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<p class="page" id="a4810009">[Page 9]</p><p>Continued 4 hour trip brought us to Gaba Tepe there was terrible fire going on left flank, landed without mishap but awfully excited. A stray bullet fell between my legs after passing through the folds of another man's coat (My welcome). We then marched along the beach (2.30AM. Sunday morn) into a place called Rest Gulley where we slept for a few hours on the ground.</p><p>Aug 24th<br/>Moved off in afternoon after speech from Col.Abbott. The 12th were split up into Squadrons ours (2nd) went to reinforce 7th LH Regiment at Shrapnel Green (Gaba Tebe).</p><p>Aug 25-28<br/>Spent in trenches, behind firing line, 50 yds in rear, shells bursting all around us. No loss of life to us.</p><p>Aug 29<br/>B squad went into firing line at Lonesome Pine the worst place on the right flank. Stench from dead bodies (terrible). Shell 7.5 burst a few yards to rear of our troop enroute to trenches. It buried several men, killed 2 and badly injured one. Our troop Sergeant had a bad shock was hit by sandbag. Lonesome Pine was the scene of a vigorous attack by Australians few days previous to our arrival. Counter attack by the Turks. Dead numbered many thousands. Trenches full of dead. Spent 48 hours in trenches, heavy firing all through. These trenches are 6 yards from enemies, and in one place we have a sniping post absolutely in Turkish trench. I spent 48 hours there, but accounted for nothing. An 8 hour armistice to bury the dead. Maggots and flies terrible, scrawling over everything, including myself. A rotten place.</p><p>Sept 2nd<br/>Had 3 days spell from firing line. A few men wounded, but no deaths. We were on water fatigue every day while resting. Water has to be pumped from landing place 1 mile along beach and we go down to beach and carry it up the hills in Kerosene tins. Often under shrapnel fire. Many men get sniped at on beach by a Turk who they cannot locate. Everyday someone is shot. Burials every night. Plenty of lead flying about.</p><p>Sept 6th<br/>Several of our men getting sick. Seale and another man sent off the Peninsular to recover. Men picked out to be sappers for tunnelling. This was very much against our liking for we had to leave the troop, but found we had by far the best time. We all (troops included) moved to another point called Holey Spur. We went into tunnel, others into firing line. First day Roberts (Solicitor of Sydney) was shot through the brain (our first Death). We were tunnelling to Turkish Trenches and heard Turks working underground making for our trenches to blow us up. We started to intercept them, we waited and blew up.</p><p>Sept 7<br/>Still tunnelling 8 hours per day have to guard tunnel at night in complete darkness and silence. (A great drain on nerves)</p><p>Sept 8<br/>Same as above except that I was able to get a whole nights sleep. The first for nearly a fortnight. In the afternoon our dug outs were holly bombarded with shrapnel, some narrow escapes. My waterproof sheet has several holes from shrapnel</p>