reflection of those dead Turks not far away--the distance
being nothing to a fly. In order to get a little peace at one meal in
the day, our dinner hour was put back until dusk. Men wounded had a
horrible time. Fortunately we had a good supply of mosquito netting
purchased with the Red Cross money. It was cut up into large squares
and each bearer had a supply.

THE ARMISTICE

On the 23rd of May anyone looking down the coast could see a man on
Gaba Tepe waving a white flag. He was soon joined by another occupied
in a like manner. Some officers came into the Ambulance and asked for
the loan of some towels; we gave them two, which were pinned together
with safety pins. White flags don't form part of the equipment of
Australia's army.

Seven mounted men had been observed coming down Gaba Tepe, and they
were joined on the beach by our four. The upshot was that one was
brought in blindfolded to General Birdwood. Shortly after we heard it
announced that a truce had been arranged for the following day in
order to bury the dead.

The following morning Major Millard and I started from our right and
walked up and across the battle-field. It was a stretch of country
between our lines and those of the Turks, and was designated No Man's
Land. At the extreme right there was a small farm; the owner's house
occupied part of it, and was just as the man had left it. Our guns had
knocked it about a good deal. In close proximity was a field of wheat,
in which there were scores of dead Turks. As these had been dead
anything from a fortnight to three weeks their condition may be better
imagined than described. One body I saw was lying with the leg
shattered. He had crawled into a depression in the ground and lay with
his great-coat rolled up for a pillow; the stains on the ground showed
that he had bled to death, and it can only be conjectured how long he
lay there before death relieved him of his sufferings. Scores of the
bodies were simply riddled with bullets. Midway between the trenches a
line of Turkish sentries were posted. Each was in a natty blue uniform
with gold braid, and top boots, and all were done "up to the nines."
Each stood by a white flag on a pole stuck in the ground. We buried
all the dead on our side of this line and they performed a similar
office for those on their side. Stretchers were used to carry the
bodies, which were all placed in large trenches. The stench was awful,
and many of our men wore handkerc