th and 10th the Turks acknowledged their casualties to be 10,000." AN EPIC/ LED BY'A GALLAN(T LIEUTENANT. The tale told by Corporal G. H. Lovell, of the 3rd Aucklands, is an epic—though in this red welter of war but an incident among a thousand similar deeds of desperate and bloody venture. Corporal Lovell landed on the memorable April 25th, and was subsequently in the brilliant charges on Cape Holies. He was finally put out of action at Quinn's Post, after six weeks of dodging death in violent and unpleasant shapes in the trenches. His call to the rear came while with a section of the 3rd Aucklanders,. who wer» engaged in a (lining night attack. It was proposed to make an importait movement to ensure the safety of tuat vital position, Quinn's Post, and in order to occupy the Turks' attention the Aucklanders were selected to attack the Turks' trenches nearest to Quinn's. Seventyfive men were selected, and divided into three parties. Corporal Lovell was in the first. They rushed the enemy trench and bombed the Turks all out, and set about completing traverses- with sandbags they carried across with them. The party continued to hold the Turks at bay by t'he unceasing use of bombs. Suddenly a lieutenant doing advanced work with an electric torch was rushed by the enemy. He cried out to Lovell "Here they come, lad." Lovell jumped forward to his assistance, but before he could reach the subaltern's side he was struck uneonscious by a bomb, and re membered nothing more until he found himself in the field the beacli, Corporal Lovell could not' say enough for the men who dared the desperate task of taking him out of the tren»h and carrying him back to his own firing line. Tho gallant lieutenant was never heard of again. HOISTED BY HIS OWN PETARD. Private Arnold Sharp, of Rangiora, had the misfortune to be. injured by his own bomb. Quinn's Post, where he was stationed at the beginning of hostilities on the Peninsula, was at the time the most dangerous post near Anzae Cove. The opposing trenches were about fifteen or twenty yards apart, while half-way between was a huge hole made by one of the "Lizzie's" ton shells. This gap in the earth had been taken and retaken by both sides on several occasions. \Vhile it was in possession of the British, Private Sharp occupied the hole In charge of a bomb-throwing party. He had thrown several of.what were termed "home-made" bombs, fashioned by the men out of jam and fish tins, and in other variety of casing available, when he came upon a "tailor-made," which is to say, English factory-made, bomb. He and "a companion had knelt down together to light their two bombs simultaneously, the Turkish shell fire all the time being, as he expressed it, simply hellish. His bomb was so slow in lighting, that it suddenly struck him . that the tinder might be burning inside the casing. But even as he thought it came a blinding explosion, after which he remembered nothing. He was taken out for'dead with a shattered hand, many wounds in the face, several others in the chest, and loaded everywhere with bits of metal. Private Sharp has had a big struggle against death, but is now in a fair way to convalescence. TURKS AS FIGHTERS. "WON'T STAND THE BAYONET." Private J. Bree, Otago Battalion, said he was hit on May 7th by a bullet. He had landed the previous Saturday, and it was after a charge on the Turkish trenthes that he received his hurt. He was not very impressed by the qualities of the enemy. They won't stand up to a bayonet charge, he stated, and their shooting is poor, but tlieir machine-gun practice is good, and these instruments ■ did all tho damage. After the charge his company crossed <.;ien country, exposed to rifle and machine-gun fire, and , dug themselves in, and it was when ge't- , tin? up to retire tiiat Private Bree was , stru-k on the arm by a hand-grenade. , He was eighteen weeks in the Austral- ! ian hospital, and was exceedingly well . treated. He underwent two operations. . In describing his landing from the trans- , port Annaberg, lie said that a mmiksr . of his companions were hit whilst in . the boats, six of which were towed by an oil launch. Bullets from machine-guns and shrppnel were living over the water. A number of dead Turks were seen on the beach, also some British sailors, and , close in shore a mine-layer was in a sinking condition. A Turkish shell fell I among the transports without doing . damage. i DURING Til 15 ARMISTICE, i FRIENDLY OVERTURES BY TURKS. An eight-hour armistice for burial of 1 tiie dead was described by Bugler Waciiner, an Aucklander, who was in the Wellington Regiment. Hundreds of weird thing,.; happened to impress the imagination dining that busy time, but the bugler and his friends who surrounded him while lie gave his story agreed tl'.at what kept uppermost all the time was the terrible stench, and no eigarettes to help in keeping it down. "The Turks who could speak iingI'sh were very friendly, though we kept each other at arm's length.'' explained the "They were very curious to see what sort of people we New Zcaianders and Austrulains were. ■ 1 must admit that the Turk--, were line men, and equally good and strapping were the Armenians, who want to fight us. Any nuni'ier of them have come over to our ti.it•, giving valuable inlormation to iie.'uiiuarters, and helping us with the heavy work of handling food and ammunition on the beach. These men, absolutely straight from the enemy's ranks, can, in many eases, be trusted to go around without restriction wearing their own uniform. The headquarters people seem satisfied. As for tdie sights between the lines when the armistice was declared, don't ask too much about it. I think of a big cemetery wltt all the bodies above ground—and tho stench—and &• cii&rettea, There you have iW

FIGHTING TEMPERAMENT.

OFF TO THE BRITISH "TOMMY,'/ / A 1 returned soldier of observant bent said that the fighting temperament of the various men from different parts of the Empire was an interesting study, and was exemplified in the Peninsula in a rather striking manner. The New Zealanders, he declared, are as a rule silent when in the firing line. ' They say nothing, but pump m the~lead with grim reinforcements im'mediately filling up all gaps as they occur. The Australians, on the other hand, no sooner hear the "Allah, Allah" which invariably preludes a Turkish attack, when they leap on their trench parapets and make tho air hideous with derisive shouts, a common greeting to the crushing Turks being: "Come on, you blanky, bl&nky blanks, we will give you Allah." The Australians and New Zealanders are frankly and openly expressive of their admiration for one another. In the firing line the Australians invariably sing at the top of their voices, musical and otherwise, "Australia Will Be There," "Tipperary," and the latest songs from the music halls.. The British "Tommy" is a different sort of fighter, and .quite a temperamental study of his own. Sometimes he will enter action with a sullen stolidity and at others with a wild and extravagant enthusiasm. He runs in extremes. There is no doubt, however, about the fighting stuff of the British soldier. Sir lan Hamilton Bpoke of the immortal glory of the 29th Division, and immortal it was. . The Dublins who landed from the River Clyde coolly set about chopping the wickedest wire entanglements the 'troops have struck in the Peninsula, and all the time they were falling in hundreds, very few of them emerging alive. Those that did escape are practically all still in hospital. The Scots and Manehesters and Munsters made similar heroic sacrifices. They cut the wires and established their position under what were practically impossible circumstances. "They did, in short," the narrator concluded, "the greatest bit of the whole business, and we all take our hats off to them."