Beach at Anzac
1915 Letter 46
Lemnos
Dec. 18th. 1915
Dear Mother and Father -
Just a week till Christmas day - and such a difference from what you are having in the way of weather. I am sitting by the open window, with my cotton dress on - and the air is as warm as summer. All day it has been bright and clear - I can't realize that Christmas is really so near.
I haven't written for the last three days - as there has been nothing in camp to tell you about, and the war news we get by month these days while intensely interesting would scarcely pass the censor.
Dec. 19
Have carried the other page around in my pocket hoping to add to it but as you see it has got messy without increasing in length.
To-day is Sunday - and it is very quiet and peaceful. Taking advantage of the day of rest as observed by some people we managed to borrow saw and hammer and did a lot of odds and ends. Now we have a lot of shelves and a cupboard and look very comfortable.
The A.D.M.S. inspected the wards this morning and fortunately I woke up in a bad temper and made everyone miserable till I got the place cleaned up.
We have our worst cases of frost bite still and while we aren't full up there is always lots of work.
I am finishing this in the mess tent as we are waiting for some people, most of our friends of the "early days" are back again - all in good shape and it seems like a Christmas gathering. To-night a man is coming who played Bunny in "Grumpy" with Cyril Maude and was in Raffles with Du Maurier. I suppose he'll be interesting.
Myra has just said one of our men is going home so I'll write a real letter and have him mail it in London.
Everyone is so uneasy and upset these days. We are evacuating Suvla and Anzac and tonight will see the rear-guards off if all goes well and many are the prayers going up for them.
The famous "29th Div." came off several days ago. They have been in the thick of it since the first landing and practically none of the original officers and men are left. They came down here and the reinforcements went to Cape Hills where it is expected we are to "put on a show" - as they say.
We know a great many officers in the 29th and of course we are greatly interested. Their camp is next ours and is the camp - as they are the heroes of this end of the war.
We have been evacuating now for some days - trenches are mined, saps laid, guns spiked that can't be taken away - everything movable either brought off or dumped in the sea and of each regiment only [1] officer and 50 men remain as rear guard. History will take notice of this last week - for it will be one of the most extraordinary retreats.
Two weeks ago during the rough weather the rain collected and poured into the trenches of both British and Turks in torrents 7 or 8 ft. deep. There was practically no way out and the casualties were heavy. The men say it was the strangest thing - Both sides lost guns and everything and took to the tops of their parapets in their efforts to keep out of the water and not a shot was fired for hours.
The Turks are finding their position as untenable as ours - and while it seems that they must know of our retreat they are taking absolutely no notice. In one whole brigade there were not half a dozen casualties.
A Taube flew over the beach at Anzac and dropped bombs yesterday and the men think they must have seen what was doing.
Beach at Anzac
The only thing possible to think is that the Turks are too busy getting out themselves or that they are appearing to be leaving in hopes that we will stay and advance.
Tonight is the last and what memories are in everyone's minds of the sadness connected with Anzac and Suvla - such loss of life, such glorious bravery and now it is all over and in vain.
Dec. 20
I didn't get this finished last night. Only a few of the men turned up and it was a very stupid evening. We played the gramophone and talked about the war - or rather the men did. It is too much in their thoughts for them to talk of much else.
They all envy the officers who were left as it means mention in dispatches.
We are all getting ready for Christmas though it is awfully hard to get the feeling. Today is absolutely still and quite warm.
I must stop now as I won't get this finished today, so will close it - and start again -
With heaps of love -
Yours always,
Helen