GUY FAWKES AT GALLIPOLI

Southland Times, Issue 17658, 16 February 1916, Page 2

GUY FAWKES AT GALLIPOLI

HAVING PUN AT THE EXPENSE OP THE TURK. Writing to his father in Wellington, a New Zealander who left the dominion as a non-commissioned officer and now holds an Imperial commission, describes a “Guy Fawkes” celebration at Gallipoli :—"We had good fun at Gallipoli on sth November with the Turks,” he says, “We secured a large biscuit tin and had cut in one side of it an immense crescent and star. Over the spaces cut

out we pasted some light paper and put a candle inside the tin. The light from the candle reflected by the bright tin all round showed well through the paper, and at 300 yds the crescent and star looked immense. About 8;30 p.m. one of us climbed out of our trench and got about 30yds away, where three iron pegs were driven into the ground, to which a bomb was tied. The bomb is exploded by pulling out a small pin. To this pin a long cord was attached, which led to our trench. a table was placed over the bomb and the tin placed on top. Lighting the candle was the tricky part, for a light shows up so far away, and old Turk would immediately spot it and lire, so a waterproof sheet was taken out, and, under shelter of it the candle was lit, the door of the tin closed, and, as quick as lightning I placed the tin on the table with the crescent and star facing the enemy. I got back to the trench at once, but before reaching there live shots whizzed overhead. Fortunately, everyone fires high at night. As soon as old Turk saw the light he fired, but when he realised he was firing at his own blooming emblem he stopped. He did not know what was up. Never before had he seen a crescent and star so big and so near and so placed as that. We waited for ten minutes, all enjoying the fun, then pulled the cord, and in five seconds the Turkish ensign went kite high. The blowing up was the signal for a rousing British cheer, and at the same time we let off our bombs, catapults, trench mortars, and rockets, that lit up all the country round, rifle grenades, that go 250 yds and then burst, and an imemnse rifle fire. Poor old Turk thought his end had come, and madly replied. When things quietened down a bit, after half an hour, we raised the Turkish shout of ‘Allah, Allah, Allah.’ ”