FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67  
68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>  
now about him is in his favour. We have heard all about his atrocities and his perfidy and unspeakablenesses, but the men we met fought fairly and squarely; and as for atrocities it is always well to hear the other side of the question. At the beginning of the campaign it was commonly reported that the Turks mutilated our wounded. Now I believe that to be an unmitigated lie, probably given a start by men who had never set foot in the Peninsula--or who, if they did, had taken an early opportunity of departure. We were in a position to know whether any mutilation had occurred, and I certainly saw none. I believe that similar reports were existent among the Turks regarding us, and I formed that opinion from the attitude and behaviour of one of the prisoners when I went to dress his wound. He uttered most piteous cries and his conduct led me to believe that he thought he was to be illtreated. I have mentioned before the class to which most of the prisoners were. They were always most grateful for any kindness shown them. As to their sense of fair play, when the _Triumph_ was sunk, they never fired on her--though I understand it would have been quite allowable directly the men set foot on another warship. Again, about a fortnight after the landing at Anzac, we tried to land a force at Gaba Tepe, but had to retire and leave our wounded. The Turks signalled us to bring them off, and then they never fired or abused the white flag. The third instance occurred on our left, when we made the advance in August. Our Ambulance was under a hill, and a howitzer battery took up a position just in front. The Turk _sent word_ that either the Ambulance or the battery would have to move, otherwise they would be forced to fire on the Ambulance. The shells we got on the beach could not be attributed to any disregard of the Red Cross, for they could not see the flag, and moreover the Ordnance was next to us, a thing utterly out of order, but unavoidable under the circumstances. My career on the Peninsula came to a close at the end of September, when I fell ill and was put on the hospital ship. The same evening a very willing attack was put up by the Turk. One had a good and most interesting view, as one was in perfect safety. The bursting shells in the darkness were very picturesque. Prior to going off we had often discussed the pleasure of getting between sheets and into a decent bed--how one would curl up and enjoy it. But my first n
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67  
68   69   70   71   72   73   74   >>  



Top keywords:

Ambulance

 
Peninsula
 

battery

 
shells
 

prisoners

 

occurred

 
position
 

wounded

 

atrocities

 

decent


sheets

 
forced
 

howitzer

 

abused

 

signalled

 

instance

 

August

 
advance
 

disregard

 

darkness


retire

 

bursting

 

picturesque

 

September

 

hospital

 
interesting
 
perfect
 

evening

 
safety
 

Ordnance


pleasure
 

discussed

 

attack

 

unavoidable

 
circumstances
 

career

 

utterly

 

attributed

 
opportunity
 

departure


mutilation

 
formed
 

opinion

 

existent

 

reports

 
similar
 

unmitigated

 
unspeakablenesses
 

fought

 

fairly