Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 423
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[Page 423]
Santa Sabina. R.I.P. There are others whose names you may have seen but of whom I have not heard. One soldier said "We lost sight of Dr. Butler for a few days, when we saw him again he presented a sorry plight, his clothes were all torn mud all over growth of stubble on his face several days old, he looked as if he had been having a very rough time. However he polished up and was soon going strong again. He is of the best. "Stray bullets did a lot of damage. The worst of all fire was the enfilading, it came at us from every side and did a great deal of damage. It is always taught in military books that enfilading fire is the most disconcerting to troops, this can be easily understood, when one thinks how uncomfortable it must be to have missiles pelting at you from the sides as well as from the front; the last alone is bad enough.
Food like water was brought to the shore from the ships in barges. The enemy was constantly endeavouring to sink them by gun fire. It was really wonderful how well the ships kept the men supplied with all sorts of food. We could cook the food during the day because then fires made no difference, but at night time not even a match could be lighted without bringing the fire of the enemy upon the men.
The enemy appeared to have loads of ammunition, they being able to fire several shots to our one, they may not be great shots but they try often enough and must get some home because they have every inch of the ground measured. There is great digging of trenches with them as with us. Sometimes when the enemy is digging gun pits a shovel will be held up as a challenge to our men to fire, the implement will be swung backwards and forwards as if to say, you are not game. It must not be forgotten that the trences [trenches] are often