25/09/2023
Writing on 22nd September 1915, Sgt. Frederick Arthur Elworthy, 1st Australian Light Horse Regiment, reflected on his experience on the peninsula. A good shot, he admitted that he'd enjoyed himself, even the “slaughter,” but not the smell that followed.
“Things have gone on well with me since enlisting. I joined the Light Horse as a private, and have now risen to a senior-sergeant, and if I had come through my last engagement without being wounded I would have still gone higher. I was amongst the few that didn't get their six feet of earth, so I ought to be thankful. When on the field I could always go about with a feeling of security and an indifference to the gruesome sights around. I got a fine introduction to the nature of our work on the field the first week ashore. I was put in charge of an outpost for ten days, at the entrance to Dead Man's Gully, and adjoining a portion of land known as Bloody Angle. I assure you the names were quite appropriate. In our immediate front the Turk's trenches ran out on to a steep cliff, 80 yards away, and a little to the right front were their trenches again, about 400 feet up and 150 yards away. The bullets used to come rather thick at night, and things were interesting at times, as we were lying fully exposed. Fortunately, I never lost a man the ten days there, but the day after we were relieved one poor chap was sniped through the head on the same post. The bullets were nothing to the stench that floated down the Gully from the dead. It was awful — make an iron monkey sick. From the top outpost I counted 47 of our dead. The morning the Turks charged all along the line was the 'best ever,' and they left between 3000 and 4000 dead in front of our trenches. I'm not exactly callous, but I will admit I was delighted with the slaughter. The running man target at Randwick I seldom missed, so you can imagine the chances the Turks had when they were on top of our parapets, and ducking about only 80 yards away. They were such clear targets, and big men, and our boys did mow them down. The Turks asked for an eight hours armistice to bury their dead, which was granted. It was a sight never to be forgotten that day. I was out with a burial party and was all along the line. It was strange — yarning to the Turks and exchanging ci******es, etc., and a few hours later using all your cunning to 'wing' one.” [1]
[1] 'The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser' (New South Wales), 9th November 1915.
