The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07

insula, has been received in New
York. The World is permitted to !
publish it with the understanding |
that the identities Of the men men
toned in it be not disclosed. The
letter, with personal details omitted,
follows:
Well, by now you will have seen by
the papers that we had damned
sight stiffer job to do than any of Us
thought | will begin from the time
we landed and tell you all we've been
through.
On the 25th of April, Sunday, at
dawn, the whole fleet began bonn
harding the end of the peninsula
where we were to land. At a. m.
we began landing. The Dublins were
I'm open boats towed by launches from
men of-war. They were practically
wiped out before our eyes, losing $50
men and twenty-one officers. We
were in flat-bottomed collier and
were beached on the sand. Unfor-
tunately, it was shallower than they
thought and we ran aground further
out than was expected. We had to
run down a gangway on to two light
ers connected by a lifeboat, and then
we had to jump into the sea up to
our armpitS and wade ashore. The
Turks were heavily intrenched and
had snipers in the gangway and boats
and a machine gun playing on the
water where we had to jump in.
About one man in every ten got
ashore without being hit.
Every Officer Hit.
HIS company went first. Every
officer was hit and nearly all the
men. G. went next, and all the Off
GERS except w. were hit. j. and l
went next, but only half our company
was sent, as they decided to wait. J.
got ashore all right swimming. 1
went down to the boats, which by
now were full with dead and dying,
and was sent back.
However, at midday / went ashore
by myself to join the Major, and three
men followed me. We lay all day
five feet high. At dusk, j. and l col
leCted all the men who were not hit
(about 40 out of 1909 and we took
up kind of outpost position to cover
the landing Of the force by night
Just as L had put out my sentry
groups and was going round then
with j., he was hit in the throat. He
was dead in a few minutes. Tha
left me the senior officer on shore
II was hell of night.
We landed the rest of the regiment
and at dawn had what remained O.
Us and one company of the Bublin:
and two companies of the IIants.
w
what would happen to his body whe1
we advanced.
Our casualties were pretty stiff
w, an adJutant, was hit in the leg
+. killed, hit in the head; Major M
hit in the chest, and G. in the shoul
der; H., an arm shattered; L. had hi
revolver shot into his side; r. shot i
the hands; l.. shot In both legs Che
lost one), and various Temporary
gentlemen in the shape of new Secon
Lieutenants knocked out.
Lose Heavily Taking Village.
We had orders to storm a castle s
s o'clock. This we did with the bay
which was full Of snipers and ma
chino guns. 1t took US till p. n
before we captured the village. an
lost heavily. At 2.30 o'clock we hel
the far side Of the village and WEI
right under high hill with a redoul
on the top. The Turks were with
ten and fifteen feet Of us in a boa
and We fairly let them have it. Tu
fellows were recommended for II
Victoria Cross that day, both billie
since.
We were in full possession Of IL
hill by p. M; so took UP an outpo
position half nile beyond it for IL
troops arrived, and the next mornir
relieved us. We were allowed
rest. however. and were pushed o
to the left two miles to intrench al
act in reserve to the division Whi,
was advancing that night.
The next morning we were sent
three miles to the trenches occupi
during the previous evening, but
getting there we heard that there W
no ammunition in the firing line,
we pushed on and reinforced them.
General Retreat Begun.
AT p. m. the French troops on O
right began to fall back, so that at
p. m. a general retirement col
menced. 1t was hell. The fire "
very heavy, but if we had not retir
we could have taken a village call
krithia and a hill called Achi Bal
which we haven't got yet. We I
back to the old line Of trenches a
there dug in: Luckily the Turks
not attack for we were terribly