Williston graphic., 1919-01-09

WILLISTON
going to die too. It made me mad to
think that I had not been of any use
in carrying these two men around.
but II 1 had gone on with either of
them it would have been just the same
they would have died and probably
would have got It, too. When I fig-
ured 1t out this way I quit worrying
about it, only wished the fire would
let up.
So the other man died, and there
were two Of them In the hole. I read
the numbers on their Identification
disks when shells burst near enough
80 that I could see them, and after a
while got back to our lines and rolled
in. I could not. remember the num-
bers or the names by that time, but q
working party got them. along with
others, so it was all right.
My clothes were a mess, as have
said, and I was so tired thought I
could sleep for week, but l could
not stand 1t in my clothes any longer.
It was absolutely against regulations,
but took off all my clothes-the
blood had soaked into the skin-and
wrapped myself in nothing but air
and went right to sleep. did not
sleep very well, but woke up every
once in a while and thought was in
the hole again.
During the night they brought up
water, but was asleep and did not
know it. They did not wake me,
but. two men saved by share,
though usually in case like that it
was everybody for himself and let the
last man go dry. You could not blame
them, either, so I thought it was
pretty decent of these two to save my
share for me. I believe they must
have had hard time keeping the
others off Of it. to say nothing of them
selves, for there really was not more
than enough for one good drink all
around. It tasted better than anything
I have ever drunk. Go dry for "a
hours in the hottest weather you can
find, do a nights work like that, and
come to In the morning with a tin
cup full of muddy water being handed
to you, and you will know what
mean.
At Gaba Tepe there were steep little
hills with quarries in between them,
and most of the prisoners we took
were caught in the quarries. We
found lots of dead Turks under piles
of rock, where our guns had battered
the walls of the quarries down on
them.
We were fighting about this part of
the country one time when we saw
three motor trucks disappear over the
side of hill going across country.
The detachment from the Cassard was
sent over on the run and we came
upon the Turks from those trucks and
several others just after they had got
out and were starting ahead on foot.
We captured that whole bunch-I do
not know how many in all. They were
reinforcements on their way to part
of their line that we were battering
very hard, and by capturing them we
helped the Anzacs a great deal, for
they were able to get through for a
big gain. -.
We held that position, though they
rained shells on US SO hard all that
day and night that we thought they
were placing a barrage for a raid, and
stood to arms until almost noon the
next day. But our guns gave back
shell for shell, and pounded the Turk
ish trenches and broke shrapnel over
them until they had all they could
do to stay In them.
Finally, our gums placed shell after
shell on the enemy's communication
trenches and they could neither bring
up reinforcements nor retire. So we
went over and cleaned them out and
took the trench. But then our guns
had to stop because we were in range,
and the Turks brought up reinforce
merlts from other parts Of the line and
we were driven back after holding
their trench all afternoon. 1t was
about fifty-fifty, though, for when they
reinforced one part of the line some
Of our troops would break through in
another part.
That night there was terrible rain.
storm. I guess 1t was really cloud
burst. We had all the water we
wanted then, and more, too. A great
many men and mules were drowned,
both of our troops and the Turkish.
Trenches were washed in and most of
the works ruined. There were several
Turkish bodies washed into our trench.
and two mules came over together,
though whether they were Turkish or
French or British do not know.
A few days after the rain stopped
l was going along the road to the
docks ut "V' beach when saw some
examples of the freakishness of shells.
There was long string of mules go
ing back to the trenches with water
and supplies of various kinds. We
drew up to one side to let them pass.
Two or three mules away from US
was an old-timer with only one ear,
and that very gray, loaded to the gun
WalpS with hapS Of water He had had