Hyder's letter to his mother, written 27-28 July 1915 / Laurie E. Hyder - Page 6

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all of a sudden right along side of us goes the bang of a big gun, up on deck we jumps no officers could stop us, what met my eyes made me thrill all over, do you ever get that sensation when you are witnessing anything exciting, I was actually seeing a naval bombardment. Oh I can't describe it enough you would see flame in the dark & then look ashore & you would see a great big flare just like a huge star, it was shrapnel busting over the turks then all the other ships started then a couple of our aeroplanes went up & the turks started shelling them. The Turks turned their guns onto the ship now we were all got below the decks and of course the chaps started scheming to get on deck again. I worked it alright I had an excuse that I wanted to go to the W.C. I got up and was looking through the crack in the wall. I got tired of that & eventually got on the promenade deck. I soon got down again as a shell went through the funnel of the ship. At a quarter to 5 the first batch of troops were got off, away they went six boats pulled by a naval pinnace shorewards they were the first lot of the 3 brigade that affected the landing , look in the water and around the troopships you [last sentence indecipherable]