This diary was sent home to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Dd. Thomas, Maesywern, Glanamman, by Private Billy Thomas, after being wounded, as we have already reported.
These records of Private Thomas should be profoundly interesting to the readers of the Amman Valley Chronicle Compiled by D. J. Morgan.
“All the battleships and transports belonging to the First Division left Lemnos Island on Saturday, April 24 th , 1915, for the Gallipoli Peninsula, and we left on Sunday morning, the 23 rd .
When we sailed through the entrance of the Dardanelles, we became within sound of the most furious and terrific bombardment from our battleships. There were battleships all along the coast, pouring in volley after volley into the Turkish positions.
To witness such a spectacle from the transports, that were waiting an opportunity to land, is beyond the imagination of you all. The other Division had landed in the morning, and had driven the Turks back from the beach, under a very heavy fire from their guns and terrible machine-gun fire.
They stuck to it like bulldogs until they took the heights along the beach at the point of the bayonet. Well, the destroyer came alongside our transport at 11 o'clock to take us over. We were on board the destroyer until 2.30 a.m. Monday morning, and the bullets were whizzing all around the boat. In the boat we lost * two men. We landed at 3 o'clock in waist deep of water.
We fell in at 6 o'clock, and marched right on to the firing line. Our battalion had to take a hill, and I can tell you the Turks were astounded at the bravery and resourcefulness of our men.
Now our work as stretcher bearers began, and it was a tough job to go to the open and pick up our comrades. Most of the wounds were caused by explosive bullets. We had to carry them down to the beach, about two miles away, through a very rough country, there being no roads whatever.
The enemy's shrapnel was bursting around our heads while at work. We kept going all day and night, and by Tuesday we were very tired. But as they were continually calling for stretcher bearers, we had to help. It was a pitiable sight, one that I never wish to witness again.
On Tuesday the enemy poured shrapnel with greater energy. In one case our patient was blown off the stretcher, and we had to seek shelter in a dug-out for about an hour.
Shells were bursting all over the Red Cross station, and over the boats that were taking the wounded to the ship hospitals. We started early Wednesday morning; it was a bit quieter, our men having dug themselves trenches.
The trouble was now with the snipers. They creep behind our men at night, and dress in our uniform, and shoot at us from behind. By Wednesday night we had some relief and the Division were given a rest after four days and nights of hard fighting.
Thursday was a very quiet day, and we were given biscuits and cheese, bacon, jam, tea and sugar; and how nice was this drop of tea! I got up this morning (Thursday) quite fresh. Two of my mates got wounded yesterday, and another of the band was shot through the head.
I had a tour around the trenches this morning. We had a few cases; two of them dies, and we brought them down to the base. I only bring the wounded to the dressing-station; the R. A. M. C. take them to the boats. They called out the stretcher bearers dinner time, and seven of us rushed up the hill with two stretchers to the trench. One of the cases we treated, and the other we had to leave until dark.”
(to be continued)
