Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The following letters have been received by Mrs Moore, of Heywood, from her son, Private G. R. Moore:
The Dardanelles, 24/6/15.
"Dear Mum, I received your letters and papers in galore yesterday, and was so pleased to get them as it is very nice to hear from home at this stage of the journey. I have received everything that you have sent so far. Things have been fairly quiet these last few weeks, as far as fighting is concerned. Our boys are still holding their own in positions that they won the first few days when they landed at
such a loss of lives. Of course they still give us plenty of shrapnel on the beach to keep us busy getting out of the way. They have been getting on an average about half-a-dozen casualties each day on the beach alone, that is. This last week I have had four mates wounded, two about 10 feet from my dug out, and two about a foot away, all by high explosive shells landing right in the dugouts and bursting. A piece of shrapnel came on the roof of my nest and hit about a foot over my head when I was asleep, and I awoke and saw the hole. Well, dear mother, do not worry too much over me, I am better off than you think, so with best love to all,
Your loving son, GEORGE."

Alexandria, 5 /7/15
"Dear Mum, No doubt you will think me rather long writing this time I hope you got my last letters from the Dardanelles. l am now in Alexandria, and have been back about a fortnight. We had to come back and look after our horses, as there were not enough drivers here to attend to them properly. It is quite hot enough here but one good thing we are handy to the sea, I never miss a day without a bathe, and I can assure you it is a real relief to have a bathe in peace, not like at the Peninsular, where you were always in terror of a 15 pounder dropping in amongst you. I had 10 weeks there under it all the time more or less, and never got hit once. Will Herricks got three machine gun bullets through his thigh, all in the one place. E. Frost got one through his foot, and Ray Keiller got shot clean through his thigh. He and Herricks are quite well now, and have been down to see us two or three times. They have sent poor Ray back again to the front to take his chance. I have hunted for poor Len Papley's grave over there, but could not find it, I wanted to put a cross or something on it, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack there were so many. I saw Ernie Bell, Albert Carter, Mark Kerr, Phill Cottier, and Ralph Peverill. Ralph was in the Army Medical and was sent back to Australia while I was there. Out of the men of our column that were on shore we lost seven killed, and between 30 and 40 wounded, so it was warm enough. Arthur Neate went to the Dardanelles a few days ago.
I will now close, and remain, &c.,
GEORGE R. MOORE."

Sourced from the "Portland Guardian" Friday 24th September 1915. (trove.nla.gov.au)