Currey, Arthur Athelstan - Letters and diary extracts

Letter from Arthur Currey, St. Johns Hospital, Liverpool, England, to an unnamed recipient, presumably Major E.V. Bevan, dated 9 November 1915.

The text reads as follows:

"Dear Sir,

I will now try to give a rough account of events since I finished the first letter last June.

About 1st. June I took sick suffering from Dysentry [Dysentery] and sickness. I was very weak for two days, and then got well again. A lot or most of our men, were suffering from Dysentry from this time until I left Gallipoli. About this time our Battery Staff Sergt. was shot in the head so Major Symon [probably 2/365 Frank Symon, NZFA] wanted somebody else to help him observe. Another Bomb. and myself were chosen to take alternate days. A little later I got the job as a regular one and finished with the guns for the time being.

I moved my few belongings round to the observing station and then made myself busy with field glasses, telescope and maps. This O.P. was close to the battery and about 500 yards from the Turks trenches. Our left flank O.P. was staffed by an Officer, 3 Telephonists, and a cook. They used to observe for the Navy and for our battery when we were swung round to fire towards Anafarta. 'Our Forward Observing Station' was attached to the First Infantry Brigade of Australians, and was 70 yards from 'Lone Pine'. This was the warmest place of the lot, and I was lucky enough to be chosen as assistant observer for this post about the beginning of July. It was over on the next ridge, the famous shrapnel gully intervening.

The Officer and myself divided the day into four parts, and we did two watches each. We were observing from daylight to dark, and would stand by at night when Turkish attacks were expected. I had a very good job and knew a good deal of what was coming off beforehand. We got to know a lot of Australians [sic] Officers, being only a Bombardier did not debar me from their company, and we got on well together. (Most of them are dead now). We had three telephonists with us, they did 4 hours on and 8 off, and laid and mended wires in their spare time. We were in a very warm spot and got shelled every day from some French 75 guns on top of Hill 971. This class of gun is very deadly and gives no warning, as the shell arrives at the same time as the report of discharge. They played havoc with our post, but I was lucky and always got off with a shower of sand bags and stonemasonry others, however, were laid out. We were also shelled by field guns, 10in. Howitzers and old 8 in. smooth bore muzzle loader cannon. These were filled with black powder, the sides of the cannon balls being one and three quarters thick. They could be heard coming, but it was hard to dodge them as there [their] flight was uncertain. Several took a liking to our quarters but had to content themselves with spoiling our tea one night, putting the fire out, upsetting the pots, and smothering us with dirt and stones. I had the free run of the A.N.Z.A.C. position, so I soon used to wander from our right flank to our left. I visited our Battery several times and found a lot of our men were being sent away with dysentery.

I knew a big fight was coming off in August so we got ready for it. Extra Dressing Stations were fixed up, and Reinforcements arrived in their new uniforms. All the Artillery Majors met close to our Station and got their orders. Our Battery was to smash down the wire in front of the Turkish trenches at all cost. I fired a series of 15 rounds myself.

At 4.30 on August 6th. all guns were to bombard Lone Pine until 5.30 p.m and then the First Brigade Australian Infantry were to charge.

The wire was only 60 yards in front of our observing post, and we got it all down except a bit in dead ground. At 4.30 all guns opened fire.

A lot of 5 in. Howitzers from home joined in with their sixty pound shells. I was watching the effect when a shell topped our sand bags, smashed my periscope, and knocked it out of my hands. As I was stooping down to pick up another a second shell smashed in to our station and blew our walls to pieces. We had to crawl out from under the stattered [sic] bags and sand. Our Officer decided it was time to move so we went a little further to the right and opened up again. Our trenches were full of gay Infantry waiting to charge so the Turks turned their guns on to us wholesale and played havoc with our trenches. Two men next to me were knocked out, but I still missed. The first Brigade charged at 5.30, and it was a grand sight. They got across the open space alright, but before they could get into the covered trenches the enemy shrapnel got them and mowed them down. It takes a lot to stop the boys of Anzac, and fresh lines of men were still going across when the black smoke from bursting shells blotted everting out as soon as our lads were a few yards from our trenches. I was kept busy all that night running between our post and the Brigade Headquarters (The fight lasted four days and nights). I was over in the captured trenches early next morning, and things were in a mess. Some of the trenches were blocked with our own wounded, in others the dead Turks lay 4 deep and we had to walk on top of them. It took several days to clear the trenches, and our own dead on top of ground had to be left. In trying to get back to our old trenches I got blocked in a tunnel with a lot of our wounded. There were all sorts of wounds. One fellow was shot through the neck, and with protruding eyes was gasping for breath. Another had his jaw shot away, several were shot throu[gh] the back. Another young lad was shot through the upper part of the leg and was pleased to think he had got off so lightly. He only joined the Force in Sydney seven weeks before. They had been wounded 18 hours and were still unable to be carried to our own lines. We were very busy for 4 days and the enemy were playing havoc with our trenches all the time. Our Officer had to give it best so a fresh Officer was sent out. One of the telephonist[s] suffered from shell shock and had to retire. Another was worn out and fainted several times, and the cook had dysentery. On August the 12th. I took sick and was unable to eat, I also got a raw throat and was in a bad way, I also lost my voice. Eating was hard work at that time Biscuits, bacon and jam were the fare, and this had to be eaten in the midst of 700 dead Turks, and a lot of our own dead. Words fail to describe the stench, flies, and heat. On August the 14th. I was sent on board a Hospit[al] Ship labelled 'debility'. I arrived at Malta on August 21st. The first five days on board I lay on the hard deck but I got a mattress the last two days as my temperature was 104.8. I was carried ashore on a stretcher and sent to Hospital. When the Doctor saw me he found I had Enteric Fever so ordered me to be sent away at once. I was taken to Imtarfa Military Hospital and put to bed again. I was washed from head to foot the first fresh water wash for 16 weeks, and the first time between white sheets for over a year. I was at this hospital 7 weeks, the first 6 I was not allowed to move out of my bed. I had nothing to eat for 40 days. We were only allowed milk, so I was reduced to skin and bones and as helpless as a baby. On Oct. 10th. I was shipped to England and arrived at Southampton on Oct. 19th. Strange to say Ford came on the same ship and we were sent to different places when we got there. Both the Hospitals I have been in are splendid places but the ships are very poor. I had to go back to bed for a week after I got here but am doing alright now. The other day the Doctor told me I was still carrying too many germs so I am not allowed out yet. After I am dismissed from here I go to a Convalescent Camp for a month and then get 6 weeks furlough and then report at our camp at Weymouth. When I pass a board of Doctors I get sent back to Egypt or the Dardanelles if I am passed fit. I have got fat now but am unable to move very fast yet.

Two more of our old boys arrived just before I left Anzac ( Dudding and another).

I feel that I ought to let this letter end now. The Censor advised me not to send it while I was at Gallipoli, so please keep it dark.

I am , dear Sir,

Yours Sincerely,

Sgd. (Bomb) A.A. Currey 2/494

N.Z.F.A.

Wroughton, Wilts.,

England.

P.S. I got my stripe last February."