Item 02: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett articles on the Gallipoli campaign, 1915 - Page 95
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[Page 95]
Department of the Army Medical Corps and houndreds of those engaged in clerical work toil and sweat in the great heat amidst storms of sand tormented by millions of flies and ever exposed to this never ceasing and nerve racking shell fire. For nearly four months these officers and men not forgetting the Military and Naval Landing Officers and all those engaged in handling the tugs and lighters have worked without cessation or without a hoilday of any sort.
During this time and incalculable quantity of stores munitions and ammunition have passed through their hands and it is only their unselfish and devoted labours under unparralled conditions which have made it possible for us to maintain this large army in the field so far from home. Let me attempt to discribe a typical day on Lancashire Landing. The trawler brings you from Headquarters off the beach about ten am other trawlers are constantly arriving ladened with stores and troops. The enemy who always seems to know what is going on suddenly opens up from Asia with a six inch high velocity gun. His great object is to knock out a trawler or to destroy the Landing Stage.
As you cast anchor a houndred yards from the shore you hear hear the shriek of a shell. You wonder exactly where it is going to fall and a second later you hear a tremendous splosh astern and a great column of water rises almost as high as the masts. Hardly have you taken your eyes from the splash than another comes hurtling through the air and also bursts in the sea. A steam pinnace comes to take you off the Trawler to the landing stage and just as you set foot on it you think the end of the World has come for asudden blast of air rushes by you and ano-