Riddell letter, 28 July 1922 / Clarence Riddell - Page 3

You are here

Transcription

[Page 3]

having bumped and sworn his way along a few hundred feet of tunnell suddenly came in sight of a large chamber containing about two tons of explosives in tins with candles stuck all over the place to give light would suddenly dash off towards the open air and comparative safety. As the Turks apparently did not suspect the evacuation the mines were not fired as it was considered inadvisable to do anything which might excite them (certain mines laid by other units were fired)

The five members of the Company who remained to operate the mines, close intanglements etc. after the infantry lead t evacuated were Lieut. Mills, Sgt. Park, Spr. Julin and two others besides these there were some on the Lone Pine side whose names I do not know but think Gilchrist was one of them.

The company was then concentrated at Lemnos under the command of Major McCall and spent Christmas there where we received the famous billies decorated with a picture of a kangaroo kicking the Turk off Gallipoli, something seemed to have got reversed somewhere.

Of the addresses you as for I only know a few:–
Cpt. Barber, C/- Rene Vanderkelan, Collins House, Collins St Melb.
Major R.B. Carr, Terry & Carr, Prells Buildings Queen St. Melbourne
Warrant Officer Healy, Engineer Depot, Alexandra Avenue
Capt. Dow, Victoria Barracks, Melbourne
Major Cutler, recently joined R.E., stationed in India, his fathers address, C/- C.S. Cutler, Union Lane, Melbourne.
Col. Elliott R.E. ask Major Tolley but I think United Service Club, Pall Mall, London.
Major Coghlan, "Pasley" Domain St. South Yarra. Victoria
Lieut. Baldwin, C/- Anglo Persian (Commonwealth) Oil Coy. Flinders Lane, Melbourne.
Col. Newcombe R.E. suggest try War Office.

I am sending a few odd photos to Capt. Mills which may interest some of the earlier members and a print of the Lone Pine trenches traced from the original plan by Spr. Fullerton (to whom will you please remember me) also a copy of the nominal roll of those on transport Simla (Lemnos to Egypt) Jan. 1916. If any negatives of photos are required for souvenir or history I will be pleased to supply them.

I hope that no one will feel disappointed if his name has been omitted from this letter, but it is only a few rough notes hurriedly strung together without any proper thought. Please give my best wishes to all the old company and thank them for the very happy days I spent among them.

Yours sincerely,
(Signed) Clarrie Riddell,
Col. of Melbourne.

This page has its status set to Completed and is no longer transcribable.