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[Page 28]
a good descriptive letter.
KF.
ANZAC, 2.7.'15.
My dear Pater, Mater, Ame, Jean,, Tien, Liz, Clarrie & Phil, Frank and Did, Sid & Dot, Mabel, Francie, Kathie, Mrs. K. and Jean, Bill & Sophie, Whyte & Allen, Viva, Linda & Viva, Jean Begg, Ida C., Nora N., Molly M., Liz., Aunty Liz., Leoda, Glad L. etc. etc.
Still in the land of the living and feeling very fit and well, enjoying life, eating like a horse, sleeping like a top and generally having a fine time.
I guess by the time this reaches you you will have seen some mention in the paper of our first real fight. Curious position isn't it? Here we've been six weeks in the trenches, blazing away night and day never out of sight of the firing line, never out of the hearing of the fusilade and never absolutely safe even in our dugouts. Yet a few days ago we had our (2nd L.H. Brigade) first fight. None of the minor patrols or reconnaisances or bombardments or the like could really be called an engagement for they were going on all the time. Trench warfare is like that. But this was a real big operation, though our brigade played only a minor part in the scheme. The Anglo French force down at Hellas made a big advance on June 28, and we co-operated here at Anzac by making a big demonstration. The artillery opened up, the guns from the Navy adding its quota to the din caused by the field guns and howitzers. Then portion of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade and the 3rd Infantry Brigade harrassed the enemy in front of our lines. Our chaps behaved with great gallantry and attacked the Turkish position with vigour. They crept along through the scrub and gained their objective despite a heavy fire of rifles and machine guns and artillery. Brigade Headquarters had no casualties, but a lot of luck. The Staff took up an observation station in the lines of the 7th Light Horse Regt. and we were heavily shelled during the afternoon and the trenches somewhat smashed. Les Holmes was with the party from the 7th L.H. and is all right. Our casualties were fairly heavy in proportion to the number engaged. The 29th Division did great work. I'm trying my hand at sniping at odd times. Major Midgley and I put 40 shots into a Turkish trench the other day but have not the slightest notion whether we bagged any of the enemy or not.
It rained last night and this morning. Not much, but just enough to trickle into our dugouts and make the trenches as difficult to walk in as the Black Soil Plains.
For some days the wind has been due west and strong, so Anzac Cove presented a lively scene as the boats came in and out. "Brighton Beach" where we swim now in the evenings was quite rough, and it felt just like surfing. And I thought of the good times I used to have surfing ... The dirty dogs of Turks shell Anzac Cove so much that I at last thought it was flying in the face of Providence to continue bathing there. So now Col. R. Col. A., Padre Miller, Dr. Evans, Major Onslow and I mostly swim at about 9 o'clock at night. The twilight here is fine and we can read till after 8.30 o'clock.
A big mail arrived to-day - about 50 bags, but the mail for our brigade evidently remained in Egypt, for we got nothing.
The sea is smooth as glass to-day, and the rain has gone. It is set fair. The ordinary rifle fusilade has died down, and
only/