Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 515
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[Page 515]
24.8.15. I have just ended a letter to Jack McGlynn who is Brigade Major to Colonel Monash. He is brother to the little woman who is so much at the Maitland Convent. The two officers with their brigade have done work of the very best on the peninsula. Good luck to them all the time.
We are receiving very little news here of the actual fighting. Like you we hear each day of the defeat of the Russian, varied as with you by the Petrograd telegrams which tell of the wonderful fighting qualities of the soldiery of the Czar. They might be amusing were the whole matter not so serious.
I must to bed. Good night. Good night. Good night. Good night.
[A line of Xs and Os.]
Caggie. Joseph. Kitty.
26th.8.15 9 p.m. There be strange rumours going the rounds in these parts, and to such extent that the General Officer commanding in Egypt has thought it to be necessary to publish in orders that notice should not be taken of the statements made by unauthorised persons and that officers are culpable if they talk about military subjects in the present of civilians. These notices rather make one curious as to why it is necessary to so warn officers. One statement which you will hope is not correct is to the effect that two battalions of our troups fired upon each other doing much damage. The battalions named are the 16th & 17th. To one of the these Ted. Norrie and McLachlan belong, they left here last Saturday and have just had time to reach the peninsula and get into action. Let us pray that it be not their misfortune to have met with such disaster. In this terrible time naught is impossible.
At peace manouvers I have seen t[w]o regiments of the same force come into collision. If it were possible under the conditions of peace, how much more easily might it happen under war conditions, when every one is at high tension and the excitement must be intense. It is of course due in the main to officers not being trained to the required standard. In the case at Liverpool, N. S. Wales, referred to above ignorance in the officers caused the error, one which had bullets been flying would have resulted in the loss of many lives.
The Galipoli trouble as follows. A regiment had attacked, and were repulsed, having to retire, while they were falling back, a regiment was sent to help them, their regiment was ordered to fire with the machine gloves [guns], they fired upon their own men and killed a great many of them. Again let us ho[pe]