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[Page 30]
P2-3 Churchill
Shells
3-4 donkeys
3/
Galipoli
3.8.'15
My dear Pater, Mater, Ame, Jeane, Tien, Clarrie and Phil, Frank and Dock, Sid and Dot, Liz and Stan, All the nephews and nieces, Bill and Sophie, Mabel, Francie, Viva, Kathie, Mrs. Kyle and Jean, Viv and Linda, Jean Begg, Alf and Betty, Jean, Nora N., Millie M., Aunty Lizzie, Maggie M.
I have been expecting a mail for a couple of weeks but none has arrived, so in place of answering letters from you all, I'm writing a general epistle which I hope you will get safely.
Since last I inflicted a letter on you the war has waged on stubbornly as ever. We are only advancing here and there, taking a trench here and there, and making all complete for the big advance. For some time we have been expecting a terrific, all or none, final attack of the Turks which would driver us into the sea, but in spite of all we could do the cows would not attack. Enver Pasha was very anxious to stake all in a big battle, but Liman Von Sanders would not risk it, so we make all preparations in vain. All chaps were just itching for them to come on. Our position is such that if they came in force, they would have lost at least 30,000 in front of the Australian lines alone. We have on excellent authority that the Turkish casualities for the past 3 months are 120,000, so they wont risk another attack. There are rumours of a big battle soon. Who knows exactly when, but you will hear of it before my letter reaches you.
We had a bit of a stunt the other night. The infantry on our left dashed out after blowing up a few craters in front and bayonetted the Turks. We engaged the enemy on the right so as to keep him from reinforcing the place where the infantry attacked. We grapped a line of trench, shote and bayonetted the Turks and held on in spite of a murderous hail of shrapnel. I was back with the Brigadier with our Reserves, 200 yards behind the firing line when the mines were exploded, but when the fun began he let me go out to the firing line. There was a little gulley between the and it was absolutely swept by shrapnel so you can bet I did the first 100 yards in about 10 seconds run. Our forward trenches are deep, well made and well traversed, so although the bombardment for a couple of hours was terrific our losses were small. But an unlucky bullet killed poor Colonel Harris who had the Queensland Regiment in our Brigade. He was an awfully nice chap a real good officer. After about an hour in front I had to bolt back with reports, etc.. (Kathie :- Shannon, Ryne(?), Reed and Morrell were all there and quite well).
As the shrapnel was very vicious coming back across the gulley I did a magnificien rush for home, but right at the entrance to our second line I nearly got spiked on a sentry's bayonet. The pass word that night happened to be Victory, but I did not wait for him to ask for the countersign. The moment he yelled "Halt", I yelled " Friend - Victory" and bolted on, Next morning I went forward into the newly captured trench.our
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