FIGHTING IN GALLIPOLI

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15947, 18 June 1915, Page 4

FIGHTING IN GALLIPOLI

WOUNDED MAN'S STORY.

CHARGING THE SNIPERS. TURKS HOWL FOR MERCY. WORK OF THE AMBULANCE. [BY TELEGRAPH.— corrksi'OKßESt.] Weixingtov, Thursday. A letter lias been received by the Rev. A. E. Hunt, of Wellington, from his son, Private A. J. Hunt, of the Canterbury Battalion, who was badly wounded and is now in hospital at Malta. The letter, which is dated May 6, runs :— "We arrived at Gallipoli Peninsula about midnight. About an, hour before dawn the Australians iegan to land. We were taken off the transports by torpedoboats, and had to wade up to our shoulders with all our pack on, and I can tell you it was not easy. The Australians fixed bayonets before they left the boat, then jumped out with a yell, and charged the Turks up a high cliff. They scarcely fired a shot, but cut them to pieces with the bayonet, " The Turks had some macliiue-guns on the beach, and as each boat came up, they opened fire. In one boat of Australians only two got out alive. However, the next boat was more fortunate, and when the men got on dry land they charged down on three machine-guns and captured them. We could sec all this from our boat, and, of course, wo were all dying to get ashore and give them a hand, At last our turn came. Wo were about the first of the New Zeatinders to land. We got on the torpedo boat from the port side, and the Turks <:ould not eee us, but as we went round tin bow of the transport three batteries opered firs on us. Of course when they started the warships all started to l silence them, and you should (have heard the row. You could not hear yourself speak, and when, at last we landed we could not hear one another for about five minutes. We were lucky in not getting hit going over. Some of the shells landed five or ten yards from us, and did not explode until they reached the water. Had they exploded in the air we should have been blown to pieces.

Scene in Turkish Trenches. "After we got ashore we at once took our packs off, and went straight into it. Ii was something awful climbing that cliff. There was only a narrow path, and everyone'had, to keep to it. because all the bushes were mined. At last we got over it, after continually ducking our heads to dodge the hail of : shrapnel'. and bullets that were flying round. First of all we went (into one .of the Turks' trenches.

V ■( The 'first sight that, met our eyes ;;'•:'.: 'was a Turk with his head blown off. v. ... A i bit further on we saw another with /■ both his legs lying beside him. We were ; in the trenches for about an hour and :"''<. *a-haHwheu r order, came, ' Reinforce- '; / ". ment* wanted on the right flank.' We ■ :.; had to double but of the trenches and go ;:; '-' for our lives across an open space that ;..-*' ■ was being swept with shrapnel. We got ■•:'-'• . ■cross all right. Three of our men were }l. .:.■»killed, but we kept on, and at last got behind the firing line that required more men. . We- were crawling along on our '?-'■ stomachs, when one of our men saw three '- snipers hiding behind some bushes. We -;',.a': ';■ told the' lieutenant, and. he ordered four 1; ;of -us"'to fix bayonets- and charge them. ''We couldn't fire because of our chaps in : ; ' • front, ;so we crept back, fixed- our bayonets, and waited till "the shells v\ .• stopped buzzing a bit, and then we 'up and at "em.' We took them by surprise,' ■ :',, and when we were on top of them they •■dropped their rifles and yelled for mercy. '■<■:.:• They j f got /* y lot} vof ; * it, too.' ; : Our ' •'v bayonets went in 'up to the hilt '" ':.;,.;..- about a dozen times. Then >we took - ; - '.] :< ; the i bolt* out of, their rifles, threw' them :-.\' M ■ away, * and left \, them. % They .'arc- . the biggest cowards. When enca they see \'\ they are caught, they will not make a :•;' 7. fight ; for V it; they • want mercy. They know that word well enough., . "Crawling Back ,to the Beach. ;'., "' " We went to our own platoon after- ' , wards, and eptupto. the firing-line. I W{ '■•'■ had a surprise when I locked up. I ; : - thought tie Turks were 300y<ie or tiXh'da *•."away, but they were scarcely 100 yds off. We'were going to make an advance, so v we got up, two at a time, van 'forward, ■ about syds, then dropped. I had just .:- 'J got down when I wag hit, A sniper ;.."'"" caught me sideways on. ' The bullet went M •.; in my left shoulder, then came up/ made V-■'.':.' : a hole in the middle of my back, and p'- «dived ' across to my right shoulder/ It ml was only taken out yesterday, and now - "., I have got it in my pocket. % : "The > worst part of it all was getting : < back to the beach when one was hit. - Of course, I was knocked senseless, and fjfU when I came to I was alone, All the j° J othjre had advanced. I crawled back as ,- : ''- bes\- I could, for I could not stand up. V ; The bullets were flying about everywhere. -:£/• When I reached a little hollow I. tried to • •'. stand up, but my head seemed too heavy ' for me. I could not hold it up. It seemed p . as if my neck was broken. I had a rest && * then I scrambled on a bit further. I came /••• to a steep bank and just as I was going to slide down it I heard a nhell coming. I bobbed down and when I thought it had ;■/ , gone I got up and then I waa knocked on the head, and I didn't remember any more. All I know is that I must have rolled down the bank and in doing bo I put my shoulder out. One of the ambulance men said he found me and carried me down to the beach. 1 don't know '~ where I should have been if it hadn't been " : for him. My shoulder is all right now. r It was lucky I did not break my neck, for it was a steep bank and I must have fallen ■i, ■ heavily. However, it is done with now, and I only hope I shall soon be able to get back to the front again. I must get some of my own back again."