Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

“Where they landed was just one mass of high hills, supposed by the Turks to be impregnable………Pinnaces took the men ashore from the troopships. The water was too shallow for the boats to go in close….there were only 1000 of our boys in the first charge and as they charged they let out a murderous yell…………….We were anchored within half a mile of the shore. We could hear the rifles (sic?) and see the shrapnel bursting over our boys heads…..the cruisers were continually planting shells among the Turks.

The hospital ship was near and she got full in no time for the snipers played havoc with our chaps and were very keen on shooting Officers and Red Cross men.

By about sundown we were in close…………..All day Sunday and Sunday night the firing was terrific. Although we were so near the fighting we would not get any news until about four days after when about twenty of our wounded chaps came on board.

All the above happened on Sunday the 25th April, on Tuesday 27th the “Goebens” (German destroyer) started shelling…… several shells landed close by us and one went through the ships rigging……………On Friday the 7th May she started shelling us again and hit one of the boats, but did very little damage.

We have not been able to land the horses as the country is too rough, they have to use mules. We left this morning 12th May, on our way back to Alexandria……..we arrived back in Alexandria on May 14th.”