A SOLDIER FROM GALLIPOLI.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 51, 29 February 1916, Page 9

A SOLDIER FROM GALLIPOLI.

AT IWDIAKAPOUS FOB TREATMENT.

CORPORAL LEYLAND MADE SPEECHLESS BY EXPLOSION.

HAND GRENADE BOMBS BANE OF TRENCH LIFE.

spSsSss tStf A,* n P° ssession . to fight for a Lfl , f C ? Untry - He had ch arge of a detail of infantrymen, who were putting a mine under the Turkish trenches at Queens Post, on the Anzac position und lp °i\? e Turks mining under his detail of men at the same time TRENCHES FIFTY YARDS APART. "Suddenly there was an explosion, and Leyland was thrown into the air. Several of his companions were killed, and Leyland found that his speech was gone.. Ihe trench fighting had been goin* on for nearly a month, and the Turkish trenches were only fifty yards from those built by the Allies. "In September, Leyland went to the base hospital on the beach at Anzac. From there he was sent on a trawler with wounded soldiers to a hospital ship at Embreo. The next day he was sent to Lemnos, a small island owned by Greece, and three days later he was taken to Malta, where he staved in a hospital two weeks. The hospital physicians were unable to help him and h.was sent on a transport to London. Leyland said that he had heard about the Indianapolis institution, and when he found that ho was not regaining his speech he decided to leave the London hospital. He received a temporary discharge from his regiment Christmas Day. TEMPORARY DISCHARGE. "The document reads a3 follows:—'To whom it may concern: The bearer of this letter, Frank Leyland, of the New Zealand Engineers, whose signature appears in the margin, has been granted a temporary discharge from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, for the purpose of proceeding to America to undergo,treatment at an institution there. He has been rendered speechless through shock caused by the explosion of a shell.' This paper was signed by Major G. H. Dawson. Leyland made arrangements for passage to America on the Cunard line steamship Orduna, and reached New York several days ugo. Lpyland says he is anxious to return to his regiment. "The only thing that worried mc was the hand grenades," wrote Leyland. "As fast as these bombs would land in the trenches, we would pick them up and hurl them back toward the Turkish lines. ■X^itohtlih'esf'they'-W'buld- explode in the hand of some soldier, and he would be blown to pieces. Although it was very warm in the daytime, it was cold at night. Unfortunately, we had no blankets, and we got very little sleep. The Turkish losses were immense, and we took a great many of them prisoners." Leyland is twenty-six years old. He was promoted to the rank of corporal after two months' fighting in the trenches. Corporal Leyland is being treated at the Boyne Institute for Stammerers, Indianapolis. After two weeks' treatment at the Institute he showed great improvement, and is now able to speak and to carry on a conversation, although he has to proceed very slowly at present.