BACK FROM GALLIPOLI

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15944, 15 June 1915, Page 8

BACK FROM GALLIPOLI

AUCKLANDER'S EXPERIENCE.

IN STORM OF SHRAPNEL.

STRUCK EARLY IN FIGHT.

That he was ono of the thousands of New Zealand and Australian soldiers who landed on the morning of April 25 on the shores of Gallipoli Peninsula, in the face of a storm of shrapnel, Maxim, and rifle fire, is the proud experience claimed by Corporal Frederick Allen Phelan, signaller on the headquarters staff of the Auckland Infantry Battalion, who has just returned to his home in Auckland. Corporal Phelan has but a confused recollection of that historic landing. He remembers jumping from a pontoon and wading ashore—men falling everywhere under the hail of bullets—seeing two pinnaces smashed up by shrapnel, scrambling into line with the rest in a start to dash for the Turks' trenches, and then his mind is a blank. Some hours later ho regained conscious ness. He could still hear the cannonade from the warships battering the forts and shelling the hillsides, but lie was then back on the transport. Half his teeth were missing, but he did not know what caused the injury or how he lost consciousness. The Auckland soldier, who is a brother of Mr. E. Phelan, secretary of the Auckland Timberworkers' Union, left Alexandria for Gallipoli on the evening of April 19. The transport, a 15,000-ton steamer, which beforo the war was the German steamer Lutzow, had on board some 2000 men, including Auckland infantry, Army Service and engineer units, the headquarters staff, with General Godlev, and the 3rd, Auckland, Infantry Band, in active service as stretcher- ; bearers.

Men in Great Spirits. Before sailing the men were told that they would see as much fighting as they could wish, and that probably 10 per cent, of them would fall in an effort to land on the peninsula. "The men were in great spirits," Corporal Phelan said. "They were as happy as anything, and you would never have thought that they were in for real fighting." There were some dozen other transports with the Lutzow, and the ships steamed across the Mediterranean to the little island of Lemnos, where Australian and French troops had already landed. The Aucklander saw the Queen Elizabeth, anchored in the roadstead between Lemnos and the peninsula, "a big, squat bulldog," with a horde of destroyers encircling her and guarding her from possible torpedo attacks. The thunder of her 15in guns he heard later, when the warship was . assisting in the landing on the peninsula.

Preparing, lor the Landing. The transports stayed at Lemnos only a few hours, and then proceeded towards the foot. of the peninsula, 30 miles away. From the warships instructions were received in connection with the landing to be made next morning. Pontoons—fiatbottomed rafts capable of holding some 90 men—were carried by the transports, and many had been prepared by the warships. " The men were told that these were to be towed by the pinnaces close in ' shore, and that they would have to jump for it as best they could, fix bayonets, form into line, and make for the trenches. It was quite' dark when the pinnaces left, towing the pontoons. , A moon was visible, but shed little light on the scene. "I' don't know how long it took to reach the shore," said Corporal Phelan. "We had not gone far, when the enemy opened fire, and then the warships replied. The Turks were well prepared for us—just like the fight on the canal when we were equally prepared for them. But tha'< was nothing compared with this. The light cleared a little and we could sea shrapnel bursting everywhere. It must have been at very close range, for many of the ; shells ricochetted from .'the water, and then burst in the air.'. I saw two pinnaces get smashed up— they seemed to be, everywherebut ours was not hit. When wo got close in shore the pinnace sheered off, cast loose, and we drifted in. The Maxim fire and the shrapnel appeared'to be doing, all the damage, and men were being hit' on all sides. I jumped with the rest into deep water, and waded ashore. On the beach we made a scramble into line, but the officers' orders could not be heard : above the diii ni, the guris. I remember.'speaking to Captain Craig,, medical 'officer'. with the Auckland Infantry, seeing him stagger and fall, wondering if I could get s help, for him, and then I knew nothing more." ,

~'■■''. Back jon ,•'the../Transport. \ Many hours afterwards the Aucklander regained consciousness, and found he .was back again on the Lutzow, : returning to Alexandria.. He had been weak from the effects of pneumonia and pleurisy contracted at Colombo; and had actually been ordered back as unfit before leaving Alexandria, but had contrived to get on board the transport. The disappearance of most of his. teeth puzzled him, <as his lips : were not cut. "At Alexandria, along with thirty or. forty invalided v New Zealanders,'. only two of whom had been at the Dardanelles, he entrained-for Suez; and returned to Sydney in a White Star liner, utilised as an Australian -; transport. Joining the Moeraki at; Sydney, - Corporal Phelan arrived in Wellington last week. "I learned afterwards," he said, " that our boys had carried the three lines of Turkish trenches commanding the beach on which we landed. It must have been a great fight to scramble up that big steep hill and reach the enemy. They were well screened on the scrub-covered hillside, and, although I saw the beginning of the fi"ht, I don't remember seeing a single Turk." c 6 ■