LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS.

Waipa Post, Volume IX, Issue 432, 16 July 1915, Page 3

LETTERS FROM SOLDIERS.

Writing from the military hospital at Malta to his brother (Mr M. C. Lawson), Private P. Lawson of the 3rd Auckland Regiment who was wounded at' the Dardanelles says: —"Just a few words to let you know that I am making a splendid recovery. I was wounded in the left side hip bone, but hope to be up and at the Turks again ere this reaches you. We have some splendid doctors here, and the people are very kind to us. There is plenty of good and wholesome food, and there is nothing to complain about. We had a very hot time of it when we landed, and for five days and nights sleep was impossible. It was about 9 p.m. on May 7th when we reached our then destination, although we had landed some time before. After two hours bayonet fighting I received two bullets in quick succession which inflicted wounds but a few inches apart. Fortunately they went right throush so I regard my troubles as slight. Bullets and shrapnel fire was the order of the clay over there. At times one could hardly be heard when speaking. Malta is a great place. It is but a large lump of rock. There are very ie.wt English people here, but we have got quite used to the coloured men. I cannot write very much in the way of news as our letters run the risk of the censor.

Writing on loth May to a friend in Te Awamutu, Piivate J. Duncan, who was among the wounded during the fighting at the Dardanelles, savs : —I am as well as can be expected. I have been in some of the heaviest fighting since the war started, and during the landing at the Dardanelles we got it pretty hot. Fred Haycock was shot dead the first day, and nearly half our company were either killed or wounded. The battle lasted for fourteen days.. lam now in the hospital with a broken leg, received during a charge under a heavy fire. The New Zealand and Australian troops are making a name for themselves in "this war. Other regiments here consider we are fighting as well as any other troops at the front. I had to walk about four miles using my rifle as a crutch, and with the aid of a pick handle, but I managed to reach the boat in two days. I am in the hospital now doing well. It will be two or three weeks before I get back to the firing line. I got hit one day with shrapnel and two spent bullets, but they did not go into me far. We were charging, the bullets were raising the dust in front of us. D. O'Brien and I are in hospital together. The mounteds are joining as infantry, leaving their horses behind. We have had hell on earth. It is marvellous that there are any of lis alive. It is like Heaven again now. The man that used to drive Thomson's coach has just come in and brought me cake, lollies, and cigarettes. By jove, he is a Briton. I forgot to tell you that F. North, H. Jemmett, and Flannigan were right at the front when I left, and G. Taylor, Jack, and T. Sullivan were left behind in Cairo sick. Guy's leg took bad again. J. Peat was wounded very bad in the arm. This seems a very nice place, although I am not able to get about much. The Maoris are stationed here.

The following letter, dated May 14th 1915, has been received byMr R. L. Henderson, of Te Awamutu, from his -son, Private J. Henderson, who is at present fighting at the Dardanelles: — I.suppose you will, know our position from the account in the newspapers, so there is no need to mention any particular place. We were the first to get into action 19 days ago. 1 have been in some very severe engagements including two bayonet charges. The enemy seem able to stand any amount of Ore, but they will not face the bayonet. I have had scores of hair-breadth escapes. In one case a piece of shrapnel took a bit off my rifle, and on another occasion a riflj bullet ' grazed my boot. Men have been shot down either side of ,me. I don't think we are allowed to mention the extent of the casualties or the names of any of our. mates who have gone down. The boys are supposed to have dis-V tinguished themselves. While on, our last bayonet charge we fought side by side with the Ist Battalion -—— Regiment. They are a fine lot of chaps, and very easy to get on with. They complimented us often on our behaviour under fire. I could pick out the by their accent before I saw their badges. I remember one of them, passing our trenches on his wa..y to hospital. He was wounded in v the leg and the arm, but he was quite.cheerful, and stayed at our trench for a short time. He was very proud of the fact that he had shot two that morning and two the day before. According to newspapers the ■ —- are very obstinate, and even in the most desperate circumstances will not acknowledge defeat.

Well, although when we are_ advancing, every square inch seems to be filled with bullets, I always have faith that I will remain unhurt. I will tell you everything when I return. Meanwhile I am in good health. The following extracts are taken from a letter written by Sergt. Smith, of the l6th Waikato Company, to a friend in Morrinsville: I am now lying on my back, writing this, in Alexandria Hospital, having received two bullet wounds in my thigh ; but I am pleased to say that I am doingwell. I hope to be able to sit up in a week's time. I k now the 16th Company suffered pretty badly, but I can get no news, only that all my brother officers went down. The hail of shrapnel and machine gun fire was terrible, and I do not desire such another experience without being able to reply to it. 1 was wounded at 3 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, and reached Alexandria 4 days later. I am well cared for, and the nurse informed me I was getting quite fat, which is wonderful lor me. The only chance one gets of learning any news is to question the wounded as they come in. A hundred of us were ordered to charge a trench, out of which we drove 500 of the Turkish regulars ; but seeing we were up against the regular trained Turk, and not against the same class as we fought at the Suez, we "had word to retire to our own trenches. Five to one, in odds, was giving too much away, seeing they were trained men. >

Private*W. H.Johns, in a letter dated May 28th, 1915, written to his parents in Te Awamutu, says : Imagine me on the side of the cliff in a " dug-out " that is fairly proof against shrapnel, lying down and gazing out to sea, watching destroyers, etc., cruising around. The scenery is absolutely perfect—all sorts of wild flowers grow. Yesterday when we started to dig our house, we struck a partly buried Turk, and had to shift quarters. The sea is lovely, and it is like a summer seaside resort to see hundreds bathing. After putting in a strenuous time in the trenches for nine days, during which we had that lively action which commenced at 3.30 a.m., and lasted all day, we were relieved, and have been in "rest" trenches for a week. You will know of our losses, and I can't mention ttiem anyway. Poor Mrs Bluck ! That is the sad part. He was strolling about on an outpost making reconaissances with the sergt.major, when both ducked down, as we thought. We soon found, though, that both were dead, sniped through the heart. Men are paid so much for every man they shoot. Men and even girls are found, dressed like'a tree with twigs,, etc., even with the face painted green. These snipers get into a dug-out and, supplied with a month's provisions and ammunition, pick off any stray men they can get. 1 guess I know what war is now. We see aeroplanes daily cruising overhead, and going even above the clouds. Ours have dropped bombs on Turkish trenches., Warships protected by a flotilla of destroyers, are near us, and shell the Turkish batteries. When they speak, or when the aeroplane reports an army moving, a few shells are dropped among them. Then we see them firing the big shells across the peninsula to the narrows and the Goeben. Shells from the latter, too, we see drop in the water more or less near our ships with a splash like a geyser. Most of the fighting naturally is artillery duelling. During the fight I had a couple of hand grenades bursting close alongside, machine guns were spitting, shrapnel shells bursting galore, and rifles cracking. By night the flare from rifles and shells.made a most striking effect on the hills. In the trenches, of course, one is fairly safe as long as he keeps his head down. It is in rest trenches, etc., before we have made safe dug-out that there is danger from shrapnel and stray bullet?. During the scrap, I got rid of 300 to 400 rounds, so surely there were a few Turks accounted for. It is great bathing when shrapnel bursts more or less close. I was dressing on a barge, when shrapnel kept bursting closer and closer. I decided to shift, and sure enough the next one burst right over the barge. But the most miraculous shave was the first day out of trenches. Norman Ahier and I were digging out a place, when shrapnel was bursting everywhere but on our hill. Luckily you can just hear them coming, and can tell if they are close. They hiss through the air, but the sound reaches us a little sooner. Suddenly we instinctively fell flat. There was an explosion and a heavy thud. The shell burst immediately before it reached us, and the empty shell burrowed into the ground 4ft in front. Shrapnel burst all over us. We were only about lßin down, and had the shell burst higher some pellets must have

caught us. The further side of dug-out was riddled with bullets. My swag, etc., which was on the bank, was simply riddled too. My rifle had a piece of wood chipped out in front of the trigger guard Worst of all, a bullet went through my pocket-book, nearly ruining my diary. My fountain pen was smashed too. We had a truce a couple of days ago, so that the Turks could collect their wounded and both sides bury the dead. If a chap is lying dead just outside the trench you can't go near him for bullets, and he has to stay there. It is not a pleasant sight to look over with periscope and see dead of both sides lying around, some right alongside the trenches. We are sleeping not more than 2 yards from our friend, the Turk. Charlie has made ceitain that about 6 inches, at least, of dirt covers him. After that action, when dead and wounded were falling around (we rather foolishly hopped out of the trenches to meet the oncoming Turks, who were crying "Allah! allah ! ") I got more use.d to losing mates, and Captain Bluck's murder did not leave so vivid an impression. The torpedoeing of the Triumph was an awful sight. I was lucky enough to have a very close view with good glasses. The explosion was terrible and completely enveloped the ship. She listed over immediately and was a doomed ship. In 12 minutes she rolled round with keel up, and in about 17 minutes more she gracefully dived and went out of sight. The next day we heard that the Majestic was also torpedoed. It was a great sight to watch all the torpedo destroyers chasing about in hopes of running down the submarine. It was brilliant work, but disastrous for us. Even with the help of aeroplanes she was not caught. Our tucker is splendid —like kings'. There is no regular routine, and when we are not working or on duty we are geneially sleeping, bathing, etc. When we go for about three nights without sleep it is a sight to see what ridiculous positions the chaps fall off to sleep in. Even on duty they cannot keep awake, and they do look haggard when they come off —no wash at all, a week's beard on, and often with grime or blood of mates on their ctothes. It is a great relief to get to the beach and have a long looked-for swim. I have read letters and WAIPA POSTS, and am now finishing this lying in bed.