Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Tpr. Samuel Sargent, 4th Australian Light Horse Regiment, wrote to a friend in Omeo, Victoria, from Leane's Trench, Anzac, on 25th September 1915.
“I have been in the trenches nineteen weeks to-day and I can tell you that I know what war is by this. The first day we landed we had a few shells fired at us, but we were lucky as no-one was hit. After landing we marched around to Shrapnel Gully and went up on the side of a hill to make dug-outs for the night. By this time it was about dark. My three mates and I started to work with our trenching tools to make a place to protect us from shrapnel. But I am sorry to say that we were not five minutes there when my mate was shot through the stomach by a bullet, while one of our troop sergeants was shot through the ankle. There was a continuous crack of bullets around us. We took the two wounded lads to the beach, but my mate, Pte. N. Bartlett, of Morwell, Gippsland, died of his wound. [1] We were then ordered to shift to another place, but it was dangerous. This was a very bad start for us.
“After returning from the beach at about 10.30 p.m. the moon was very low. We started in a fresh place to dig-in and several bullets hit alongside of us. But we finished the dug-out at about 1 a.m. and we stopped there for the night. Next morning we shifted farther round the hill, but we were in danger as there was a battery of guns on the top of the hill and the Turks were firing shrapnel at us. It rained while we were at work, and when we had dug-in we were ordered to shift into some more dug-outs, in another place which was supposed to be less dangerous. Well, we shifted, but every bit of ground we held was dangerous, and we were not long there that evening when were ordered to go into the trenches. So, off we went that night. We took over the 1st Bat. firing line and were there for three weeks. We lost a few more of the lads out of our squadron. My other two section mates were wounded, and one of them died. The other mate is now back with us.
“In Shrapnel Gully the Turks had snipers, and one morning up till dinner time there were 49 shot in this gully from Quinn's Post. They also had a machine gun and a sniper playing on the back of our trenches and several of our lads got hit. But all the places are pretty safe now on account of our lads taking some of their trenches. We were shelled several times while we were in the trenches and had three killed one morning; but were lucky to get off so light. We had a very unpleasant job the day we had to go out and help bury the Turks that were dead in front of our trenches. We buried half-way from each firing line. We carried a lot to the Turks' lines and then they took them. It seemed very funny to see our boys working alongside the Turks. They were very friendly but had a sad look about them. I have been to a good few rabbit drives, but when I saw the dead Turks they were lying thicker on the ground than rabbits in any rabbit drive. It was an awful sight. We had eight hours for the armistice and there was not a shot fired for about eleven hours. Sometimes when it got dark the Turks fired all night – rifles and machine guns. They were frightened we would attack. They used to get all their supplies to the firing line by a windlass and wire-rope, about 150ft. long. It was impossible to climb this cliff.
“It is marvellous to see the roads and trenches that were made in a short time, and the number of wells and saps through the hills. All the country we hold is a network of tunnels, saps and trenches, and dug-outs for the lads when they are resting for a few days, so that they will be protected from shrapnel fire. The Turks have two guns that fire on our beach and we have had several tries to knock them out, but they are well protected under the ground. We have been on the right flank for nine weeks and in the firing line. We have lost a lot of the boys since we came here. On August 5 the Turks took a trench but the 11th Batt. soon put them out. They shells us for about five hours, and in one squad we lost about twenty wounded and killed and the 11th Batt. lost about 200. The Turks were going to make an attack and drive us into the sea. There were about 40,000 Tommies and Gurkhas waiting for our big attack. That same afternoon our artillery and the navy bombarded the Turks and our chaps took some trenches without losing a man. That night a large number of Tommies were landed on the left, near the salt lake, making a new landing. They charged a hill north of the salt lake, and then travelled east and joined our lines. They took a lot of country. The New Zealand chaps and our boys on the left charged the Turks and captured a lot of trenches. The 8th Light Horse charged, but they had to face barb-wire entanglements and were cut to pieces. The Turks lost heavily. They were lying dead in great numbers in the trenches we captured; and during that big battle we also lost heavily. We have had a great knocking about and some of the boys have left here and gone for a rest...
“I am writing this letter in my dug-out, and it is not the best place in the world as there such a lot around talking. We expect a big move in a few days, and then, if we are lucky, to succeed in what we are after. It may make a big difference to this part. It will be one of the biggest bombardments that every took place at Gabe Tepe. When the 6th Brigade of new chaps were coming over, their boat was torpedoed and about forty lives were lost. My youngest brother was in the part of the boat where it was struck and was killed. The rest were lucky to escape as the torpedo tore a hole 20 or 30ft big and that portion of the boat was flooded. If it had been hit in the centre every man must have been drowned. I think this war will last for another twelve months. This part of the world is going to take some taking and it is going to cost more than they expected to open up the Dardanelles. I was very pleased to see how the lads have awakened up to the fact that they are really wanted at the front, to take the places of those who have fallen – heroes for their country. Those who have been here for the start and who have gone through without a scratch are lucky, as there are not many of them left without having a wound to carry. For myself, I wish it was all over, as winter is coming on and this is a very cold part. If it rains, I don't know what the dug-outs will be like to live in. We have got our winter supplies of clothing, but we may be taken away for a spell after another month, when the other lads return. By what sights I have seen up to the present, I think that if a fellow is lucky enough to get back to dear old Australia again, safe and sound, his nerves will be as hard as iron.”