FEARFUL SLAUGHTER

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1915, Page 5

FEARFUL SLAUGHTER

"ONE OF THE LUCKY FIVE.:'

AGAINST HEAVY ODDS

Private Sydney Bra.ham, Auekl;'-ul Tnl'auh-y Battalion, wlio went to the front: witli the .Fifth fteini'orew'Mit*. describes hi>i cxperio.necs at Gallipoli in a letter to "his mother, Mrs P.rnho.m. 15 O'Neill Street, Poiw.nhy. The letter was written In the First London G<>Mi vra] I!os!>ifil, •'"'rin'.berweH. "Rdgbi.ad. where Private 'Rraham is lying v.onndcd. TVivate Bra-ham write--:- "Wo ru'rivotl at (Jallipoli f >n August 7th. .Ak -we .".pproacherl il!^ pl"ce wo cr^ild hear tlit* roar of the ir \;n,s. md ivlv^n wo cruiu'. inicVf ft re

ay© were two miles from the land. A ' great battle was in progress when wo j .arrived. On our way to the trenches ! wo sa. w thousands of (load and wounded lying all around our lint*?. In fact, it' was just like the picture we saw at Windsor Castle, which re- I presented "Dante's Inferno " We were given the ordeV to charge, but we did not get more than ten yards out of the trench before hundreds t>r our lx)ys were shot down, <i:id wo had ; to retire. The Turks, took the offensive arid attacked eight times during one day -We held them off, lmb we lost heavily. We went up with 1100 men, and when T left for the hospital ship two days later we could only muster 250. 'There were only 55 ot us left to hold our part of the trench. We held it for three hours against; o-rent odds until there were only five left. I was one of the lucky five. We were then called out, and fresh men took our places. T was then sent to the base, a distance ot three mites, to set some food for the reliei party. While I was on the way I met George Lury going to the dsessingstation. I'believe lie was wounded.. While I was getting the rations two shells burst right amongst us and killed three Indians and three mules., I felt a pain in my leg and shoulder and knew that I had been hit. Directly afterwards another shell came over and the concussion threw me a dif*; tanoe of 12ft. over «. lot of boxes. I thought my back was broken. I was placed on the hospital ship aim brought to England. 'I am now getting well, and hop© to be out- of the hospital in a few days."