LETTERS FROM OUR BOYS

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14740, 20 October 1915, Page 7

LETTERS FROM OUR BOYS

EXCITING EXPERIENCES RELATED. y

Mr J. Janies (Wanganui East), has received several letters from his son Garland, who is a member of the Royal Horse Artillery, fighting in France. Just before the mail left the artillery division had been under constant.fire for a month, but had fortunately escaped seriou.. casualties. The writer asknowledges the receipt oTs various parcels forwarded from here.

Mr Edward McAneny (Gonville), to-day received, a letter from the New Zealand High Commissioner, London, stating 'that he had visited Private W. J. McAneny (who was wounded and lost the middle finger of his left hand in the big fight in August) in hospital, and “he was in good heart and progressing favourably The High Commissioner added that Private McAneny was a prisoner in Constantinople.

Writing from Cairo, September sth, to his sister (Mrs S. E. Holah, Gonville), Lance-Corporal W. H. Suttons (who is returning by. the Willochra) says he has been seriously ill with enteric, and will probably have six months’ leave. He says he has only received one of several parcels sent to him, and was disappointed to find on opening it that it had been broached, and all that was left ' was a pair of sox (which he badly needed), a piece of chocolate about the size of a walnut, and a book of cigarette papers. “It is a jolly shame," he adds* “that parcels, especially when they have been registered cannot reach their destination unopened after all the trouble and expense kind friends go to in sending them. Goodness knows wbat 'happens to the parcels that are not registered.

A letter received to-day from Gallipoli states that the writer was one of 70 who answered the roll call out of a total of 800 of the Wellington battalions who were in the big attack at Gallipoli on the Bth of August. Owing to a portion of Kitchener’s army breaking and falling back when the Turks charged, the New Zealanders were left to face odds of at least ten to one. Gallantly did they hold out against these overwhelming numbers till they were relieved at night. But to what cost! TO left out of 800, and Colonel Malone among the killed; Small wonder that when flue remnant were relieved and realised what had*happened, many of them broke down and wept. Several references have appeared from time to time concerning the failure of the Tommies to support the colonials, including a report that the Australians refused to salute certain. English officers because of the failure.

Sergeant E. H. Moore, who is now in Hammersmith Hospital, London, writes to his parents (Mr and Mrs Hastings Moore), giving , details of his; sensational experiences and the cause of his wound., He was in the fight on Bth August, when the men Were ordered to charge the Turkish trenches. They;, did so, ahd to their surprise found the. first trench unoccupied. All who could got into the trench, and others commenced to dig thcniselves into the crest of the hill. While thus engaged the Turks opened a withering, fire on the New Zealanders,, who had evidently been led into a trap. Sergeant Moore was struck Ln - the back with sharpnel, and fell in unpractically paralysed state/ A comrade assisted to staunch the bleeding, and the bounded man crawled into a gully , where‘ with another wounded comrade-he lay r for two days before being rescued. He' was carried to the beach and subsequently taken ; to Malta, where the X Rays' 7 ' revealed that ah abscess' had formed above the wound, necessitating an operation, during which some shrapnel was extracted. Sergeant Moore is now progressing favourably and is in good spirits and cheerful, though it would be some time before he thoroughly recovers. 1

Mr Kanapu Haerehuka, of Springvale, has received a letter from his sou Tamihana (Fifth Contingent), who was wounded in the thigh on August 21st and i<now in No. 3 Australian Stationary Hospital. He says he is improving and hope, to bo in the firing line again in about six weeks’ time. 'ihmihana gives a few particulars of the great fight early in August, when ha says they were ordered to charge. They took three trenches, one after the other, within an hour, but at a great cost, though much heavier losses were inflicted on the enemy. It was heartrending, he says, to see his cousins (who were with him in the charge) and other comrades falling all around. The Turks were a terrible big lot. Tamihaua reckoned that tlie Maoris were the best allround athletes at Gallipoli, but he how wonders whether the palm should not be given to the Turks. “Our charge was irresistible.” he says. "We bayoneted many of them in the first trenches, and thought we would soon overtake the big fellows who escaped, but they ran like deers.”

A private letter received from Trooper H. A. Mildon who went with the Third Auckland Mounted Eifles, states that he was wonnded high up in the right thigh early in August at Gallipoli, and the bullet also 7 severed the mam or femoral artery, After being left on the beach for a couple of days some one , carried aim out to One of the tenders, which were serving the hospital ships. Later on he found himself aboard the Aquatina (just now the largest vessel on the high seas) bound for England. He improved a bit on board the boat, but a couple of 'days after reaching the hospital they found it necessary to , amputate his right leg just below the knee, this being, directly caused by neglect when he was first wounded. However, “All’s well that ends well,” says Trooper Mildon, "and at present I am getting on like a house afire, I am still, lying on my back in bed, but as I feel stronger every day, J hope soon to be able to go into the gardens in a chair," Trooper Mildon, who, was employed at King's Garage, Wanganui, at the outbreak of the war, was well-known here. He was an inmate of Netley Hospital at..Southampton, when he wrote on the 7th September.