Letter from Charlie Addison to his Mother, 1915

Gallipoli,
26. 8. 15.
My dearest Mother,
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Last Saturday in the course of a long walk, and 
it is only by such exercise you can keep fit, I came across two 
battalions in a gully who had with them many new men I know. Reg. 
Spier, Billy Hinton, C.S. Lucas, Jack Maughan, McBride, W.S. 
McKenzie, Ferguson, (Judge’s son) Fred Robinson (your Burrowa 
friend) Morris of Sly and Russell, A.J. McDonald, (Solicitor), 
George Short (Bank Manager Commercial Newcastle) and others, 
however the most important were Percy and Wilfred. I had a long 
talk with both and had a meal of beef tea and biscuits and 
chocolate with the latter who chatted away and gave me some 
photos to keep and get to Australia, which I certainly shall do. 
The poor boy told me that he thought he might be wounded and I 
gave him a note to my friend Dawson who I knew would be one of 
his ambulance doctors, to ensure his being sent to England. He 
went into action next morning at daylight and was killed, his 
company “D” being chopped to bits and half his battalion lost. 
Yesterday I went to the position and saw McDonald, A.J. an old 
client of mine and Wilfred’s Major. I also went over the ground 
fought over. There is a gully opening on to level ground for 
about 200 yards to the foothills of a big mountain, the troops 
had to run across the open seize the Turks’ trenches and occupy 
them; this was done but owing to lack of support had to give up 
one line and only hold the first one which we do now and are 
snugly entrenched in. McDonald told me that on the order to 
advance W.A. led his platoon “15” across the open and then jumped 
out of the first trench with his revolver drawn called out “come 
on boys the next one” and backed up by his company who so far had 
lost only (--) 3, ran across the next intervening space, but he 
had only gone a few yards when machine gun fire got him, the trench 
was taken, but, as I say, had to be given up and a retreat made to

[*Note should be "14" Platoon*]
the

the first line. Both McDonald and the Colonel A.E. Chapman (of 
W.R. Beaver’s Office) told me that Wilfred acted with the 
greatest bravery and if he had lived would have been mentioned 
in dispatches – he certainly brought credit to us and must always 
be remembered as a highly courageous man. Tell Glent and Ettie 
how sorry I am and I shall write them when I get more particulars. 
Percy is well, his battalion having been in reserve.
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Charlie.
Lt. Charles S. Addison
uncle of R. Addison