LIFE AT GALLIPOLI.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3996, 31 July 1915, Page 6

LIFE AT GALLIPOLI.

ACTUAL CONDITIONS AT THE DARDANELLES.

INTERESTING LETTER FRO.M A GISBORNE BOY.

Writing to his mother, Airs Ai. Magnusson, of -115 Palmerston Road, Private Geoff. Magnusson, who is with tho Main New Zealand Eoiees at flic Dardanelles, gives the billowing interesting particulars: — May 20. I received your two letters and two from both Lot and Con dated March from the 7th to 25th, and it is the , first mail I have had for about two 1 months or so.. We are having a pretty ' good time and would not know there is a war on exeunt for a bit of noise now and again and an occasional shrapnel coming over, which we all duck from. The enemy the other day tried to get one on to us. hut it did not work. At I p.ni. they hoisted the white flag and one ol them stepped lout of (he trench as bold as brass, j Then behind him then l were about JtM) ! came out without their arms, and sat !on top of the trenches, or walked 1 about, and they scut a message that : they wanted to bury their dead. Bui I just, behind these cliaps on top there were a line of bayonets, and limy looked verv nice shining in the sun, and they also had about 60(H) reinforcements coming up. and they were just sneaking hack in ones and twos when one of their snipers had a shot I at somebody down the gully, but missod, and ihat was toe signal for-our bo vs to open tire. Plus they did with machine guns, artillery, and _ rifles, and 1 call tel! you thal they did not waste any ammunition. The enemy did not gain anythin}; by their little game. ■ Well, they came in wiih a white flag along the beach the tallowing day. ' and arranged an armislice for the ; nexe day to bury their dead, winch was grained; but they were not saiisj lied with that, but huili some very nice gnu imphieemcnts while they j Were digging graves, in which our boys have the range to within an inch or so, and they are just waiting lor v!io Turks to put their mins on them so as to give them a hit oi a passage. J was over to see Jack and Peter and tho rest of the hoys last night and thev are all doing prottv well "I lie remains of them i should say, a.-, there j have been about three of tlmm killed. I and about seven wounded, hut they j will be all right'. Wo had a bit of rain I here, and a lot of the fellows got washed out ol their dug-outs—that is holes we all have in the hills. 1 can tell you we are the real thing as iar as cave-dwellers are concerned. I 1 am having a hold! av <> I which J * get a good few. V hen J was round I at the infantry bivouac, they had a | concert, and it was ven- decent hut I \ had to leave, as i started work at ; midnight, ami 1 had to have a little i sleep. i June 8. ! I received your last two haters ! dated April 18th. and 25th and one ' also from Madge, which I will answer , next mail as paper is very scarce lor i the present. They are -oing to often a canteen here so we will he aide to got some, things then. Tho Auckland Weekly is very handy, as everybody is looking round for something to read ! and it is promised to about one dozen already I got a very hie mail yester- | iy, six letters, and. 1 will try to an- ! swor them to-day—that is, if the dust ! and stones don’t come down too | much. Wo have only had two days’ rain since wo have been hero, and it is getting very warm. You should see us all —the way we knock about You would never think we ale soldiers ns tho only part of the uniform we have on is the cap and hoots. Any sort of old pants do, as long as they are short, as we cut them down ; and to see tho beach you -would not think i there was a war anywhere within a j few hundred miles, as it is crowded I with swimmers. You would think it jwas some seaside resort. You should I see us having our toilet. First of all, |we clean our tooth, then have a I shave, then tho water that is left in , the clip we, have a hath with, and our clothes wo wash in the ocean. Wo are ; all getting expert cooks. I think | there wilHie a hit of a slump in the [cooking trade when wo "vt back, owing to tho over supply of men wanting cooks’ jobs. The only thing wo can’t cook is calces, fur tlie want of necessary ingredients, but my mate on the last station wo were on had one sent from Wellington to him. and it was “bosker,” the only thing wrong with it was it was not big enough. I saw Hughie on Monday last, and he is doing alright; we loft them behind in Zeitoun, but they have boon here for about throe weeks, and I suppose you know where we are by this nine, ’hi you hoar that Cecil Ellery and Hyrani Sehoefiehl and Nelson Hogg had been killed, and one or two had been wounded, including Frank Lloyd, and we have not board how he is getting oil yet. Otherwise (ill the rest are doing very good. I came up through the Gisborne camp when J was coming up hero, and it took about an hour to get througii. Tam writing this while I am working. _ My mate has gone down for a swim, so you can tell how busy it is. He is one of. the boys that was with me in tho Howitzer Battery. Tell Con. that she wants to keep at her signalling, as she might get a'-commission if they start a women’s signalling company in Now Zealand tho same as they have in the Old Country, and by the picture in the Auckland Weekly they will be all right