CAMPAIGN ON GALLIPOLI.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 December 1915, Page 6

CAMPAIGN ON GALLIPOLI.

A BREAK IX THE WEATIIEU. PREI'ARIXO FOR A WIXTEK CAMPAIGN. —j XOTES FROM A DIAKY. (From Malcolm Tsoss. Official Correspondent with the X.Z. Forces.) War Correspondents' Camp, October H. T T n to the end of last month Hie troops operating on the Oallipoli Peninsula have enjoyed an almost uninterrupted spell of tine weather—clear, cloudless days, with a hot sun, and warm nights'. Tint the heat has been enervating, and the plague of flies that worries a coopod-up army—no nutter how excellent the sanitary precautions may have been—combined with the necessarily sameness of diet, have caused a good deal of sickness and a general lassitude that was becoming more noticeaide as the weeks crept past. S'ow, at last, the weather shows signs of breaking. Already we have had some thunderstorms and a few eool days: certainly cooler nights. The change is rather a welcome one. especially to the Xew Zealandcrs and to the English troops, and what v.ith rest camps and cool weather one already begins to see a change in the bearing and briskness of the average soldier. 'We have been warned to dread the weather, hut on the whole the late autumn and (he first month or two of winter will be preferable to the. heat of an arid summer cooped up in a deep, narrow trench, with no view to speak of. and, as a rule, not even the top of a Turk's head in sight, or marching along the dusty, winding saps—from which the scenery was equally 'tndis'-ovcrabli- —one often felt as if the end of Time had arrived, and as if there were no longer any pleasant Frio's on earth. P,ut with the cooler we-K. : :er a change is coming over the scene, and. while dreading the worst, we hope for the best. The winter will no doubt lwini \[~ own tvoun'es, Imt we shall at len-f. be rid of the fiies. and of diarrhoea and dysentery we hope. For the vest, we shall he largely dependent upon til" slate of the sens, lint probahlv the navy and tile merchant marine which have planted us here will still see to it that, come storm or come sliine, we shall not lack for munitions and supplies. 'Pliis granted, we should more than hold nur'own against the Turks. Already preparations for winter may be observed ill every qnerter. The French—thoroughly imbued with one of (he greatest of Xapoleon's maxim" — have already mide them=elves fairly comfortable at Hello*. Tn the'confined snares which Hie Australians and Xew Zealanders occupy f'litber north the problem is a more difli'ult one. but it is being taken in hand, and will no doubt be jrrapplod with determinedly.

The engineers hnvi' already heen at v/orh. and saps and tronehes are srientilr'allv drained. The trenches also are beincr improvpd from what may up fi-rmcM tlip domestic point of view, am! (lip (luq-nut- bad; of flip trenches avo likewise rppf-ivinir nticntinn. We liavp alrra.lv lin<l two nr throe .-unis of hrieF duration. !ml the scored corrics ami the scarped hillsides tell us onlv too plainly that we mint lie prepared for sonipthin..' worse if we are to occupy our present position diirin" the rainy season. On (lip flat land which the British occupy at Hollos, add also nt Suvla. tiie draining of trenches will not be so easy, but it cannot be nearly as had as it was in France last winter. The Turk, everywhere looking down upon us from higher pround. lias the advantage, and a further advantage in that he has a considerable area behind his linos throughout which ho can choose sites for camps and vary his lines of communication (o meet local conditions. Hut oven in his case a winter cnnipiiij.ni will have its I drawbacks, and he, like ourselves, cannot be enamoured of the prospect.

DAIRY OF A TURKISH CADET. The following extracts from the diary of an undcr-odiier (cadet) have been rcrcivocl bv the fienoral St a ft', ami contain interesting infoi'malinii. Tlip "sound of the guns" heard on August -27. would be the firing in connection with the attack on Kaiajik Aghala and Knoll flu. and the cadet no doubt took some part in the subsequent fmhtin? in i.hat are.a: —

"August 24. Monday.— At Ouzomi Keiipru. We will remain here until evening. We are about 20'!. the majority ghaz:. even some of the men have not yet their wounds lifcaled and they are gallant-; who run to avenge. '

' "August -2">. Tuesday.—Harlv in tlie niornine; we left Ouzoim Keupru for Kara Pinar. On the road there are special arrangements for water, so we could march easily. We reached Kara Pinar in six horn's instead of seven and a hall'. This is a Christian village, and the laziness of the inhabitants is understood from the fertile, but uncultivated ground. We camped at Pak!r-hip.

'•'August 20, Wednesday. When I started for Keshan it was full day. Keshan is in ruins after the I'alkan War, but the Government is laud working.

'•August 27. Thursday.—We hear the noise of the guns. We. left for Ycrli Son. Teluuroz is quite a high mountain. Kouson Dagh is in front of us. We march for ion? hour-, and T was very much tiled; they do the journey between here and I'.nlair, on Recount of the possible danger, by night. We followed the course of lbilair forts; they have evacuated Bulair because it is a target to the enemy. There is only an fslam coffee house, where we had tea. Earlv in the morning we left for flallipoli." The roads are'verv regular. Alter three hours we were at Oallipoli. As (here has been some bombardment here thev have evacuated the cUv, hut everywhere is full of troops. "August 2!l. Saturday.--! left Oallinnli to ramp in the night at V.air Keiiv.

"August :!fl. Sundew—licl'ore sunrise we marched towards Ulgbar Dere. Here the men had dinner and supper; thev were also given two davs' rations and were -cparatrd for different units. "Augii-t :il. Monday.--belt win',' of Kevnikli lliinm group 'of Anafartas. T pas s the night, near llie stores of our regiment about haU'-an-hour back of the firing line. 1 saw the regiment commander. I was sent to the 7th Com :

■■September 1. Tuesday.—There was a continuous arlillerv battle to-day. T took eommaml of the 2nd platoon. The regularity T found here. T had. not seen in school There is tea every morning and regular food. There are always olives and raisins.

"September '2. Wednesday.—T went .o the tiring line with the commander of the Ist platoon. f was desiring to jee the enemv from a shorter distance. T was rather anxious. There are special instruments to see the enemy without beisug seen. . 1 had hardly lifted the