CAPTAIN J. GETTINGBY.
The Quartermaster.[ToList]
As has already been mentioned, the General's visits did not meet the popular taste. However, on one occasion he created some amusement when he pointed out, from No. 4 Post, the distant village of Anafarta Sagir. To an officer, who had once been Lord Mayor of Melbourne, he said—"That, when the advance is made, will be one of our objectives and, if the 7th Brigade captures it, you will have the opportunity of becoming the first Lord Mayor of Anafarta." His idea of duty was exemplified in his reply to the soldier in charge of a trench mortar which was situated in a bay adjacent to a communication trench. The dialogue was as follows:—
General: "What would you do if an enemy bomb landed in this bay?"
Soldier: (indicating C.T.): "I would get for my life round that corner."
General: "You would do nothing of the kind! You would stay here and send two bombs back."
To a young officer, to whom he had pointed out certain things to be done, and who had replied "I will do my best," he said petulantly "Don't do your best, do it." The majority of the members of his staff were mortally afraid of him and frequently "let the infantry down," when in the presence of the General, by suddenly reversing a previously expressed opinion on some tactical arrangement or in connection with the works.
The last day of the month was marked during the evening by the arrival of a fog, which seemed to come over Sari Bair from the Asiatic side. It poured down into the valleys—for a time quite obscuring the country to the west and north. The enemy became very restless and shortly opened a heavy rifle and machine fire somewhere to our right. This, combined with a fire which suddenly sprang up in front of the Apex, gave occasion for extra watchfulness, and the reserve companies were ordered to be in readiness to move. By 9 p.m. the fog had cleared and all was quiet again. The fire was believed to have originated through a bullet striking the ammunition in the equipment of one of those who still lay out in front of the trenches. Sometimes the clothing would catch fire and then the body, which for nearly two months had been lying out in the open, would burn for hours. Once an exploding shell blew a corpse right into the front trench. Then it had to be taken away and buried as decently as circumstances would permit.
On the 1st October, during the early morning, a member of the N.Z. Engineers was killed whilst at work on the wire entanglements.
The usual amount of shelling occurred on this and the following two days. On the third the whole of the N.Z. personnel was withdrawn and moved off for a rest and refit at Lemnos Island. The Battalion was sorry to part company with those who had been of such great assistance to them and with whom many friendships had been formed.