A SOLDIER'S LETTERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11578, 23 December 1915, Page 2

A SOLDIER'S LETTERS.

FIRE AT GALLIPOLI. INCIDENTS DAY BY DAY. In view of the announcement to-day that Anzao has been evacuated, 1 otters written from Gallipoli by Gunner Leslie Early, of the 3rd Battery, New Zealand Field Artillery, Main Expeditionary Force, are specially interesting. They were written in September and October, and were received a short time ago by the soldier's relatives at Green dale. The following extracts are taken from thorn:— GABA TESE, September 6. As far as any of us know, our present position is our winter one, and we have had a rather hard timei digging in. . The work itself is not by any means hard, but we are all physically weak for want of focd. In our last position, which wo occupied for about ten days, we had nothing but bully and impossible biscuits. While in that position we fired 123 shots from A gun ; then wo loft. The Turks foflnd us immediately we opened almost and made things hot. During action shells were flying in all directions, one finishing up less than a yard from mv feet. I was lying down, action having ceased, so I got up and bolted for my dug-out. At present an occasional shell comes over, one having just this minute laid a man out within sight of our gun-pit-, where I am writing this. My dug-out is about five .or six yards ojf the edge of the sea, so bathing is still more handy than when we wero in Egypt. In some of your letters you have told nie to mention any nicknaeks for my personal comfort. Tn view of winter and Christmas, Bovril, cocoa, or anything of a. concentrated nature would bo highly acceptable. Above all, send in small ■pa reals rather than in a lump, for obvious reasons. Clothing of all descriptions is fairly plentiful, although some sort of a leather shirt would be good. It seems u bit rough for a New Zealander to bo complaining of food, etc., but if you people knew a few socrets you might credit a few reports, although they are rather stretched. However, do not overdo it and make a labour of it, as lam still well and hearty, far as that goes.

GADA TEPE, September 13. Although our hours are rather irregular and wo never seem to he finished, it. is up to' me to get a note away to you peoplo who inhabit the other side of our troublqd little globe. T have sent several A.S. postcards and one or two letters since I arrived here, hut tharo is no telling if they will get through. The enclosing envelope is a fine idea so long as'it is not abused; we receive'one of these per week. Eve,ll in this isolated part of the earth a mail len\es her,-, twice a ivwk, but the incoming mail is not quite so regular. 1 have received two or three letters, bin not near as many as used to come my way in_ Egypt. If wtj had the smuo facilities for posting parcols I could send fjuito a collection of ivaj* trophies, such as a- Turkish water-bottle, which is all leather, with a. kind of doublo wooden cork; also a I're no h bayonet and scabbard, and a completa Turkish shell. Speaking of shells, especially Turkish. recalls a few incidents of a rather humorous nature. In one instance wo were talcing cover after a If mbardn?.>nt, for the very good reason that the Turks had found us and were giving us a 'iittlp of what we had given them. Things were going fast and furious without doing anv damage, when bang, s.vish. rnd wo received a shower of dirt, etc., accompanied by

one of their little commercial travellers. While this was going on we were handy to the .gun, so my mate, whose knee the shell-case actually grazed, and I got out of the trench and bolted for our dug-out. Wo were witting there enjoying the scene when another of thair travellers landedsplash in amongst our ammunition. Some wonderful things happen at times, and this was one. The stack consisted of about 400 high-explosive shells, and two only blew up.' Alongside this were some 300 shrapnel and a few man. Directly the shell 1 landed, men scaled for their lives in all directions from dug-outs, and all back into a communication trench. After the storm went over wo came out to transfer the ammunition, and although a good hair-hour had gone by we could not hold some of tliq shells by reason, of the heat. If that ammunition, had gone up there would have been* one explosion with a- finish. At- present I am sitting on a pile of high explosive, but it is very safe. My ne,xt impending job is to prepare* forty rounds of shrapnel, with which to bombard the Turks' wire entanglements this afternoon. AXZAC, October 21. I doubt if I have ever sat down and written a letter straight off. This letter is not an exception to the rule, seeing that I have been for a stroll of about three miles to No. 2 outpost for medical comforts. These comforts are for those who are weak and weary or are suffering from dysentery. I am glad to say that, so far, I have not required any, and will bo well satisfied to be able to do without- them, in ono of my letters home 1 mentioned a rather severe storm we had from the south. Since then there have been thousands of geese flying over from somewhere north, apparently on their way to the sunny south. When they are passing over machine guns and rifles get very busy, but 1 have never seen a goose fall yet. A rather big goose in the shape of a Turkish aeroplane came very close overhead the other day, and machine guns, aircraft guns and rifles had another good go but without visible effect. Something Aery different happened to one of ours some time ago. It Avas evidently disabled and flow just over my dug-out. landing a short, distance away on tlie flat. _ The Turks promptly smashed it up Avith shell fire. When Ave were down mi Cape Me'tles there Avas one lying in the sea some distance- out, so 1 used to swim out to it and make my first close acquaintance with an aeroplane engine. We sometimes have .some very cio.se snaves with shells, etc. Tlie other day I Avas laying, and a certain Dick Cross was No. 'J. other nmnlvrs being sprinkled about. when a. fir.-c big si:;-inch proclaimed that ]t was coming by, whistling a tune. Dick was looking at me across the gun breech, when w bang! and we Avere deluged Avith sand; but nobody was hurt. When wo could see ourselves again there Avas a line big hole just m front of the muzzle. Another five yards avouUl have seen A Section and gun up in the air. i, u t it needed that little difference to make a very difference to some of us. .ilthougn you have never seen a, <jun iiko ours, yon can guess what an in- j finitesimal difference in the la vim* of the gun would make, even 'tweiuv yard* difference in a range of three or four miles. Such is rrar ar.a wo < ! odgo along. |

October '2l. At. home in m.v dugout, with the wind blowing, rifles going, and everybody else but me, on the guns sounds nice and is nice. This " is the first letter I have ever written in'my dugout. all my other efforts having been made in tho gun-pit, so you can judge how much really spuro time we get. In an ammunition cn.se, let into the wall oi my du<j;-o;;i, arc eisiiii t'iis of salmon, seven of milk, one of sausages, one beef dripping, one of tapioca, one n', cocoa, and a , hottlo-of Bovril : behind me is a -lib ((is) cheese twelve packets ot soup, ton tins of sardines, one ol soup, three packets of baking powder, nine ol hi.scnits. one of candles, and my medicine chest, This is the ■contents <>l a two-man dug-out at present winch we would have thought scandalous some time ago. but ive have gained acess to a canteen over at Imbros. with tin l above isult. If we had goi e.l] thai we nut in for we v.'t.uld have had tu p'll! down our

barns and build greater, but we never get half the items. At present the scheme seems to mo to be on too big a soale, stuff for the whole brigade coming in bulk and once a week, but ii" they could run it by the battery and once a fortnight I think would be a much greater chance of it continuing, but nt present it may not. The hospital ships look very pretty at night, lying out in the harbour lit up with their red cross and long line oi : preen lights, being pretty well the only boats with lights going, although you can bo sure that there is plenty besides lights going on board the boats that are lightless. We have now, had over a week of very cold rainy weather irom tlie north, and it is rather dreary, whichever way a. man turns no real change being obtainable. The cold weather came on very steadily and gave us plenty of warning, but since it really broke into winter we have had nothing else. It would be rather interesting to know how this rough weather catches the Turks. So far as the trenches are concerned, they have the advantage, the weather being behind them, but we find that wo can shelter behind th§ same bank or tree from both, storm and shell, so we have it there. Enclosed in the letter is the following canteen list: — Apricots, Is per tin. Beef dripping. Is 7d per pound. Biscuits, 3d per packet. Butter, 2s 3d per lib tin. Cafe an Lait, Is per tin. Cakes, Is 9d each. Candles. (3d per_ packet. Cheese, 6s per slb. Chocolate. 8d per packet. Chutney, Is per bottle. Cocoa, lOd per tin. Coffee, Is per tin. Fruit, lu per tin. Herrings, 7d per tin. Margerino : Is 3d. Pineapple, Is per tin. Sardines,, 5d per tin. Salmon, lid per tin. "Worcester sauce. Gd per bottle. Sausages, Is (3d per tin. Tapioca, 6d. Sweets, Is -id pet" lhTomatoes. 7}d per tin. Vinegar. li}d. Writing pad. Is. Ham in tins, L's per lb. Lard, Is. _ Apples. 8d per tin. Lemon squash, lOd per bottle. Potted meats—fish. lid.