"RIGHT AMONGST THE REAL THING."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13786, 11 September 1915, Page 9

"RIGHT AMONGST THE REAL THING."

GISBORNE BOY'S LETTER

Letters received from Private E. H. Charles (reported believed to be killed) are dated up to July 14th from Gallipoli. In his first letter he stated that he had just arrived at the Dardanelles, and it was a fine change after the desert to be back among the boys again. "We are all burrowed into the hills like rabbits,'* he wrote. "*lt is a sight worth seeing. We came from Lemnos m a mine-sweeper, and landed m the afternoon, and I tell you it was not too good as tJie shells were falling all round us, but we are used to them now. There is a wharf at the landing now, so it is a lot easier getting ashore. We are camped m Shrapnel Gully, and there is a lot of shrapnel and broken shells lying about. ... I went down to the beach this morning for a swim, and a chap yelled out 'Good-day Ted!' It was 'Brownie' -that used to work for Machell and Russell. He is m the Australian Mounted Police, and wished to be remembered to all."

The second letter was written a week later from the trenches. Private Charles writes: ."It is a good life — 24 hours m and 24 hours out. The trenches are only nine yards apart m places, so 1 tell you we are very .close. I had a shot yesterday. We can't see much m the daytime, but at night there are a few bullets m the air. The only thing lam afraid of is the shrapnel, and by jove it is deadly. A lot of Otago and Australian boys had a rough time yesterday afternoon and this morning, but I think we will be getting onr own back before long. Our trenches are well covered m and we can see the Turkish trenches with our heads 2ft below the hags. We havo got wire-netting all along m front of ours to stop the bombs which they throw. They call it the tennis court, but our bomb-throwers have always got their trenches on fire, and blew up a trench with a lot of German officers. A French aeroplane came over -nd dropped a bomb on old John Turk. We could see it coming down, and then a bang ! They were firing at her with shrapnel, but could not get near." Regarding the commissariat, Pvte. Charles reports having got , a stock of onions, and stated that his mate was good at making rissoles. They had plenty of tinned meat, and they ground the hard biscuits up for flour. "So I tell you we are right m amongst the real thing. 1 got my first present since I joined the Force the other day from the Countess of Liverpool, nicely addressed — two pairs of socks, 1 handkerchief, 1 pencil, 1 cake of /soap; but she should have sent us a good 'duff' each. . . Tho hospital ship will be a good thing. You should see the ones here. There is always two lower down the coast,- and one out here- I will toll yon they are lovely, big white boats with red crosses on their sides and green and red lights at night. Our B Company is up to full strength again now and a few over, so we are ready for a good go with John Turk.""