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IN THEDARDANETTES FIGHTING ENCES ISTSEXPERI BAttI NA TETEGRAPH HOW THEBRIGADEI.ANDED GREEN PAINTED SNIPERS GRAPHICNARRATIVE telegraphists"Corpsandformallyof Ballina SapperJosephReilly,of the RoyalEngineers andSfigoPostOffice,writingto hisbrotherfrom Gallipoli,givesa vividdescriptionof the wayin whichthe brigadeto whichhe is attachedeffecteda landingon the Peninsula:of Juneundera heavyshellfire.Youcan "Welandedhere"he states,"at the beginning got fire undershell for the first time.Theshellswere imaginehowwe felt whenwe droppingfastaroundthe boat,but all the injurywe receivedwasa goodwetting.Whilewe werelanding,a terrificbombardmentof the enemfs'positionwaskeptup. Thepattering roarof a hundredgunsmadethe scene of riflesandthe incessant andspittingof thousands onenot easilyto be forgotten.We remainedthe greaterpart of the dayon the seashore stormedso heroicallyat the waitingfor orders.Thisshore,whichthe braveAustralians originallandingis verystrongin its naturalfortification.lt is backedby cliffswhichafford for defensivepurposesfrom the land.At the landingthe "Queen enormousadvantages workedwonderswith her bigguns,literallyblowinglittle cliffs,trenchesandguns Elizabeth" intothe air. Fortsweresilencedwith one or two of her shellsandterror prevailedwherever shetrainedherguns.I havecomeacrossone or two emptycasessince,andthreemen couldeasilywashthemselvesin one of them,andto anyonewho hasan ideaof what an andthe appalling cando,thiswillgivean ideaof the sizeof "Lizzie's" ordinaryshrapnel damageit does.Hershell,by the way,weighsaboutoneton. Towardsnightwe movedup to what is presentlyour restcarnpand herewe hadto dig to repeatthe orderasthe shrapnel to tell youtherewasno necessity in. Needless ourselves wasburstingaffaroundus,woundingandkillinga few andagain.Thesedug-outsarejust alonga narrowgraveaboutfour feet deepandcanbe madeascomfortableandsafeasyou wishto makethem.Theyform a goodprotectionagainstshrapnel,whichgenerallyburstsa shortdistanceabovethe groundandspreadsout in a circulardirection.After a few daysof wherea shellwouldfall,my thisfire,duringwhichtime I learnedto knowalmostaccurately nervesbeganto steadyand now I don't mindthe shellsexceptwhenthey cometoo close. youcanalmostfeelthe shells"grazingyourback".We spenta few dayshere Sometimes visitto the shorefor a bathe. mostlylyingaboutin the fierceheat,with an occasional Onenightwe wereorderedto standready,andin a few hourswe wereon our wayto Justbeforewe startedI washelpinga chapof our relieveanotherbrigadein the trenches.

sectionto roll hiscoatwhena shellburstbesideusandkilledhim.Thisperiodin the Our brigadehada few trenchesonlylastedfour daysto enableusto gainexperience. for manyof the men.I maymentionthat the snipers thistime,snipersaccounting casualties werea greatscourgeat first, but they are here,who aregiventhe title of "Bashi-Basouki," graduallybeingovercome.Theyaresupposedto be wild men,and,likethe Somali,believeit placesand are dressedto is goodto die.Theyaregenerallyfoundin cleverlyconcealed Severalofthem havebeenfound resemblethe natureof the groundasmuchaspossible. with theirfaces,bodiesand riflespaintedgreen.Theyare invariablyprovidedwith a weers provisions the beggarsuseexplosivebullets,andasa resultthey areshownno mercywhen connectedwith the communications caught.Onedaywhenthe firing lineon business severalof us hada few foundsat the enemy,andwe witnesseda machinegunofficerrattle a wholebelt of cartridges{250)into a sniperin front of the trench.lt wasrathera wasteof asone bulletwouldhavedoneaswell. ammunition We got backfor anotherrestof five daysbeforewe wereorderedforwardagain.Fromthis restcampwe canseethe front line,andof coursehearandseeeverything.Intermittent arethe orderof the day,followedby periodsof artilleryduelsandviofentbombardments overthe areaof operations quiet,whennot a singlerifleshotis heard.Looking absolute onecanseenothingto indicate occasions heighton thesepeaceful from anycommanding Theplaceis a labyrinthof that herethe futurehistoryof the worldis in the making. Trenchlifeis no asthe firinglineis approached. a mazeof intricacies becoming trenches, on the picnic.Thetrenchesareusually8 feet deep,that is,allowingfor the row of sandbags parapet.Firescreensare providedfor our protection.Therifle is placedthroughthe centre and of the shellplatewhichcoversthe head.Duringthe daysentriesholdthesepositions "popping in the restof the menholdingthe firinglinesleep.Thesentriesutilisetheirtime are off'any of the enemywho showtheir headabovethe parapet.Ourheadquarters lessthana mile,andduringa usuallya milebehindthe front line- sometimes To put your by the enemyone hasgotto "sittight"amidstburstingshrapnel. bombardment a veritablesheetof lead.Thelastaction headabovethe parapetwould meanencountering we werein, whichin realitywasthe first one,becauseit entailedchargingon the part of our brigade,costour braveinfantrymendearly.We openeda bombardmentof a particularly fiercecharacteron the enemy'strenches,assistedby the Frenchbatteries.Shellaftershell droppedright in front of the enemy's accuracy pouredfrom our guns,andwith marvellous andthrowinggreatbanksof clayand trenches,tearingup the barbedwire entanglements densevolumesof smokeinto the air, continuingto increasein violenceuntilthe air Whenthe ordercameto charge with the noiseof a terriblethunderstorm. resounded officersandmengot overthe parapetasone manandchargedin gallantstyletowardsthe first fineof trenches,whichthey carriedwithoutdifficulty.Manya braveladfelltryingto wadethroughthe hailof bulletswhichmet themfrom rifleand machinegunfire. Manyactsof heroismwere performedwhichshalfpassunnoticed.Onefellowwho should not havebeenin the chargegrabbeda rifleandbayonetat the lastmomentand ledthe chargewith nothingbut histrouserson. Hebayonetedten of the enemyandfollowedthe restof them into the secondtrench,from whichhe neverreturned.Thefight continuedfor and our positionafterhavingtakenseveraltrenches two daysbeforewe consolidated Theseprisonersareverywell satisfiedto be takenby us,for capturinga lot of prisoners. our signal theyknowquitewelltheywill betreatedfairly.Asa resultof this engagement

the andaward'ed companyhasbeencomplimentedby the generalofficercommanding D.C.M.to beworn by someof the chapsfor the boy.Thisis well deservedby the company because therewasnot a singlehitchall the time duringthe battlealthoughthe wiresgot a severecuttingup by the shrapnelandhighexplosives. I returnedbackyesterday{16thJuly}to the rest camp,havingneithera washnor a shavefor eightdays.We get a regularsupplyof cigaretteseveryweekandwe are well fed. We get thesewith little presentsof hamandbaconeverymorningfot breakfasfsupplementing with whomwe havemademanyfriends.The wineandchocolates from the Frenchrnen Theyhaveoften tndiansaregoodfellowsand mostof them canspeakbrokenEnglish. invitedme to sharetheir supperof "Chapati" a cakemadeverythin andflat from flour. Theirriceis verynicewhentakenwith currantsandsugar.Theyhaveto get their own victuals.Theyare remarkablycleanin specialfoodsand meatasthey nevereat European whateverthey cook.Thewar herewon't lastmuchlongerjudgingby the trend of events.

WesternPeople2l$August 1915 BAIIINA MAN WOUNDED AT GAILIPOII BURIEDIN A TRENCHBY A SHETL section,andformallyof Ballina telegraphists 5apperJosephReilly,of the RoyafEngineers we havepublished postOffice,whosevividaccountsof operationsin the GallipoliPeninsula Malta' from time to time, hasbeenwoundedin action.writingfrom st. AndrewsHospital, hestates:.,youwilt be surprisedto find me writingfrom here,but I waspartiallyburiedby a shell somedaysago.Thiswasnot the first time, but afterthis particular duringa bombardment and one I wasalmostlifelessfor five days.TheAlliesnow occupyaboutfour squaremiles, everybodyhasto live in the trenches' you canseethe wholeplaceat a glance.consequently to the cannonsof militaryscience, which,according Eventhe armycorpsheadquarters, shouldbe out of reachof gun reports,is constantlyunderheavyshellfire. At timesour werein the actualfiring line.Afteran advancethe trenchessmellhorriblyof headquarters where deadbodies.I haveseenasmanyas400deadTurksandBritishin onesmalltrench, was smell positionsThe theywerecaughtby enfiladefire, mostof them lyingin grotesque sofrightfulI hadto put on a respirator.Thisis the hardestnut the Allieshaveto crack' WhenI wasbroughtup from the casualtyclearingsectionI lay.thereall day,whilehundreds of woundedarrivedeveryhour.I wasafterwardstakenoffto Maltaon boarda hospital and havebeenshelledoff the shoresof the Dardanelles, thosehospitalships ship.Severalof arethe lastword in comfort,whenI ThesehoSpitalships they haveto shiftperiodically. quickly cameto the shipI washardlyableto walk,but aftera two daytrips to MaltaI andnow I am nearlywell althoughdetainedhereyet.We were met at Maltaby a recovered, drinks,etc.,on us,andafterwardswe were lot of womenwho skeweredcakes,chocolates, takenin motorsto hospital.Thisis a gloriousplace,likea Europeancity.Our hospitallooks out overthe sea,and is conductedby an orderof sisters.We aretreatedlikekings,and I am gladto be ableto eat mealsthat don't smellof corpses' I feela bit weak,that is all. BeforeI wasremovedby the ambulanceI layfor somedays of all hardshipsI am gettingon well'The withoutanythingto eat or drink,but irrespective Fromit they canshelleveryinch hill theTurksoccupy,"AchiBaba,"is almost"untakeable." of livesyet"' we occupy.Thishill will costthe Alliesthousands

Writingthree dayslater, SapperReilly,says:the storm'A shorttime "Thingsarefairlyquiet herefor the pastfew days the calmafter Theyreachedour trenches agothe Turksmadea greateffort to driveusfrom the Peninsula. but no impression andsubjectedthe wholeplaceto a fiercebombardment, in thousands loss'Theattackby wasmadeon our tines.rhey thussuffereda greatdefeatwith terrible soterrificthat you could our brigadea few daysagowasprecededbyi bombardment we carriedseverallinesof splendidly. be-haved hardlyhearanyonespeaking.Everybody hasbeenawardedD'C'M'asa result trenches,but at a greatcost Well,our signalcompany pleasedat the news'asthis is of its meritoriousservice,etc.Of .ourru, ," werenaturally the firstsignatcompanywhichhaswon it here' in but the effectsof it canbe counteracted Theheatis verygreat,almostoverpowering, andcausegreatpain'Thena variousways.lf you exposeyour skinit will peeloff veryreadily a few weeksexposure' newskinisformedwhichbecomesverybrown almostblack after givesgreatrelieffrom A towelwrappedaroundthe headinsteadof the usualpith helmet we havea Ereatair service the heatandaddsa touchof orientalismto one'sappearance. observinghis herewhichis doingsplendidwork.Theyareconstantlyoverenemylines otherwise' andgatheringinformationwhichit wouldnot be possibleto obtain movements chased a GermanTaubecomesoverusanddropsbombs,but they arealways Occasionally and aeroplanes a away.I witnesseda duel in the air a few weeksagobetweenone of our circledaroundeach GermanTaube.TheTaubeinsteadof runningaway,showedfight.They shotsbut at lastthe Taubefled.Theydrop all kindsof missives otherfor a whileexchanging timeto clear warningusof our dangerandgivinga specified fromthe air suchaspamphlets off the peninsula. wereshiftedup besidethe one nightafterwe madea bigadvanceandour headquarters the trenchwith a piece firingline,I founda verylargetortoiseWhichI tied to the parapetof and the sandbags of wire.I intendedto sendit home.lt startedto crawlabouton top of smellto it for a sniper,puttingan endto its careerby smashingthe mistatcing somebody, atoms."

WESTERNPEOPLE t4s October19{6

of The Royal Pte. J. Reilly of the telegraphsection thereare Lngi*"t" *iiting tromfgvpt iays.the soldiers to qet themto buy -Airm-inglt?I; constantlyp"rt"Jny nliiu"t t-wing .WIll" curios"mostot wrrl#are made-in Hotel' Port Continental thq dinner V"tt"tO'V 3t having intg 3 T"I^of Said",he adds,d; ;;io'pp"o his spoon placej been lgtwryn rnrmtl"" which nli suOOenly Arab"' enterprising. plate OV his and -!:..:P" him which "n scorpions and centipedes of plague a speaksof always is -Ut time and a mallet enter the camps at night of used as an instrument .Th* kept in the opt to appealson the scene' destructionif a centipede'one of our chapssary.1da{ othernight"h* tn"'n"oi and grabbedhis mallet and rVitg "oil;uet, "n *itn crash on the obiect only to "iii"J brought it down his precious " discoveratterwais that he had broken *"t"t bottleinto a thousandfragments"'