Letters from Norman Griffiths Ellsworth to his Mother, 1914-1915, Part 17 of 27

[*P.S. one of our Australian Light Horse 
boys said, after the last bayonet charge to Gen Birdwood 
Give me a good stock whip & decent fast pony &
I'll clear the Peninsular in 5 minutes / 
Tell George not to be bashful, come along.
I'll keep a look out for him /*]

Gaba Tepe, 
Gallipoli Peninsular. 
Turkey. 25^th July 1915. 

My Dearest Mother & all at Home, 
Just a line to let you know 
that I am still in the best of health & having a good time.
I am pleased to say that I have just received another 
nice long letter from you, but so far there is none from 
Mab or any papers yet, but I have no doubt that all the 
mail is not yet sorted & delivered, so will hope to get them 
tomorrow or the next day.
Well, as you will see by the same address above, 
we have not been driven into the sea, by the Turks, altho' 
we go in for a swim every night, but this is purely our 
own inclination, altho' they often drive us out of the sea by 
the way of 4.5 inch Shrapnel from their guns in the Olive 
Groves, but no body minds.
Our position is very safe here now & the whole 
place is simply bristling with Howitzers & they give the Turks 
no peace what ever, & continue to shell their trenches through 
the night at irregular intervals & during the day as well.
Bomb & Grenade throwing is very much indulged in by 
both Turks & our people, but we preponder over them in 
this respect also, & so do not give them any peace at all.

Page 2 I do not think that the turn out here will last 
so very long after all. The British & French are gradually 
getting closer to us & once they get the Turks over the ridge, 
there is a British Gun-boat waiting to make their acquaintance 
with 6 inch broadsides. Submarines & Torpoedos are 
quite unable to make any impression whatever on this boat. 
so she is here to stay. "Busy Bertha" , a small high 
velocity gun of the Turks has just opened fire on us 
with high explosive shell, but we don't take any notice 
of it, as it is only a scheme to try & draw our fire.
You will be pleased to know that my gun, 1169, 
is again in Action after here second hiding & is patched 
up with parts of other damaged guns, but can still 
shoot straight & bark as loud as ever. It is a great 
relict & where it is returned to Melbourne & the public 
see it, they will get an idea what Artillery men are 
called on to face. We shall be newly equipped when we 
go on to tackle & finish the Germans, which will not be 
long, as we were all told something pretty good the other 
day by our Colonel. Won't it be great eh, Mother, to "mop up" 
the Germans before returning to Australia. We will have our 
trip to England after all, so if I get a chance, I will run 
out to Gravesend to see the Cole's. 
The leading article of the "Argus" which you sent in 
your letter, reads very well, & the boys are delighted to think

Page 3 that their efforts are appreciated at home. 
Every body here wonders what the "stay-at-homes" will 
say when our chaps return. They do not realise what an 
honour & chance they are missing by not enlisting. 
The boys here would not change places with the 
healthiest & wealthiest of them. We notice that the 
papers are full of Marriages, Engagements Etc, & the 
general opinion here is, that the bounders are only 
getting married to dodge going to War. The girls 
encourage them & it is easily in their power to make 
these "coots" enlist, if they only would. I am afraid 
that there will be some very hard words passed between 
the Soldiers & "Stay-at-homes" when the War is over. 
Now for the Home news. Well Mother, it is with great 
satisfaction to know that the House has been paid for. I'm 
sure it must be great consolation to you & a great relief as well.
I was wondering, Mother, if everything goes well, if you 
were to sell the House & take a smaller & much newer house 
somewhere about, between Middle Park & St Kilda I should say. 
It would be much easier & cleaning would be considerably 
reduced & we could get somebody to do the work, & you would 
be able to take the well earned rest that you should have had 
years ago. Don't you think it is a good idea. Our old house is 
pretty well "jiggered" now, & it takes no end of labour to keep in 
order, altho' no one can say it never looked spotless, & inviting.

Page 4 Of course, I am thinking of this plan to save labour 
& to only have the actual members of our family living, or 
perhaps Floss Robbie might be the only exception, as she 
would be able to keep Mabel from getting married Etc., eh. 
Well anyhow, a nice little 6 Roomed house with an 
up to date kitchen & bathroom, & the Ellsworth family inside 
whats wrong with it, eh. 
Now back again to Turkey Etc., all our Drivers & other 
men who are not Gunners, are in Alexandria with the 
horses. Braithwaite & Jack Hall are there, too. & so have 
not had their baptism of fire yet. I sent a £ to my 
Gun lead Driver to amuse himself with & also to send 
me some writing materiel & envelopes. To day, by the 
mail, I got 6 writing Pads & millions of Envelopes, so 
I'll not need the handy piece & envelope which you 
sent to me weekly any more, or for the present anyhow. 
I suppose you've heard or seen in my previous 
letters about Yardley (poor chap) His nerve is quite gone 
& will not go near a Guns, so he has had to be transferred 
to some other Unit & sent to Alexandria. I spoke to him, 
encouraged him, reminded him of the rest of his Subsection,
& roused him, & he had a good chance of returning to his 
Gun, but "No", he would not come at it, & so he has lost 
his chance. I cannot think what his Parents will say 
to him, but for goodness sake, don't mention it to them.

Page 5 
Men must be prepared to see things here, & some 
very disagreeable ones too, & we have seen them too, but 
one must simply look another way & carry on with 
the job. Why, when my gun was out of Action the 
first time, my sub & myself were sent out burying 
soldiers who had been dead for weeks & they don't 
half smell either, its alright digging a hole for them, even 
tho' the bullets do fly around, but I had to undo their 
clothes & search for the Identity disc & Pay book, & the bodies 
were that swollen & rotten that their clothes are bursting at
the seams. We work with handkerchiefs around our noses
& can get a hole deep enough to put him in, and then we hook
a couple of drag ropes around his ankles and drag him in
& chop his arms in & fill up lively. The stench is simply
unbearable when they are moved from where they dropped,
& speed at "filling in" is essential. One of my Gunners &
myself had a bullet pass right between us as we were both
digging in the same hole, so that was close enough, eh. 
Well, something more cheerful; Dowsett is getting
transferred to Brigade Staff, we hear, as Warrant Officers so
promotion has started at last. 
You will p be pleased to know that we have had
no casualties for a long time, & also to know that our chaps
that have been wounded before, are all getting better and

Page 6 are itching to get back & join us. Tell Jack
Tilton that Jack Heywood has quite recovered & is back in
Camp at Alexandria with the others. Also tell him that
Gibson & McConville have both arrived here & are attached
to the Ammunition Column. 
We do fairly well for food here altho' some nice green
fresh vegetables would be very pleasant & a nice change,
however, we cook a favourite dish of boiled potatoes &
onions, mash them up, open a tin of bully beef & mix it
all-togeth & fry in a "dixie" lid, & after this, finish up with
a tin of preserved fruit, & cocoa to drink. 
The fruit & cocoa is not issued to us but bought over
at Imbros by some of our chaps who went over there for
a short holiday of 4 or 5 days. 
I was very pleased to read that Ruperts' foot had got
better. Tell him to write to me sometimes, and let me know
what class he is in at school & how he is getting on
at the Sloyd Class. 
I am pleased to know that May Tilton has
passed & is coming away; I hope to meet her in my
travels. 
How are all at Winchelsea? Give them my
love & let them know that I often think of them all. 
Percy Wells is still with the Battery, & was here
with us for a week or two at first, but he was sent
back with the horses to Alexandria, as they were not wanted.

Page 7 
Innoculation against Cholera is still being carried
out extensively on our troops & we have all just had
the second injection performed on us. 
I say, Mother, if there are any wealthy relations
you can think of in England, just let me know, & I'll
look them up, when we go there, & see if I can't persuade
them to remember us "Kindly". 
Respirators & Gas helmets have been issued to every
one of the troops here, in case the Turks use gas on us. 
We don't half look characters in our helmets either,
doing Gas drill, but they are positively effective against
asphyxiating Gasses, so we don't mind what we look like. 
Did you get my last letter? If so, please don't
forget to send along the little "medicine chest" as it will
be very welcome, altho' we are all in fairly good health,
but sometimes we feel "liverish" for a day or two, & this
makes us feel that we want a little pick-me-up. 
I got a letter from Ruby Davidsons father telling
me of her being very seriously ill with Measles, but is
now getting much better. Did I tell you before that the
Davidson family sent me a gold "Swastika" to wear so
that good-luck would attend me always; well anyhow
I wear it around my neck on the cord of my identity
disc & it is quite an object of great interest to the big
Indian Mountain Battery Gunners, who always look at it.

Page 8 
Reading matter is very scarce here & any old paper is
eagerly grabbed up & read even tho' it is months old. 
Speaking of the comforts, Etc, which the women folk are
making at home for the soldiers at the front. We have
not had a single extra of any description outside our
ordinary rations since we came on Active service, so,
who are getting these comforts, Etc, don't you think it is worth
making a few enquiries & a few questions might be asked
for the Members of Parliament to answer. I expect it
is the chaps who stop back at the Base who get all
the luxuries & no or very little work to do. The lazy
"cows" are too darned lazy to send our mail along regular. 
There are a lot of fat jobs sticking out at these Base
Depots, & all the wasters which hang around are always
given the preference for them, & the poor chaps who do
the fighting get nothing in this respect. (Look out now) 
I am told that I am to be promoted to the rank
of Battery Sergeant Major & to be transferred to the
Ammunition Column. Of course, the promotion is
alright, but leaving the dear old 4^th Battery hurts very
much, but they told me I would simply have to go
or I would not get promotion. It means that I will
be with the Column until a Battery job is vacant. 
If I refuse this, I am told that they will not be in
too much of a hurry to offer me the chance again, so

Page 9 
I think I'll avail myself of the opportunity, but at
the same time I'll keep a sharp look out for one of those
good easy fat jobs (14/- per day) that are kicking about. 
If my promotion is confirmed, then my pay will 
be 12/6 per day instead of 10/6 as I get at present,
so I'll probably draw another 6' per day here for
myself & the other 1/6' can go to you. This will give me
a little more to spend in England & France where we
are going to, in probably a fortnights time as Colonel
Johnston told us on Wednesday last. A new division
who is relieving us, is now at Lemnos & the Howitzers
are doing all the work here now; These are part of
Kitcheners New Army. Well, I have quite a lot of
back pay to draw. We have not been paid since the
6^th May, so I should have a fair purse to draw when
we get back to Alexandria and I have £2 still in my
belt, & I've just reconed up in my pay book that up
to 28^th of this month (July) I've got owing to me £10..15.0
& by the time I get to England it will increase, I should
say, up to £20 so this will give me a fair start, eh.
That is, adding the 6' extra on after I get the job. 
My pay book says now that I've drawn £24/12/6 up till the
4^th May from 4th December, so you can reckon up & see if I am right. We expect 
to stay in Alexandria for a month or so & refit, & there is
no place to spend ones money there like Cairo, so Im righto. 

Page 10 
This letter is long on account of several reasons. 
First, we don't do any shooting, altho' we are always
standing by, & we have 500 rounds of ammunition
per gun, but the country here is no good for 18 pounder
shrapnel & as Kitcheners Howitzers have arrived from
England, & are in position, they are the only people
who can hurt the entrenched Turks, & they keep
them going all day & best part of the night. Secondly,
Ive got tons of writing paper; Thirdly I've got a fountain
pen; & Fourthly Ive got the time & inclination, so I
hope Ive not bored you. I hope the public will not
think we've gone on strike, but the British & French have
had a much harder job than they expected, & it is not
the least bit of good us pushing on until they come
up, & not only that, but we have no battleships here
to bombard the place, as they all cleared out when
the "Triumph" & "Majestic" were sunk, altho' now, they
a fixing a false concrete bottom on some old Gun
boats & sending them out, & submarines cannot
make the least impression on them. In the recent
tests held, one of these boats was struck by 6 different
torpoedoes & could not sink her, so these will be of
great assistance when they arrive. Also some of
the flat bottomed Monitors with 14 inch howitzers
have arrived & these are for the forts on the Asiatic side.

Page 11 
Our Australian boys here are funny, they fight in
short nicker pants (turned inside out on account of lice)
& a pair of boots & a hat. Nothing else on, no shirt
or singlet or socks, & they are burnt black with
the hot sun. The Navy beach party cannot make
them out at all; They simply stare at them in
amazement. The Indian Gunners also regard them
with a certain amount of curiosity, because they
are always dressed up in all their "rigout". 
I must tell you now how my Gun got put out
of action the second time, as this letter is not going
thro' the censor. It was in the roofed in Pit & 3 gunners
were sleeping under it, & at 4.15am one day, a
big 8 inch shell from the Maidos fort came thro' the
roof & hit the shield & right gun wheel & burst.
How the men escaped with their lives, goodness
only knows, but they were asleep when it lobbed,
& staggered out blindly into the trench, practically
unhurt, altho' suffering with concussion. I rushed up
into the pit & the place was in a terrible mess. Blankets
waterproof sheets, mens clothing, & smoke, & fumes simply
predominated. As soon as the fumes got out, I could
see that the Gun & carriage were simply knocked rotten. 
The wheel was smashed to splinters, the shield

Page 12 
was torn to ribbons, the axle bent like wire & the trail
& trunnions have been strained; It was out of Action
for a fortnight, but Fred Conradi, our fitter sergeant,
got to work & fixed it up, & it is barking as loud
as ever now. (Poor old 1169, Little Liz, her second wallop.)
All our Guns have great gaping holes in the
shields where shells have come through, but none
have had such a bad time as my gun, so I'm
not only very proud of it, but it will be simply
treasured when it gets back to Melbourne.
I would like to say, now that I have the opportunity,
something about the earlier events of the Landing of the
Australians here; First of all, too much credit has been
given to the Light Horse, who did not land here until
3 weeks after the position was won. Secondly, The
work of the New Zealanders can in no way be compared 
with that of the Australian Brigades. Thirdly
why has there been no mention of the work of the
Field Artillery. We have been here since the first
day (25^th April) & have done a tremendous amount of
shooting & most of our guns have fired over 3,000 rounds
each, & we have lost some of our bravest men in
Action, yet we are not mentioned. We have put
most of the Turks guns out of Action with direct hits.

Page 13 One day, the 4^th Battery were ordered to open
fire on the Turks trenches at 1 o'clock & keep it up.
For over an hour, all the Turks Guns concentrated
on to our two Guns, & yet we were not allowed to
switch our fire on to them, even tho' we could see
them, & not another Gun in our Division opened
fire on the Turks, but stood & watched the unequal
fight. One of our Guns was hit at last & the layer
was completely disembowelled & the top of his head
blown clean off, whilst the No 2 of the detachment
had his left leg so badly shattered that it has
since been amputated.
We were told the next day that the Battery
had been recommended for Gallantry & that two
D.C.Ms had been awarded to the Battery. The
men were chosen who were to get them, & now we have
been told that, "no D.C.Ms are available, but their
good work had been recorded". (Rotten isn't it, eh.)
When our Infantry first landed, almost
all of their Officers were shot down, & yet the men
went on despite the fact they had no one to lead
them, & they won; Their casualties after the first
3 days fighting was over 13,000 : not 1300. Hows
that eh, out of a force of 30,000. What would
the people of Australia have said if the number

Page 14
had been cabled out telling the truth, instead of
5 died of wounds, 21 missing Etc. Then after this, the
2^nd Infantry Brigade (Victoria) were withdrawn from here,
& taken down to Cape Helles in Destroyers, & given
a job to do there that no other soldiers would do
& they did it, but what was the cost, 1200 lost
in 2 hours, (5pm till 7pm) Everybody marvelled down
there at them, but our Boys can carry any position
here if they are asked to, but now, the Staff wont
let them do any big jobs, as they have lost
"too many fine soldiers" as they say, but our boys
say "they will not be far away when there is
something doing".
The Turks use a very peculiar bullet, it is very
sharp pointed, has a thin coat of nickel & as soon as it 
touches anything, the nickel coat bursts & flys off, & what
is inside makes a nasty hole in anyone.
Sometimes, I take a walk up into the Infantry
Trenches, & what a maze there are too; Every few yards
apart is a machine gun & further off is a sharpshooter
with a Periscope Rifle, this allows him to shoot at any
thing over the other side without exposing himself. It is
a splendid invention & was though out by an Australian
Infantryman, who has since been sent to England to improve it

Page 15
In the trenches one can hear the bullets lob with a
very vicious "thud" against the sand bags in front & it
gives one an idea what it is like to be up close to an
enemy Rifle, of whom are only 3 & 400 yards from our Trenches
The Japanese have lent our troops 4 Trench
Mortars, which are just like a miniature cannon &
it fires an explosive which has the destructive power
equivalent to a 6 inch shell. The Japs lent them to
us on the condition that "we made no attempt to
find out what the bursting charge consists of", & we
are strictly carring out their wish.
It is remarkable to see our chaps when they
see a Turkish bomb coming thro' the air, they stand
& watch it coming right towards them & wait for
it to burst, & yet make no attempt to dodge it in
any way at all, & simply regard it as they would
a cracker. It seems to fascinate one to see them coming
thro' the air at night.
I forgot to tell you, I went thro all the
underground tunnels which the Engineers have dug
under the Turks trenches, & they reach & wind in
all directions, & when I was down one, I could
hear the Turks digging & scraping in their trenches
When the time is ripe, our Engineers are

Page 16 are going to put a big enough charge of
Guncotton in each "Sap" & "up goes the unspeakable
Turk", then the Artillery gets to work with time
Shrapnel & catch them on the run.
Oh' about going to England; Colonel Johnston told
Major Phillips to tell his men that, "we would not take
part in the big battle that is shortly coming off, as the
new English & Scottish howitzer batteries which arrived
here shortly, (there are 6 batteries of them, 5 inch, & throw
a 60 pound lyddite shell) would do all the work, but
we would have a stand by to catch the Turks in the
open. After this we were to be withdrawn, go to Alexandria
refit, le then go on to England & then on to France; This
is the honest truth, he said, (Are we down hearted?)
Well, Mother, dear, I must draw this long epistle
to a close; I think I've said more than I ought to
in places, but the truth is always welcome.
I hope everybody is well. Give my kind regards
to all kind enquirers. My best love to all
relations & an extra ration all around to the
Ellsworth family (may they live for ever) & not forgetting
Flos Robbie, Jack Tilton, Miss Taylor, & any others I've
missed Believe me to be
Your affectionate Son
Norman
(always merry & bright)

1DRL 266

16 pages
about the Landing
at Gallipoli
July 25^th 1915