TURK AND MAQRILANDER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2602, 26 October 1915, Page 8

TURK AND MAQRILANDER

THE FIFTH REINFORCEMENTS IN ACTION. The story of how the oth Reinforcements went into action the moment they landed on Gallipoli is toldi by Pte. G. Nation in a letter to his father, Mr. E. J. Nation, of the Government Printing Office. Pte. Nation, who was wounded himself in the battle, and who is now in hospital at Malta, writes: — "We landed in the Dardanelles and started right away to the front. Wo worked our passage along the beach to a place whicli our officers thought safe from shrapnel. We restod there for some time, and then started attain foi the firing-line. When we were almost there we rested again for five or six hours, and' then went on. As wo got near, the bullets fell all around us, and killed about six of my comrades. We still toiled on to the place where the others waited, but there were ro tire'nehes dug, so wo had to start and dig ourselves in under fire. We worked for about two hours, and then the order came for 'reinforcements!' So we doubled up to tho 'mob just as the Ttiks charged. I will never forget it ts long as I live. It was great! There must have been about 3000 Turks by the row they mado, and we just lay down and nopped them off as they came above tho "ill. They were yelling 'Allah! Allah 1* as thoy came. We soon settled them, aiid they retired to tho other side of the hill. All night long they kept the firing up, and we did the same. In tho morning the fun started. The 'phono wire got cut and we could not send for reinforoements. The h-'g guns began to open fire, and I got blown out of ray dug-out, with two others. I was stunned for about five minutes, and then made a rush for ouo of the trenches on tho right. I got there, f.-ut I don't know how. All my nerves seemed gene, and I was shaking all over. 1 laid down for about an hour, and that steadied me up again. By rhis tiino tho Turks had worked' their way up to out left flank, and started to fire right into our trenches. It was hot. They settled thirty alone in our trench —that is, killed and wounded. I'he tniueh only holds about four at a time, but t-horo were always others coming tip from tho supports. All tiie <hy (he fire was kept up, and as it got dusit no expected another charge from tliern; and we had not got the men to hold on if they did. Every time the Tnr,f« s'ai tfd firing we would got the order 'Stand to Arms!' This went on »)1 nigh:-, that is until nearly ouo o'clock, when our relief came, and you should havo seen "he old : sth Reinforcements' as they crawled out of tho firing-iiue—just like a lot of wet sacks. Our knees refused to hold us up as we tried to walk l:ack ■to the rest camp. Wo got i/cere about daybreak. The distance between our trenches and the Turks' was abo'it eino feet. I havo been in the trenches five times sinco then, but it Us dm been anything like the first." Pte. Nation adds: "T-jll .ill ;:iy old chums in Ngaio 'hat they ought to bo with. me. Tiicy should sign on. I want to see them."