"ONE OF THE WONDERS -OF THE WORLD,"

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15338, 23 July 1915, Page 8

"ONE OF THE WONDERS -OF THE WORLD,"

CHAPLAIN BUSH-KING'S FIRST SERVICE.

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") DUNEDIN", July 22. Canon Curzon-Sigsors has received a letter from Chaplain C. J. Bush-King, in which he writes: — Our men landed amidst a perfect fusillade of shrapnel, machine-gun fire, and rifle fire, and how they charged the enemy, drove them out of their almost impregnable positions and back tip to the tops of tho cliffs, will ever bo more than -a mystery. It will remain one of the wonders of the world. It was a stupendous task, nobly carried out. and when the history of this battle comes to be written [ and the positions clearly defined, tho world will wonder as to how it was doiw. Can you imagine a landing force, less numerous than tho defending force, landing at Purakamii beach and taking all those heights and tho tops of the hills in the face of a perfect hail of builets, while the enemy are strongly entrenched all up the clones? The naval officers tell us they simply marvel at what has been done by New Zealanders and Australians. In threo weeks those hills were captured, the enemy driven about two miles back from the coast, roads made up the sides of these steep hills, telephones laid on everywhere, trencher dug, dug-outs buitt to live in, batteries and heavy guns hauled (by manual labour) to the tops of the hills, stores and supply depots established, hospitals and clearing and dressing stations erected and many other things done to carry on our work. It would do you good to be hero and sco our men work, yet all are so cheerful oven when we sea our comrades go down by bullet or shrapnol. We pause for a little to give him a Christian burial and shed a tear of sympathy and then go on. Our first Sunday (May 16th) on which we had services seemed a very curious day- Our first service was in a gully. We had an empty box covered with the Union Jack. I was in cassock and surplice and scarf, and on a email flat in a very deep gully the congregation gathered, officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, in all sorts of styles, mostly in shirt-sleeves, and a few with bandages over wounded heads or arms. It seemed , very curious conducting a Christian , service on Turkish soil singing our hymns, and, especially, the National Anthem, where perhaps it has never been sung before. tit gave v≤ all a queer sensation to think that we were the first to sing the National Anthem at a Christian service !on Turkish soil. We spoke in our address of the Asceusion and its particular meaning for us. May God grant victory to our arms, that we may be used by Him to replace the Crescent by the Cross. Immediately after the serj vice we had a celebration of Holy Communion. It was also the first that had been held during the past three weeks on this land. At 8 p.m., just as it was getting dark, we had a late evensong in another part of our camp. Last Sunday (Whit Sunday) I had a service in one of the gullies at 9 a.m., with the remains of our brave Infantry Brigade. It was splendid the way they turned up to "church" in tho bush in Turkey. Tho valley was full of men, and the service was a deeply' impressive one, especially as we reminded them of the brilliant success of the;r fight, and how they had accomplished it by the holy spirit of God. Afterwards we had a celebration of Holy Communion, an empty" biscuit box for a table, covered with the Union Jack for an altar cloth/ and our fair white linen on top. There were a great many at the celebration, and I think it took mc about half an hour distributing the elements alone. We were a'i so moved as we romembered our dead oauirades buried close beside us on the beach, as we heard the quiet murmur of the sea, the birds in the bueh around us, and the crack of rifles overhead, and the shriek ana burst of shrapnel. The one thing we prke highly is a letter from friends, and how downcast we are when hoping against hope as each letter is handed out, we receive nothing. Words fail to tell of the disappointment. Here we are doing duty for our King and country, no paper, no writing material, no time to write except between midirighfc and 8 a.m., and then to "get no letters from friends and loved ones. However, we bear our disappointment cheerfully. Why grumble ? At 4 p.m., another service, followed by a celebration of Holy Communion, and at 7 p.m. evensong. We began th*\ day with a burial at 8.15 a.m., and we had another at 9.30 p.m. to finish the day. Afterwards I climbed a steep hi 1 1 through the bush to my dug-out. So Sundays and each day are filled.