Letter from the War Front (World War One)

~The following letter is not an authentic letter from a soldier, but a letter I wrote myself from a soldier's perspective that describes what the ANZAC's went through during WWI~

Dear Homefolks, I am currently having a short period of rest time and have time to write to you all to give you a feel of what we are doing and going through. I heard somewhere that the letters are being censored but I’m not sure if it’s true or just another story going around.
I am doing well and eating like a horse when I can, the sea air and action proves to be good for the appetite. The tucker is not so plentiful, but otherwise it is O.K. A lot of our meals consist of tinned bully beef, stale crackers, jam, tea and unpleasant salted meals and things of that matter. There are a lot of pests joining us who also enjoy our food, so we have to keep a good eye on it. If you would like to send any food, make sure it has no flour and is in tins or else the pests will be thanking you a plenty. I miss Mum’s dinners but the food here isn’t too horrible, you get used to it. We arrived at Aden, Egypt on the 25/11/14. We found ourselves at anchor outside the inner harbor on getting up at 6am. After being in a bare sandy sea of sand for a while, things started getting easier and more comfortable to deal with. The food started to get evidently better as well as the cooks must have learnt how to cook without getting sand in it. The poor beggars would often put sand in our food instead of salt, so it will be an interesting event to go to the bathroom after meal times.
Marching around in Egypt was very heavy work indeed. Our parade ground was nothing but soft sand. While we were there we had to get up at 6am, breakfast at 7, then parade 8am to 2pm, then have dinner and loaf around for the rest of the day. Every six days from 4pm to 11pm in Egypt we got leave. Myself and Uncle Jack visited Cairo and had a splendid tea there and had the loveliest steak I’ve ever tasted. We celebrated Xmas under the pyramids, which was fairly merry and bright. My tent was supplied with a small plum pudding each, a few tins of fruit and some bottles of wine. We all also received a tin containing chocolates and cigarettes from Princess Mary, so we all felt very high-class, or at least I did! As time progressed in Egypt, it began to become quite comfortable but we eventually had to leave to fight in Turkey. After four and a half months training, we hopped onto the boat over to Gallipoli. Many men began gambling when they were onboard the ship. Every morning when I woke I thought I was in a beehive; the buzz from the exited and nervous soldiers was evident as it rung through our ears. The sea was very calm and I took a few pictures with the camera I have in my kit. I will show you all the footage I have when I return and we can have a merry chat about it all.
The land in Turkey is very green in comparison to Egypt. We landed in the wrong place in Gallipoli on 25/04/15, but it was for the best as the Turks were expecting us at another place. They had machine guns, trenches, barbed wire obstacles and mines in the water to welcome us. We sort of surprised them as where we did land was not heavily guarded and we got ashore before they had time to get enough troops to halt us. The boats were under rapid fire and you were deafened by the shrapnel and the machine guns. One or two of the ships went down and the men aboard were drowned and men ashore littered the beach with blood and bodies. My groups’ boat ended up landing without any casualties, but a few injuries. Jack was shot in the shoulder but is doing okay in the hospital ships now. He says the nurses are spoiling him and the beds are well comfy, but the nurses don’t smile enough for his liking. You probably have received a few letters from him and know all about it. I probably won’t see him again till he returns for more fight.
None of the hills I had to climb were very high, but they were all very steep. The dense shrub gave me some cover and helped me to climb as I could just pull myself up with those. This was when we had quite a few casualties as the Turks shot us off from the tops of these hills and we returned the favour with our bayonets and gunshots. The bullets were flying around like flies and the ground was literally covered with dead bodies, our own boys and Turks. We had no time to make our own trenches yet so we took over a few ones that the Turks had that were at the top of the climbs. I didn’t get any sleep that night as the enemy kept up a stubborn fire all night long. The first four days following were all filled with heavy fighting so I was awfully tired by the end of it.
Quite a few men were shot off during the construction of our own trenches because when entrenching they were left in the wide open for a while becoming easy shootings. To make 250 metres of a trench took around 6 hours and then we would have to add barbed wire, boardwalks and such, which gave the enemy a great deal of time to take their pickings. In total we built three trenches that zig-zagged (so it was harder for the Turks to shoot directly at us and help prevent gas attacks spreading as easily) but it took a lot longer than expected because we had stopped entrenching to try to save ourselves from too many casualties. Instead of entrenching, we used sapping and tunneling which only a few men could do at a time. The first trench is called the Front Line because it is at the front and closest to No Man’s Land. This trench is connected to the communication trenches, which move men, supplies and equipment without exposing them. Around 75 metres back is the support trench, and then respectively 300 metres back is the reserve trench.
I am grateful that we don’t have to spend the entire time in the Front Line, as it can be quite terrifying. We rotate between the three trenches and then have a short period of rest before beginning the cycle once more.
I absolutely despise the morning Stand-to-Arms, which is observed by both our side and the Turks. Before dawn, we must all climb to the fire step to guard against raids. Then we would fire the ‘morning hate’ in front of us to unsure our safety. Luckily we get a breakfast truce so we can all eat breakfast and have a nice cuppa peacefully before being inspected by the Commander and assigned duties for the day. Before my rest period my duty was to drain the trenches and restock sand bags.
The rats and mice are here in millions, gigantic species at that (Mother, you would hate them! Some have grown to the size of your cat, Kimba). They breed fleas and give them to us in return for the tucker they pinch. The beggars. I have a few scars on my legs from when they have nibbled on me when I was asleep. Some are unfriendly like that, but a few are found to be friendly and good company. It is unbelievably filthy in here. Most men haven’t been able to ration enough water to drink and wash, and you can really smell that fact. Myself and some other men went down to the beach and had a dip in the salty water to bathe and try to get rid of the lice. For some men it worked, and others just gave the lice a bit of a fright. We haven’t got a clue how to get rid of the bastard flies though.
Most men do not use the bucket toilets provided as a safety precaution - they do not want to be vulnerable to an attack – which means the floors are scattered with feces, making the smell much worse down here. The uncleanliness of the trenches is causing many men to suffer from some sort of dysentery and are being evacuated sick. Not only are the trenches unhygienic, they are also sufficiently cold and muddy all the time. The one upside of the trenches is that you get to have a good chat to the other soldiers and get to be, at the very least, close to them in both a friendly and literal way.
I have been in battle quite a few times; Dad I hope you are proud of me. I was set as a sniper for quite a while because the Colonel thinks I am a good aim. I got to hide among the tall shrubs in camouflage, or up in the trees, then wait for the enemy to pass in No Man’s Land. Quite a few fellows got a third eye from me, right in the middle of the head. Seems that all that shooting on the farm paid of, eh? I have also proven to be good at bayoneting and have ended a few Turks that way.
On the 18/05/15, we noticed the Turks fire was slackening so something was about to happen. In the darkness of the next morning at around 3.30am, they attacked but we were ready. I was on the Front Line then and a bullet whipped by cap off of me as I took my pickings at the Turks. Thousands were killed or wounded within metres of the Anzac line, but we were not breached. Many of those nearest to our line had been shattered by modern bullets at such a close range. I didn’t see many of our men killed during this fight, but quite a few were wounded, whereas no noise came from the Turks then.. Although I am not proud of ending men’s lives, I am proud of bringing pride to you Father, and my country.
Talk of an evacuation is hanging around, so there is a great chance that I’ll see you shortly. When I come out of this I promise I will finally settle down properly and raise my own family. With the money I have earned I must buy a house for myself and Rita and our future children. It will be strange to go back to earning 3 pounds 1 pence again!
I cannot think of any more news to speak of so now I must close. I look forward to seeing you all again soon. Your loving son and brother Ted.