Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

William Walsh listed his occupation as a Mechanic when he enlisted in August 18,1914. He was 21 years of age and was living with his mother at 218 Sternberg Street, Bendigo, in Central Victoria. He was single and was one of the firts in Bendigo to enlist and be selected. 

He sailed with the 7th Battalion embarking in the AIF First Floatilla from Port Melbourne, on board Transport A20 Hororata on 19 October 1914.

The fleet arrived at Alexandria and set up camp at Mena near the pyramids in Egypt. His letter home was one of the earliest to published in the Bendigo press. 

PRIVATE W. WALSH.
HOSPITAL SHIP FIRED ON.
Writing from Second General Hospital, Mena Camp, Egypt, on May 2, Pte. W. Walsh, whose parents reside in Sternberg Street, said : — 'No doubt you will be surprised to hear that we have been into it. We left Mena Camp Easter Sunday, then proceeded to Alexan-
dria, embarked, and proceeded to the Dardanelles. We were on the water for a fortnight. The water was very calm, but as you know, we have to rough it. We lived on bully beef and biscuits during the trip, but we don't notice that now, because we are used to it. Well, now
a little account of our experience at the front. We arrived at our destination on Sunday morning, April
25, just at daybreak, about half past 4 in the morning. We disembarked, and had to be taken ashore in small boats, which were pulled over by pinnaces belonging to the man-o'-war boats. Just as we were
about to get into our boats to go ashore the fun started. Our man-o'-war boats opened fire on the
Turks, who were entrenched just two hundred yards in front of where we landed. My word, they let us
know they were there, too ! They had shrapnel batteries, machine guns, and everything up to the
handle. Our boys deserve every praise for what they have done. Not one man flinched, and went into it
singing. They were all happy and very anxious to get at them. We lost a lot of men landing, as they had the range of where we landed to a nicety. What better target could they have than a lot of boats sailing towards them. Shrapnel bombs were landing all around us. I got hit with a shrapnel just as we were near the beach. It penetrated my right forearm just below the elbow. There were a terrible lot of lads killed instantaneously in the boats. It was a terrible sight to see.
All of us who were not killed had to scramble out of our boats up to our chins in water and run for our lives
about 20 yards across the beach under cover of rock. Men not wounded had to get for their lives over a great hill just in front of us. They had to fix bayonets before charging this hill, because the Turks and
Germans were entrenched right on the top of it with machine gun batteries and very heavy rifle fire
playing on us. Our casualties are great; a tremendous lot wounded, but so many dead. The latest report is that our boys are making great headway, and before long you will see Constantinople fall. The Turks don't like the bayonet. Our battalion has suffered for officers. Our Colonel and Major is with us
wounded. Now a little more about myself. All of us wounded men were ordered back to the hospital
ship waiting for us. As soon as the order was given Captain Hunter came running over to me and ordered me to get into the boat that we had just got out of. It looked like certain death to run back across the
beach, because they were shelling the beach for all they were worth, trying to stop the troops from landing, but as it was the only way of getting back to the hospital ship, we had to chance it. Another chap and I reached this boat safely, and got into it only to find another lad in it seriously wounded in the head. He died in the boat while with us. We didn't know him. Well, we were in this boat for over half an hour. It was a very exciting half an hour ; it seemed like five hours. The Turks were firing on us all the time, trying to sink the boat. We only heard one shot hit the boat, but we could hear their bullets whizzing over our heads and falling into the water. We expected every minute to see the boat go sky high into the air, but as luck happened their firing ceased. The warships had got on to them and quietened them. The warships' shells were falling like hailstones all around them, and the tide changed. The Turks were in full retreat when our hospital ship steamed out to sea, with our boys chasing them with fixed bayonets. I might state
that just before our hospital ship steamed out, the Turks fired two volleys at us, just missing our ship
by a few yards, so you can see what curs they are to fire on a ship flying the Red Cross. Well, we had a good trip back on the hospital ship, lovely beds to sleep in, lovely nurses to look after us. Indian soldiers to wait on us, and the best of food (three-course dinner). You can just imagine how we apprecriated such treatment after being used to such hard times which we have undergone. We arrived at Alexandria on Wednesday night and disembarked
on Thursday morning. We then travelled to Cairo in a hospital train. In the train we were treated tip-top, cared for by Indian doctors, nurses, and Indian soldiers. They were very kind to us. We reached
Cairo about 3 o'clock the same day.
When we reached Cairo we detrained, and were conveyed to where we are now, in motor ambulances.
We reached here about 5 o'clock.
This hospital is a fine place, but I sorry to say it has been filled with wounded soldiers. The big majority of us are only slightly wounded ; and the boys are very anxious to get back. We all hope to be back among the boys shortly, but in these places they won't discharge you until you are properly right. Mywound is not bad. They had to take the bullet out yesterday and insert one stitch. They wouldn't take it out on the boat because my hand was too much swollen. The shrapnel
bullet that struck me is about as big as a pea made of lead. I hope to be better in a few days. By the time
you receive this letter I suppose we will be into it again, so you had better forward my letters as usual.
Frank Poliness is in it by now, because they followed us up after we left Mena. The names of the
wounded Bendigo boys are Jack Taylor (lost fore-finger of left hand), Roy Knight (wound in right
leg), A. Bolitho, from Quarry Hill; Pethard, Golden Square. We are all walking about doing well. I was
going to keep the shrapnel they took out of my arm, but the doctor begged of me to give it to him. He told
me it was the first one he had taken out, and coming from Turkey he said he would like it. He is going
to put it in his chair. He was proud of it.'

Printed in The Bendigo Independent Thu 10 Jun 1915  
Page 5  PRIVATE W. WALSH.