Item 02: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett articles on the Gallipoli campaign, 1915 - Page 214

[Page 214]

the army is largely dependant on water from ships. There is a story that one old miner went on digging long after his comrades had abandoned all hope of tapping a spring. When asked why he replied 'This bit of country is just
like Western Australia and if there aint any water there's sure to     be gold'. And sure enough his trained eyes did discover gold amongst the sand but not unfortunately in paying quantities. I have frequently referred in the past to the amazing physique of these Australian and New Zealand Troops. Certainly no European Nation has anything to compare with them.

The Prussian Guard may be picked men but they are fat and ungainly whereas the Colonials are great big limbed athlets without a pound of superflous flesh among the lot after four months of active service. They are not so much an army as a Community who have come togther for a certain job and have framed up their own code of laws to insure its being carried out. They have no discipline in the sense in which the word is in European Armies. They are no respectors of stars or crowns on an officer's shoulder strap merit alone is recognised by them. They cant be ordered about as Regular Troops are and made to obey just because an order has been given. They can only really be governed through appeals to their commonsense and sporting instincts. They can be directed to a particular task by their officers but it is wise to leave them to do it in their own way. They work as a rule in little groups drawn togther by home ties or a mutual regard which has sprung up in the trenches or on the battlefield. These groups discipline themselves. Supposing stores have to be carried up from the beach or water taken to the trenches. A group told off for this pupose will not march smartly down and under the