GALLIPOLI DAYS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3024, 10 March 1917, Page 10

GALLIPOLI DAYS

A GREAT STORY

THE ANZACS , GLORIOUS TALE

Tho Concert Chamber of the Town Hall was well filled last evening, when Major Waite, D.5.0., N.Z. Engineers, delivered a lecture on the subject of "How Our Boys Fared on Gallipoli." The lecture was given under tho auspicos of the Returned Soldiers' Club, and the Mayor presided. His Worship introduced tho lecturer as one who had dono oxcellent war work.

The lecture is one which truly needs to be heard to be appreciated. It teems with interest, and yet it would, bo very difficult to do jnstico to it by way of report. Much of the story is told by the camera, and much of the success of the.,tale lies in the telling. The pictures (ire good—somo will say they arc- the best they have seen—tho matter is informative, and the stylo is entertaining. One is taken right from the wharves of Wellington, across the Pacific to Egypt, left on the sands awhile, then moved over to Mudros, and finally landed on Gallipoli, and rushed up the slopes -behind Anzac Covo to the positions the Anzacs and others held for glorious, futile months. Life on the Peninsula is told as well as it can be conveyed to armchair critics, and the big idea one comes away .with is that the territory our troops landed on must he among the worst in the world, and that tho marvel is they landed and held ground thero so long. Majqr Waite remarked that it rather hurt the Anzacs to hear all the praise going their 'way, when as good work was dona by the 29th Division of Speaking of the landing, he said the Turks trained their guns on the beach and fired by the ma-p, with the result that the invaders' reception ivas a warm one. The first men landed at about 3 in the morning, and when he was going ashore at noon he passed boat-loads of wounded coming off waving their bleeding arms and cheering. Ho showed pictures of the landing cove, and pictures which illustrated tho nature of the country. In-the early, days he said 1 the Turk enjoyed a superiority of fire- over the invader, but after a while a young Australian invented a trench periscopo which so changed affairs that tho superiority of fire rested with our forces. Had it not been for that invention we might not havo stayed on Gallipoli as long , as we did. A fine idea was conveyed of tho immenso amount of work needed to build oven a few communication trenches, dug-outs, and shelters. Among the most noted positions shown was the famous Quin's Post. One slide of Quin's was a photo, including the late Colonel Malone, of the Wellington Regiment, and to Colonel Malone Major Waite gave a- very largo share of the credit for tho holding of this hazardous position. At the conclusion, Major Waite was heartily thanked for his lecture. During the evening items of entertainment were contributed by the Savage Club orchestra, Mr. Norman Aitten, and Lance-Corpl. Exton.