LETTERS FROM THE FRONT - GALLIPOLI MAY 1915
Whit-Sunday, May 30th, Published in the Reporter 26th June 1915.
HOW THE AUSTRALIANS CHARGE.
Wounded Ashton Territorials Letter.
Lance Corporal 1968 A. WILLERTON of "B" Company, 1/9th Manchesters, writing to Mr. Joseph Robinson, of 5. Samuel Street, Stalybridge,
from the Red Cross Hospital, Sadiah Schools, Giza, Cairo, who was wounded on Whit-Sunday, May 30th, in the shoulder, says his wound is healing grandly, and he hopes soon to be alright. He writes - " Before I got wounded I had some splendid 'owd' relics for you, including a Turkish bayonet, a bandolier full of ammunition, and a leather belt belonging to a sniper, who had been 'outed'. You should see the way the Australians and the New Zealanders fight. They are complete terrors. The way they charge and their language when charging turns the air blue, and has even been known to stop the Turkish bullets in their flight".
Action on 22nd May 1915 Published in the Reporter 26th June 1915.
FIGHTING FOR ACHI BABA.
A Very Hard Struggle. In a letter to Mr and Mrs Harry Ward, of 8, Edward Street, Cockbrook, Pte. 350512 RAY GIBSON, of the Ashton Territorials, who formerly worked at the Whitelands Twisting Co's mill, says " I expect you will have seen it in the papers about our lot going into action. We have had a few killed. When I left the battalion on 22nd of May I was wounded in the thigh, but the bullet went straight through, and gave me very little pain. I hope you are still on full time at the old firm. Tell B. Wakefield that I have not forgotten him. I shan't be sorry when this lots over, for it has been a very hard struggle for the land we have got. We are fighting for a hill called Achi Baba, and when this is taken it is good-bye for the Turks, but we shall lose plenty of men before it is taken."
Kind Regards Graham Braithwaite
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Admin Note: I had not heard of Achi Baba before so I did a little investigating on Google and located a few interesting pages on the subject. I have added to this post a map of Achi Baba and the related link along with a photo of the "hill" and link. This is to give an idea of what these lads writing home were dealing with in 1915, 100 years ago this month.
Map: http://www.ozebook.com/ww1/anzac/documents/85.html
Photo: http://greatwar-1914.tumblr.com/page/3
The final links are account from the Manchesters & Ashton Territorials regarding this time.
http://www.themanchesters.org/7th%20batt.htm http://ashtonpals.webs.com/1915page3.htm