Letter - 13 August 1915 - acting second in command 'D' company - 'the scrap'

Athol writes home to his mother on 13 August after the battle of Lone Pine. He is now acting as second in command of 'D' company. He has received more letters from home. He briefly describes the hard work during the Battle of Lone Pine. You might note his description of the August offensive as 'the scrap'?

He enlisted on 17 August 1914, so he has been in uniform for about a year at this stage.

Gallipoli

13 August

Dear Mater

Just a wee line this time as we're pretty busy. Thanks very much for '16' which I got yesterday evening.

We shifted out of our old trenches last Thursday and came over here to fill the place of the men who were here before us. The latter attacked the Turkish trenches in front and they did wonderfully getting three lines. The shells just rained over us but we were very lucky and only had a few men hit in our company, 'D', of which I am acting second-in-command, and only one killed. Ever since then we have been pretty bush consolidating the position and I had about 4 hours sleep in snatches, in three days. 

Since then I haven't done so badly. We still get a lot of shells as there are some of our guns just behind our line of trenches and the Turks are trying to locate them. 

You should have seen me in the first few days of the scrap. Black as soot from the dirt which the shells threw over us and a big revolver round my waist. I tell you I looked like a brigand.

I haven't had any parcels lately and when the ones you have sent arrive I will be equipped as much as I can well manage so don't worry any more, particularly as they don't seem to come through too well. 

I had a letter from Aunt May and Nell Bodycomb this mail for which you might thank them as I may not have time to write for a little while. I've been working pretty hard as Captain Carter* has not been quite up to the mark and I've relieved him as much as possible and so I'm going all day and then I have my turn to take at night. There is a rumour that we are to be taken away for a spell but, though we all hope it is true, we don't place much reliance in it as we've heard that tale before.

I'm in A1 nick now, better than I've been since I landed last time, because I've had a good deal of exercise the last few days having 160 yard of trench to look after. In ordinary trench life one gets so little exercise that you can't keep in anything like decent trim. I've a job to fix now re' gas' sprays so good bye. Love to Pater, Aunts May and Puff and all enquiring friends.

Yours lovingly,

Athol

*This is probably Captain H. Carter who was a member of the 5th Battalion's 'F' public school's company. Perhaps he was ill.