"BANG!"

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 142, 18 June 1915, Page 2

"BANG!"

"GOT ONE IN THE LEG."

BLENHEIM SOLDIER'S BREEZY

TO THE DARDANELLES AND

BACK

The. following interesting information is contained in..a diary forwarded by Sapper J.. W. 'Logan, of the Blenheim Telegraph Office staff, who was recently wounded at the Dardanelles, to his father, Mr R. Logan, of Howiek Road. The letter is dated Cairo. May sth:— Friday, April 23rd.—Left inner harbor and anchored outside boom.

Saturday, April 24th.— Transports and men-of-war have been;slipping out quietly throughout it-he night and day. W t i Wituessed a grand siprlifc when 14 battleships jjnd destroyers came out and heiidod for the:open sea. led by "Lizzie" (Queen Elizabeth). _ We leave at 1 a.m. 'I am on "horse picket" tonight, which is a bit of a "nark," seeing that we leave the horses on. board when we disembark!

Sunday, April 25th.—•Awoke to the | sound of heavy Rims, and to find that I we were .threading our v.-«y through ; a. fleet of transports, warships, destroyers, Grimsby trawlers, and &tonm pinnaces, and in the freshness oi" a typical New Zealand morning. At 8.30 a.m. we were mustered on our : respective decks, in roadme,s.s to dis- \ embark. Disembarkation, was carried j out successfully and without casualty { by 10.30 a.m. In. the c;;se of our ships j it was done by fir:* loading into large \ punts, ivhiah were, towed to the shore, ] first by a d-efttroyor aaid then by a. ] pinnace, as the water became dial- i lower. j Divisional h-cwdquaiVjers was established on tiho beach, and No. 3 tletach- . Mont wax immediately required, to run a cable from it to Brisrade bo-ad- ! quarters, which they did under I ' shrapnel and riJle. fire. Even tho j i beach, although under the shelter of •i stoep hill, was* not immune" from i danger, nnd we all received our \ baptism of shrapnel'fire. Tt is a good j man wbo doesn't bob his head for tho j first time. and. looking back it is-some- j , what humorous—the many and j : various attitudes that wore adopted j ■ when a shell burst overhead. They | . came with a. screech, nnd a. very] specfc-'ifiiilar burst in the air, but more ; i tba.ii the "stick" drop?. . _ j The Auckland h.-jttalio.n, which; landed with us, went into action al- i most immediately, to reinforce, tho j Australians (who had landed at 4 a.m. j and cleared the way) on. the left wing, j and they suffered pretty .severely, j oAving chiefly to the lack of supporting artillery, the nature of the conn- . try (mailing the work of the Turkish snipers easy), and like the Australians who had lauded earlier, over-keen-ness to push forv.Tii'd, with the.- inevitable, rr-sult—enfilade, fire, want of supports when needed,' and general dLvorguniMatirm Hut tho boys in tins. oa.Hy stage. | h.'i-',r;> J7rcve(] tb(v;)isci]ves, tin; oiily pity \ ■ being t'liivt if they had gouo slower tho } ■ loss of iiio i->erh :.i[>.s wo-r:ld not havo | bf-e.ii so heavy j Monday, April 20th.-— Heavy light- I ing :dl d:>-y. Our howitzei-f; and 'field } guns landed amidst great cheering. « .•mul e::ui:.i into action iv fj^ppnrt of I the: boys. Things iinj>roved generally | \ to-day c•.-.sualfcies Jir.- .■') l:eavv. i i T.cod-y. Ap.'-il 27tii.--Oui-" uivi^cn A

make progress, improve defences, etc., and straighten out commands which 'had become somewhat tangled. Our detachment (No. 1) lays cable to 4th Australian Brigade headquarters —-heavy shrapnel at time, but we all got through with a" whole skin. - 3 p.m. —Returned to divisiona! headquarters. We go out again at dusk, when the shrapnel ceases, to lay a duplicate line, interlacing ladderfashion with tho one already laid— this to ensure a circuit, although the lines may bo cut "by shrapnel in several

places. 6 p.m. —Had just had test,"and was walking 'to dug-ont when —Bang! got one in the leg from cbrapnel bullet— bullet going through upper thigh on the inside and lodging under skin, on other side ot" leg; not serious. 9 p.m.—Wounds dressed and on hospital Khip^—ono among . a thousand more poor fellows. What meanings, what sights! One likens his own wounds 'to those of a scratch on the finger in peace time, in comparison. Wednesday, April 28th.—Slept well, being well looked after; quiet day. This ship bumped Minnewa-ska; slightly damaged bulwarks. Storm during the night. Things appear to 1>» going well ashore—■battleships doing so<ne great shooting. Thursday, April 29th.—Up; anchor, leaving for- Alexandria: qiiiot day, smooth sea. Had wound dressed again. Many dying aboard.

Friday, April . 30th.—Passed hospital .ship going back. We are making 14 knots, but many are dying for want of hospital treatment, this ship being only a transport. Quie<t, good day myself.

Saturday, May Ist.—Arrived at Alexandria. All but serious cases left for Cairo in hospital train, .arriving at 7.40 p.m. Ministered to on train by Indian Red dossers. Admitted into Kaer-el-Aini native hospital; wound examined and dressed almost immediately. Egyptian, student doctors and staff, with a few English nurses. Sunday, May 2nd.—Bullet extracted quite easily ; one or two visitors.

Wednesday, May sth.—Since then we have had lots of visitors, bringing reading matter", writing material, and —smokes! and several English ladies resident in Cairo have come to administer to our wants: so you see we are doing no harm. The only thing is that when we get back we shall all be all spoilt, and will have to sta.rt all over again getting used to "roughing it." Yesterday Mi' McKenzie (our reinforcement lieu-tenant) called, bringing me thirteen letters and a parcel of socks, so I am all right now, and .will have plenty to do to answer them.