UP THE VALLEY OF DEATH

Otago Witness, Issue 3201, 21 July 1915, Page 55

UP THE VALLEY OF DEATH

OTAGO BATTALION LOSES HEAVILY. “WHAT WE HAVE WE HOLD.” The following very interesting- letter from an Otago officer has been received by Mr E. A. Anscombe : “ German Hospital, Alexandria, May 14. “After several months of hard training out on the desert we are now- right into the thick of one of the bloodiest of wars. We left Alexandria early last month and went to a small island not far away from the Dardanelles. At this small place all our forces concentrated, waiting the order fox’, our next move. Such a lovely harbour not unlike Dunedin, with very deep water no ■wharves, excepting a rude landing built for ships’ boats. There were over 100 troopships and about 20 warships, so you may judge the size of the harbour. Alter staying thgre for a w-eek, we at last received our orders, and on Sunday, April 25, we set sail for the Dardanelles. As our boat passed the entrance to the Dardanelles we were able to watch the British troops effecting a landing. It was a grand sight, the warships covering the landing of the troops with their b:g guns. Fort after fort _we saw set on fire, and when the Queen Elizabeth fired it seemed as if the whole world shook. “ When we arrived at our place of landing wo discovered that the Australasians bad already effected a landing. At 2.30 p.m. we went ashore, and then found that the Australians had driven the Turks back for five miles, but, not having any supports, had to retire, and were holding on to the ridges overlooking the beach. This was quite a great performance on the part of the Australians, for they never fired a shot, driving the Turks back at the point of the bayonet, and it was while they were retiring that they lost so heavily. “On Sunday evening wo got our first taste of shrapnel fire. During the week we were moved from position to position, acting always as suppoi’ts. Our casualties were a little bit too big under these circumstances, so at last w-e got orders to take a hill where the Turks had been doing considerable damage to our troops. Oiir Avay led up a deep gully known by us as the Valley of Deatfx on aocoxmt of the snipers w-ho were shooting so many, and although w-e had sent out party after party we could not find them, they were so well hidden. On Sxxxxday, May 2, we went up this gully, and when we got to the head of it had to pull ourselves up by the aid of a rope. At half-past 8 we started the attack, going in lines of platoons, with the whole of the Otago Battalxon. The first row of-trenches was easily captured, but on going to the second row we had to cross over a very small rise, and there we got it —machine guns, hand grenades, star shells, and rifle fire. Our boys wore falling in hundreds, and it was here that I got shot through the leg —nothing very serioxxs, but will mean a few-xlays in hospital. Reinforcements coming up, we captured those trenches, but at an awful cost to our side. On Monday morning our battalion had to concentrate on the beach. Out of the total strength of 950 men only 500 turned up: the remainder were either wounded, killed, or missing “One crowd of 60 men, Major Moir, and Captain Fleming got cut off, and for two days had to fight off the Turks, until, ammunition running out, they had to cut their way back with their bayonets at night time. Both officei’s got safely back, but only 20 of the men. [Captain Fleming was subsequently badly w-oxxnded, and has returned by the Willochra.] “At this German hospital we are getting the best of attention. The German nurses cannot do enough for us. Then, again, qxxite a number of Englishwomexx come and help. I expect in another 10 days to be able to go back again. “ One thing I am certain of, and that is that New Zealand will always be px-oud of the splendid work that our boys are doing at the front. We get very-little sleep—always on the watch., night and day,—and it is very strange, but w-e do not mind the loss of sleep—only the lack of water to have a wash. Plenty to eat and drink, hard work to do digging trenches, axxd the main thing •—our boys are in the best of spirits. “As far as we have got we can hold. The devil himself could not out us, but it is going to be very hot work. Those who win through will bo very fortunate indeed. We’ll need a great many more men from New Zealand befox-e -our work here is finished.”