1st/5th Bedfords' dugout at Galipoli
Friday 15th October 1915: Sergeant Lindley of a Field Ambulance unit(1) attached to 54th (East Anglian) Division(2) tells us: “We are living in dug-outs in the sand dunes on the beach at present, and we have had only one casualty, one poor chap being shot in the head and killed instantly while we were still on the boat by a stray bullet”.
“I have named my tent “Ye Tent of Ye Great Panjandrum” but I am afraid that there are not any of those fearsome creatures about here, the most fearsome being tortoises and lizards, which are in quite large numbers. The country round here is ideal for scouting. I think you could get up a camp here when the war is over, only if you do bring plenty of water with you. The bathing here is splendid; there is hardly any tide, and it is quite shallow for about half a mile out; I have had several good swims since we landed”.
“I have seen one of the 5th Beds, a chap named Clarke; he lives up the Park way and has been down with a slight attack of dysentery, but is going back into the trenches in a day or two. It appears that their ranks are very thin. It is very funny that we should run in so close to the other Bedford boys isn’t it? Both the Engineers and the 5th Beds are within a mile or two of us”.
“We were rather sold as to the temperature out here. We came out expecting something hot and instead it is just comfortably warm during the day time and very cold at night(3)”.
“This country is very picturesque, with its huge sandy mountains and glorious sunsets and sun rises, but I prefer the green fields of Old England for all that. I have come to the conclusion that they take a lot of beating. This country seems ideal for war and that is about all. They were kicking up an awful row last night on the hill; it really sounded as if they were trying to hurt one another”.
Source: Bedfordshire Times 12th November 1915
(1) Field Ambulance units were places for intermediate treatment of the wounded in between the Regimental Aid Posts closest to the front line and Casualty Clearing Stations further back.
(2) 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 2nd/1st (East Anglian) Field Ambulance were attached to 54th (East Anglian) Division.
(3) Average temperatures in Gallipoli in October are about 16º and in November about 11.9º
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