The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-12-12

During the whole voyage you could
not get near the galley, which was
where our wireless friend hung out
when he could. The pans and dixies
hanging on the wall stood straight
out when the ship pitched. and several
heavy ones came down on a cooks
head while he was sitting under them
during heavy sea. That made him
superstitious, too, and he disappeared
and was not found for two days. But
he was landsman and not used to
heavy weather.
When we got to the Gallipoli penin-
sula the fifth time our battle fleet
and transports lay off the straits. We
could not reach the little harbor on
the Turkish coast, but the whole fleet
felt happy and fairly confident Of VIC
tory. We lay off Cape Helles, and it
was there we received the news that
there We're submarines lying around
Gibraltar. Then they were reported
off Malta. We got the news from Brit
ish trawlers and transports. Our Off
GERS said the subs could not reach the
Dardanelles without putting in some
where for fresh supply Of fuel, and
that the allied fleets were on the look
GU. at every place where the subs
might try to put in. But they got there
just the same.
Then the British superdreadnaught
Queen Elizabeth, "the terror of the
Turks" came in. She left England
with whole fleet of cruisers and de-
stroyers, and all the Limeys said,
"She1l get through. Nothing will stop
her."
One Of the boys aboard of her told
me he had no idea the Dardanelles
would be as hot place as he found
it was. "Gaw blimey," he said, "what
with lodging shells and submarines,
you cawn't 'elp but run onto bloomin'
mine. Hi don't mind tellin' you," he
said, shat Hi was scared cold at first.
And then Hi thinks of what oily joe
(the chaplain) told us one service.
Hin times of dynger, look upwards
e says. So Hi looks upwards, and
blfmey hif there wasn't a bally plane
a-droppin' bombs hon us. What price
hupward looks, Oily Joe?' sings out,
but he weren't nowheres near. Blarst
me. there weren't nowhere you could
look without dom yer bloody heye a
dirty trick
When the Queen Elizabeth entered
the Dardanelles, the Turkish batteries
on both shores opened right on her.
They had ideal positions, and they
were banging away in great style. And
the water was simply thick with
mines, and for all anybody knew, with
subs.
Yet the old Lizzie sailed right along,
with her band up on the main deck
playing, "Everybody's Doing It." It
made you feel shivery along the spine,
and believe me, they got great hand
from the whole fleet.
They say her Old Man told the boys
he was going to drive right ahead and
that If the ship was sunk he would
know that the enemy was somewhere
in the vicinity. Well, they were headed
right, but they never got past the
Narrows. They stuck until the last
minute though, and those who went
up, went up with the right spirit.
"Are we downhearted?" they would
yell. ''No!" And they were not, either.
They did not brag when they put it
ovor an tho T,,rl-S opd thew d3d MOI
crouch when they saw that their Red
Caps had made mistakes. Their motto
was, TRY again." and they tried
day after day. / do not know much
about the histories Of armies, but I
do not believe there was ever an army
like that Of the allies in the Gallipoli
campaign, and I do not think any
other army could have done what they
did. / take off my hat to the British
army and navy after that.
1t was hotter than I have ever
known it to be elsewhere, and there
was no water for the boys ashore but
what the navy brought to them-some-
times pint day, and often none at
all. The Turks had positions that you
could not expect any army to take.
were well supplied with ammunition
and were used to the country and the
climate. Most Of the British army
were green troops. It was the Anzacs'
first campaign.
They were wonderful boys, these
Australians and New Zealanders.
Great big men, all of them, and finely
built, and they fought like devils. It
was hand-to-hand work half the time !;