Item 03: Fred Harold Tomlins war diary, 4 September-18 December 1915 - Page 118

[Page 118]

15.12.15
movements as they fired a good many shrapnel shells on to the beach at intervals during last night: Major Granville: Ser-Maj Wright, Sgt. Lovett & Gray were out last night doing patrol duty; It is the general opinion here that very few of the last troops to leave will ever get off the peninsula, & unless we can sneak down to the beach before the Turks are aware that we have left I fancy we shall get a rough time from machine gun fire: I do not think the Turks will come to close quarters with us, as they would lose a good many more men than we would even if we were annihilated which is almost certain we would be; A good many men here are asking; What would the people in Aus. think and say! I contend that they have no right to condemn anyone & if this position is costing us too dear to take, the men in charge are doing quite right in withdrawing us, & putting us where we may do more good: Heard last night that America had declared war on Austria.