Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

WARRNAMBOOL STANDARD - Wednesday 15th March 1916
LETTER FROM THE FRONT.
EVACUATION OF ANZAC.
The story of the evacuation of Anzac is interestingly told in a letter by Private Walter McDowell of the A.M.C., to his relatives in Warrnambool. He says:-
''I suppose you will have read by this of the evacuation of Anzac, Galipoli. It was carried out quietly and I'm glad to say without any casualties. We, the 6th and 7th A.M.C's., were about the first to leave. We were roused out of bed one Friday night at 10 o'clock and by 5 a.m. the next day we had everything packed, and, with the aid of Indian mule carts, carted and stacked at the pier about 1½ miles distant, in readiness for loading on to the barge. We returned to our beds at 5.30 a.m. dead beat. We were up again at 8 a.m. and after cleaning up and getting a little more stuff away we marched to the pier at 9 a.m. with our full kit and blankets, etc., over a steep gully known as Rest Gully.
We got there with a few spells enroute, and had to load our Corps' luggage; etc., on to a barge, which was to carry us out to at steamer. We were working very solidly till about 2 p.m. when we had our own stuff loaded, and then we all went on board the barge and moved off. We got out about three or four yards from the pier and were told to come back and get off which we did. We fooled about till 5 p.m. and were then told that we were not going that night and to go back to our old camp for the night. We had to carry our kits back to our old camp; and as we were so tired we took a short cut round the beach with them and chanced the shells. As all the stores had been removed we had to cook our own tea that night and breakfast the next morning. After a good night's sleep in our dugout we were up and off again at 9 a.m. to the pier, with our kits up. We were loading medical comforts, etc., all day. They consisted of tinned fruits, fish, fowl, etc., also rum and stout. etc. A few boxes of tinned fowl and butter, etc., were accidently dropped on purpose and burst open. Every one had tinned fowl for dinner and tea, and all managed to fill our haversacks with oatmeal, jam and butter, etc., to cart away. We went on the barge again that night (Sunday), at 7 p.m. and got well away from the sound of rifle fire, bombs, etc. and also of 'Beachy Bill," which had been firing nightly for about a month previous. We were on board the steamer about 9 p.m. and at 11 p.m. we left for -
LEMNOS ISLAND.
We all slept where we could get space to lie down on, and were awake fairly early next day. It took four hours to come across and the boat anchored outside the harbour till about 7 a.m., when we steamed in and transferred to a large ferry which took us to the pier, when we disembarked at 9 a.m. No waggons being available to carry our kits, we had to carry them, and started out for our camp about 4 miles distant, over a very muddy track or road. We were beat about half way and had to have numerous spells, and the line was straggling along in any sort of a way. We had to pass through a Greek village on our way to the camp and there were able to purchase oranges and mandarines for 1/ per dozen. We had a: good blow out as we had forgotten the taste of oranges, having had only one during the fourteen, weeks we were on the Peninsula.
Whilst feeding up, Eric Roper came along to meet us and Rogers and I went and had dinner and tea with him, and slept that night in his tent. Our Corps relieved his at Anzac, and they have been here ever since, having started a hospital. Our camp was within 400 yards or so of his (Eric's), but our fellows' had to put their own tents up that night to live in. We went over to our camp the next morning after the dirty work had been done. We had not been missed and nothing was said. We were camped three or four days at that spot and during that time we did practically nothing, so I knocked about with Eric sight seeing through the villages and round the hills.
The natives (Greek's) are a fairly decent lot and very independent. The men work in the fields ploughing, with wooden ploughs and oxen. The young fellows act as shepherds and look after sheep and goats all day. The women spin cotton yarn from the raw cotton and do it very well on small bobbin affairs which they twist in their fingers. All their cloth is hand made and they also do a lot of fine needlework; nearly every house in each village is turned into a shop and good business is done with the soldiers who were fairly financial as they were not able to spend it at the "Dards'.
We are living on fruit, chocolate and nuts while there, and with plenty of good food which was issued, everyone put on weight and looked well. We shifted camp after three or four days at the first site, and marched about three miles to a nicer spot overIooking the entrance to the harbour and from where we could see all the shipping enter and leave the port. The Hospital ships all anchored below us and a dozen or more of them lit up at night time made a fine sight. Ours were about the first tents up in the new position but in a few days there were hundreds and hundreds all around us and lit up at nights looked great.
LEAVING ANZAC.
The last men to leave the Peninsula Anzac and Suvia) left exactly a week after us. About 75 stretcher bearers from the 5th A.M.C. were detailed to stop behind to the last and act as regimental bearers. I believe it was a toss up as to whether our corps or the 5th stopped behind, but as it turned out everything passed off successfully. Before we left small piers were built out into the water a few yards and about 50 yards or less apart for the final flutter, in case the men were chased. Tons of ammunition were dumped into the sea, and thousands of gallons of rum, etc poured on to the ground. Everything burnable was burnt, including large motor waggons and tons of clothing, etc., and a large condensing plant and electric lighting machinery blown up. About half a million pounds worth of stuffs was thus got rid of, so that the
"Joey Burke's" would not get it. Everything was worked out nicely and by the last night only a hundred or so men remained in the trenches. The Turks' spy system cannot be up to much for they could have taken everything before them at any time during the last week.
All the hospital tents were left standing to deceive the aeroplanes. The last night there were so few men in the trenches that they had to fire a rifle into one place and run along to another spot and fire another and so make out there were plenty of men in the trenches. There were also rifles fixed to the parapets with tins of water attached with small hole in, so that the water would drip into smaller tin beneath attached to the trigger. When 7lbs. of water dripped into the lower tin the trigger was pulled and rifle fired hour or so after men had gone. They also threw bombs over near the Turkish trenches with very long fuses, so that they would explode when our boys were well off the Peninsula. The last men in the trenches had to wrap their feet in blankets and blankets were spread on the floor of the trenches so they made no noise. Everything was worked out to a nicety and the men just walked to the pier and embarked as though nothing unusual were happening. That night all the hospital tents were left with lights in, but I believe have since been blown away by our monitors.
I was talking to Major (Dr.) Macnight a week or so before we left Anzac. He had been to England sick, and had just returned. When Battalions arrived in Lemnos I went to look up Bert Oakley but found out that he had left the Peninsula about two weeks before the evacuation, sick, so if he has gone to Egypt I may see him there.