Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 644
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Transcription
[Page 644]
21-10-15. 9-30 p.m. Most of the day I have been wandering through the trenches under the guidance of friendly officers. During the morning I went nearer to the fighting places than ever. A Major Fitzgerald, formerly a lieutenant in the Irish Rifles under me was my guide. He took me to the front line trenches on Russels Top where ours and the enemys are separated by but twenty to forty yards, and on through a tunnel to a bomb shelter which is but ten feet from the bomb shelter from which the
Turks throw their bombs at our men.
It makes one marvel as he sees young men from Sydney & other parts of New South Wales standing with loaded rifles looking through with periscopes over the sandbags, or through the loop holes for any enemy at whom to fire a bullet or to throw a bomb. Brave and patient are they.
Near a hole in the top of the tunnel one or two youths stand with bayonets fixed & barrel loaded ready to give to any venturesome Turk who may try his fortune at the opening. Day and night these sentinels of the Empire, who have come of their own free will, stand ready to sacrifice their lives or kill the enemy who is exhibiting equal bravery within but a few yards of him. Is it no all wonderful? Men from Manly, Mosman, Waverly, Paddington, Bondi, Sydney City, Balmain, Tamworth, Cooma, Bourke, Cowra, & many another town & hamlet in sunny New South Wales, keep vigils and uncomplainingly do their duty to their country & theire King.
[Major Richard Francis Fitzgerald, DSO, had served with the NSW Irish Rifle Regiment prior to the outbreak of the war. He embarked from Sydney on 25 June 1915 with the 20th Infantry Battalion and served at Gallipoli and in France. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in June 1916. He returned to Australia in 1919.]
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