Item 02: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett articles on the Gallipoli campaign, 1915 - Page 86
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[Page 86]
for the most part only recently arrived from home were cheery and full of confidence. Our soldiers are indeed extraordinary. Whatever happens they never seem to lose their spirits although constantly exposed to danger to every kind of hardship with little sleep for days at a time and living in an atmosphere the stench of which defies discription.
Several were discussing the relative merits of tinned beef and tinned mutton, others were regretting that biscuit had been served out that morning instead of bread; others were filling their canteens with tea which was been served out from Dixies as they passed along and others were talking of the recent fight and of the awful things they had done to the Turks. To hear them speak you would tremble for the fate of any of the enemy who fell into their hands and yet the moment a trench is taken and the enemy holds up his hands those who are not killed in the heat of action are treated with the utmost kindness and our men will share their precious water and their rations with them.
In the front trench our men were working like bees. Across the head of the Gully our men were working like bees to build up a tete de pont under a continous fire from the enemy's sharpshooters, whilst others for whom there was no room in the trench were calmly sleeping behind oblivious to everying just waiting until they should be summonsed to resist the expected counter attack. In this trench warfare units become so mixedin an attack that it is often several days before the new line is accurately known. When you think you have won a trench you may find that the enemy is still holding a portion off it or that he held some comnunicating t