Volume 2: Letters written on active service, M-W, 1914-1919 - Page 419
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[Page 419]
or evacuated through sickness.
My brother is in the Light Horse (dismounted) here. He is about 5 miles from me & at present he is safe & well. Dr. Beeston was made Assistant Director of Medical Service but is now away "out on grass".
Its wonderful, the way apparently healthy men fall away after being here a while.
Not that the food is scanty or un-nutrious. No, not by any means.
We are better sheltered, clothed & fed than the troops were in the Sth Africa War & no forced marching to do, over extensive territory. Here we have more risks.
I visit friends at different parts of our line & so obtain a good idea of the whole situation.
I visited Capt. E. Harnett, whose father is Sec of Pansy Lodge, a few days ago, on Quinns Post. There, the trenches are 10 or 12 yds apart. The Turks, probably in honour of my visit, started bombing & being close, I was covered in dirt from one jam-tin "cracker" that came my way.
[Corporal (Shoeing Smith), later Sergeant, Patrick Bernard Walsh, No 400, clerk of Newcastle NSW, enlisted on 9 February 1915 and embarked from Sydney on HMAT A29 Suevic on 13 June 1915 with the 4th Light Horse Brigade, 12th Light Horse Regiment. He returned to Australia on 5 January 1920.
Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Lievesley Beeston VD CMG MLC (1859-1921), embarked from Melbourne on 22 December 1914 on HMAT A35 Berrima with the 4th Field Ambulance.
Lieutenant, later Captain, Edward Thomas Harnett, clerk, of Merewether, NSW, joined the Army on 20 April 1915 and embarked from Sydney on HMA A32 Themistocles on 12 May 1915 with B Company, 5th Infantry Brigade, 17th Infantry Battalion. He served at Gallipoli and later in France and returned to Australia on 23 July 1919. He also served in World War II.]