Dvr Richard Pendlebury (Seville), 2^nd Field Artillery Brigade: On Anzac Cove. Letter written to his brother George from Gallipoli – ‘I am still in the same place and things are fairly quiet, if you can call it so. Our boys hit up a bit the other night and made a charge and took some trenches. I think the Turks are short of ammunition: they do not fire so many shells now. The war ships were bombarding down at Cape Helles, the heaviest I have heard so far. I guess they tickled the Turks up. After the charge a lot of wounded were brought in, also some prisoners, who seemed very glad to get out of it and looked bottle green.

The troops are very healthy and have plenty of swimming, when the Turks let them. They do not like to see us in the sea and send a few shells over: just as well to get out then, for they might fluke a hit. I don’t think the Turks will hold out much longer. It is only the German officers that keep them at it now. We have plenty to eat. Cigarette paper is a bit scarce, so when you write to any of us – please use the best quality note paper’.

Pte Ralph Goode (Lilydale), 2^nd Field Ambulance: On Anzac Cove. In his diary –‘During the day we suffer fearfully from heat and flies. The sun is very fierce and the flies worse than I’ve known anywhere I have stopped’.

Pte Ernest Commerford (Lilydale), 23^rd Battalion: On the HMAT Euripides travelling to Egypt. In a letter to friends in Lilydale – ‘On June 6^th land was sighted; it was the high rocky coastline of Arabia and the following day we arrived at Suez. This place is much the same as Colombo natives swarming around on all sides, and a busy shipping port, being at the entrance to the canal. The canal was guarded by a French cruiser at the entrance and a general salute was made, we all standing at attention at the time.

The canal is about 30 or 40 yards wide, and all along the banks were many Territorials and Ghurkas encamped, also trenches ready for occupation in case of attack by the Turks. On either side is a barren waste of sand as far as the eye can reach. The length of the canal is 90 odd miles, and occupies between 14 and 15 hours streaming to reach Port Said, it being unsafe to travel at a fast rate. Port Said was our next port of call and many fine buildings were to be seen but of course we were not allowed to land (another disappointment)’.