SOLDIER'S LETTERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15950, 22 June 1915, Page 4

SOLDIER'S LETTERS.

GABA TEPR FIGHT,

IN THE FIRING LINE.

BULLETS AND SHRAPNEL.

WOUNDED MAN'S STORY. [ni TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] Ckristciiiirc'h, Monday.

His friends in South Canterbury have received a letter from Private R. Smith, Canterbury Infantry Battalion, describing the first engagement in which the New Zealand troops tools part at the Dardanelles. The following are extracts : — "It is a great feeling to be face to face with death, as wo all were who landed tho first day, for wo were just lying on the ground with no cover Half of our platoon was separated from the rest of tho company. We were detached to carry ammunition for tho Australians, who were running short, and ivith climbing up Uio. hills -✓with boxes of ammunition we got a long way behind our company. When wo wero going down tho other side of tho hill, wo had bullets falling all around us, for the enemy's snipers wero potting at us, but ! luckily nobody was hit. Wo were all right so far, though at times it was a pretty close thing. We got down to the bottom of the hill, and as wo could see our company going away up a gully to the left wo were following, when an Australian sentry stopped us, saying that the gul'.y was mined. Luckily our company got to tho top. To tho light, with a lot of Australians, there were 25 New Zealanders, and our only commanders were two corporals. Wo crawled through the scrub and up the hill until we were close to the firing line, which was along the top. All this time wo were in the midst of flying shells and bullets, but none of us was hit.

"We rested here for a while and then crawled along as close to the ground as possible till we gol to the top of the hill, where we found that the veal firing lino was from 150 to 200 yards further on. Wo were not by any means in close formation, and it was every man for himself. I lay down for a few minutes, as the rifle and machine-gun fire was awful. It was unsafe to move, for if we had raised our heads a few inches wo would have been riddled. I thought it would be impofeible to come through it alive, as the enemy eimply rained shells and bullets, and did their best to prevent us getting into the firing line. At last there came a lull, and I was up and off. I don't think I ever ran so hard before, and I reached the firing line and threw myself down, absolutely beat. " I just arrived in time, for I had no sooner dropped down i than the enemy renewed the fire, turning two machijie-guns upon us. The bullets cut the tops of tho grass just above our heads. A (lying shell would explode i just in front of us. Someone would \ groan, and. that would bo the end iof one of us. Again someone would squeal out, and we would know another boy was hit. At last came another lull. I spied a Turk and let him have k lie dropped} and I felt as happy and proud as a -man who had a fortune left to him. That set me going, and I started tn get reckless, and blazed away. I could swear I dropped four, and I only hod fifteen rounds.

" Then they started a murderous fire, and I curled myself into as small a space as possible. They started to enfilade us with machine-gun and rifle fire, while shrapnel came at us in front. The first near go was a shrapnel shell which bun* about five in front of me, the explosion blowing my hat off, while.Australians on each side of me were killed. Then I heard a ping, and a bullet grazed my nose, just drawing blood. Before I recovered from that 1 was landed in. the upper arm, close to the shoulder. It was a sharp-pointed bullet, and not an explosive which they were using a lot— or it would have blown my arm away. I must consider myself a lucky man to be here and able to write to you. Whe/n I was hit I did not know what to do for a few minutes, whether to stay there or go and get it fixed up. I was bleeding like a stuck pig, so thought I had better get that stopped as soon as possible. I started from the firing line, and rolled like a barrel over and over, right; across tho piece of ground from the fi»hg line to tho edgo of the hill behind Bullets flew above, but not one landed. I got over the edge safely, and ran upi against an Australian officer, who took off my coat and cut the sleeve off my shirt, and reduced the bleeding greatly by bandaging the arm. He then hunted mo off down the beach to get the wound well dressed, so I threw away my equipment, and rifle in hand started off."

WITH THE WAIKATO MEN. IN CHASE OF THE TURKS. "ATTACKING LINE THIN." "The fight was most furious, and all played the game," is the description given by Privato A. C. C. Robins, of the 16th, Waikato, Company, writing to his parents in Cambridge. " The Turks held a most difficult position for us to take, as we had to force a landing, and there were big, rugged ranges immediately in the rear. We landed early on Sunday morning, under heavy fire from our battleships. All made a name for themselves straight away, charging and rooting the Turks out of a very difficult place. Well, they never stopped till they were over two high ranges, although our attacking line was very thin, as men being landed had to work hard to catch the front up. Anyway, a fighting linoifras eventually made, and a good defence was organised, this being all that was asked from us. The New Zealanderg suffered severely, owing to the place they were holding, the aid 16th coming in for a little more than their share. All their officers were wounded or killed." SOLDIER'S SACRIFICE. GALLANT DEED UNDER FIRE. A story of a young soldier's gallant sacrifice of his life is told by Private Charles McConchie, of Nelson. "A little New Zealand boy from the South Island was near us," lie writes. "Australians i and were mixed up, and a. machinegun was annoying us all day. We could not locate it, so this lad calls out, 'Watch, boys I'll get it.' He jumped out of his dug-out and ran like a deer to where we thought it was. He only went about 30 yards and dropped. It cost him his life, but_ we got the gun and pumped some lead into it, and put it out of action. Then two lads went out and brought the boy in. Ho had seven bullet wounds on his left side. He lived a quarter of an hour after they got him. If he had not gone out no doubt a dozen or so other lads would have had the same end as himself."