Letter - 23 August 1915 - weather cooler, gravel-rash from a 'pipsqueak' bomb

Athol writes home to his mother. The weather is getting cooler and some of the men wear great coats whilst on look-out. Athol sustains a few scratches and cuts from a 3 pound shell sent over by the Turks as they try to knock-out a machine gun post. Athol takes his superiors on an inspection tour of his section of trenches - about 500 yards and the additional network of communications and support trenches.

Gallipoli
23/8/15

Dear Mater,

It appears I was lucky to get your last letter, '16', as a lot of mail was sunk in one of the barges en route from the ship to the beach owing to an accident, and our Battalion lost 5 bags. We were luckier than some, as one battalion lost 17.

We are still in the same place but things in our part are a lot quieter, though of course the troops in the recently captured trenches in front of us (the Lone Pine trenches) get a pretty willing time. Really one does not know how much more one can say so we cannot of course give away any of our movements and we don't know till long afterwards what the press has been given.

The weather is getting cooler and the nights are lengthening rapidly. Whereas we used to 'stand-to' from 3 to 4am we now do so at 4.20-5am, and it is quite dark at 7.30pm. I have written letters in the trenches up to 8.45 when I first go back here. Sometimes towards dawn it is quite cold and quite a lot of the men wear their great coats when on observation. I got nicely gravel-rashed a couple of days ago by a little 3lb shell which Abdul sent to try and knockout one of our machine guns. No harm done, only a few cuts and scratches. Abdul uses these little guns quite a lot and brings them right up into his forward trenches, fires a few shots and then clears away somewhere else. I believe in France our troops call these things 'pipsqueaks', our boys have a much more impolite name.

I saw Bob Salmon yesterday. He is in the 4th Light Horse now and told me he had had a letter from you. I believe Gregor Knox has been sent away sick. Quite a lot get sick as the monotony of the life seems to get one everybody's nerves and I think that is responsible for a lot of it.

My luck was out yesterday. They started the idea of Trench Section Orderly Officer and I had to start. As the section comprises 5 sub-sections and is about 500 yards long and there are simply miles of communication and support trenches, all of which had to be inspected it was no ..... Having done my tour and duly sent in my report, the next man was informed that it had been decided to cancel the idea, and so I was the lamb.

I don't suppose we'll get a mail this week though one must be due, anyway we all hope for the best.

There is simply nothing else to say so I'll ring off.

Love to Aunt Puff, Pater and all enquiring friends,

Yours lovingly,

Athol