THE WELLINGTON BATTALION.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1915, Page 3

THE WELLINGTON BATTALION.

"ALL THAT REMAINED OF THEM." A HEROIC STRUGGLE. COLONEL MALONE'S (LAST PROUD MOMENTS. Lieutenant Murray Urquliart writes a very interesting letter to Mr. J. B. Hine, M.P., from«Mudros Bay, Lemnos, while on board the Scotian. He says:— I ajn on my way to the base for the purpose of resting. There are only myself and one other officer in our battalion, who have been right through everything without a break, and could keep going no longer, being thoroughly I run-down and very weak. I have had sixteen weeks solid going, and under fire every day. I managed to hang long enough to take part in the big advance which commenced on the 6th of August, and which provided the hardest fighting we have yet had, as we were cornered at Anzac. Up till the 6tll of August we were practically holding the same positions which we gained immediately after the landing. These had been consolidated, and were practically impregnable. ' On the night o£ the sth ol August we moved from Quinn's Post, which we had been garrisoning, to Happy Valley. As this advance was intended as a surprise, the movement of troops was carried out with all the concealment possible. We lay low during the day of the 6th. Our objective and the method of attack were made known to us (the officers), and we passed the information on to the non-commissioned officers and men. A night attack over strange country i? a difficult task, and great care had to be used to keep in touch. 'Each attacking party was given its objective. Orders were issued that rifles were not to be fired, Ibut the bayonet was to do the work. The Wellington Battalion was to attack a hill-crest named Chanak Bair, but not until some other positions had been taken. Owing to some of these positions not being taken until later than was expected, and as we would not have had time to carry out our attack before daylight, we occupied a crest called Rhododendron Top. At 10 p.m. on the 6th we left Happy Valley and moved along a sap to No. 3 outpost. Here we waited a short while, and then proceeded up the Ghailak Derc, which is a narrow valley and (at present) a dry stream bed. ,-We were now outside our own lines, and in country occupied by the enemy. Our progress was necessarily slow. Every now and then throughout the night we would hear a sudden heavy burst of firing as an attacking party was discovered by the Turks, then rousing cheers from our men, aa ihey charged up the hillside to the trenches. The next sound would be cries of fear and surrender from those of thd enemy who could not get away. I believe that in every instance the attacks were a success, and it was quite evident that our move was not anticipated by the enemy About 4 a.m. on the 7th we reached a high ridge called Rhodendron Top. We at once came under frontal fire, and also enfilading fire from Chanak Bair, on our left. We began to lose men, so dug-in as best we could. Later in the day we moved along the ridge to a more sheltered position. In the early afternoon the Auckland Battalion, followed by some Gurkhas, were ordered to charge and take Bomc trenches to our front. We were in support, but were not required to go forward. They had an awful task, -us the ground was swept Iby ma-chine-gun and rifle fire, and owing to the nature of it (the ground) the,y had to move in practically close formation. Well, they went off like heroes, followed by Gurkhas, and took the tranches, but at a heavy cost. As darkness fell, we were put on in two-hour reliefs entrenching our position. The stretcher-bearers were also working all night, getting in the wounded, who had to lie still all day, as it was not safe for them to move. At 3 a.m. on tha Stli we received orders to lead an attack on Chanak Bair at 4.15 a.m., supported by some of Kitchener's Army. As the time arrived we were all ready, each man with his bayonet fixed, and we moved off in file down the slope of lihodendron, across the intervening ground, to the foot of Chanak Bair. From there we advanced in lines. So far we had evidently not been observed, but as soon aB wc neared the crest we were subjected to a heavy shrapnel and riile lire. Some Turkish trenche9 on our left at once fell into our hands, and these were utilised as battalion headquarters. Daylight was now breaking, and we experienced great difficulty in digging-in, owing to the heavy (ire. Our four machine-guns at once got to work, but owing to being unaible to dig-in sufficiently to obtain decent cover, the crews and guns were soon knocked out, and thus our best means of defence was lost to us. I cannot do justice on paper to the splendid and heroic defence oar fellows put up. Time after time the Turks, who were in overwhelming numbers, charged, but each time, as they reached our front trenches through the scrub, our lads stood up and cheered, and poured a heavy lire into them, driving them back inch time. They also gav„ us a very hot time with bombs, which they ' threw at close quarters from the cover of the scrub. The Turks must have lost very hoavilv, but they were greatly su- ' perior to us in numbers. There must have been thousands of them. By mid- , day our position was desperate, praetically only a handful of us being left, and wc were being tired on from almost j all round. , Despite the fact that it was practicalIv impossible for reinforcements to got through in daylight, the Auckland J .Mounted Hifies gallantly came through to our assistance, and temporarily re- ( Jieved the situation. By late afternoon we were in a worse plight than at midday. The enemy made some very de- c termined attempts to wip us out, but j failed each time. By this time the t ground we were holding was an awful j sight. \U realised that we must hold . on till night. \\ ell, we did; hut how, ' I don'l know. At last night fell, and ( with it arrived the Otago Battalion, fob ) lowed by the Wellington Mounted , Rifles and others, including sonic fifth ( reinforcements, who had only just landed. You may be able to realise ■ what a relief to us this was. We had been practically without water all day, i and it was very hot. And besides, we j were absolutely "done.'' I regret to i say that on this occasion the Turks I used some duni-dum or other soft-nosed ; bullets, inflicting some ghastly wounds, i About midnight an order uame up i that the Wellington IJatlalion was to be I relieved. Was ever news more welcome? i So the few officers left gathered to- i gether the little that remained of what j I venture to say had been the finest ; battalion in the New Zealand brigade. I I cannot mention casualties, but you 1 wlil nrobablv have received them ere (