Cunningham is running the Bn and doing all right. Cox has his majority as O/C Ruahine Coy. Harston is running HB Coy and doing well. In fact my dear Hart our officers, N.C.O.s and men have turned up thoro’ trumps. I am full of regard and admiration for them.
Home has been and is a regular brick with our wounded. He has got his majority. One of my sons, has been wounded 3 shrapnel bullets thro’ the leg and one thro’ the forearm and 2 grazes, doing all right when I saw him. I have been and am very well, bar a 5-day course of dysentery – now just about finished – and have got off free of injury, though yesterday my 1st blood was drawn, a splash of nickel just cutting the skin on my cheek! I am quite proud of it!
Our weather is lovely tho’ hot. The flies are awful. Col Johnston is on sick list. I had Bde for 2 days and then Col Braithwaite was appointed. I am thinking of asking what I have done! I am afraid the NZ Army is not for NZ officers (no matter how hard we work) in its higher commands. Genls Birdwood and Godley respectively tell me, they are delighted that I am O/C Quinn’s Post, but they or rather Genl G. is not delighted enough to let me even temporarily command the NZ I Bde. The work at present in the Bde is an absolute sinecure. Goodbye, my dear Hart. With my affectionate regards.
Yr sincerely,
Wm.G. Malone
Anzac
Quinn’s Post
22.6.15
My beloved
...All goes well here, and I am over my little complaint (after 6 days tho’) without having had to go on the sick list. The Post is improving every day, but I shall be glad when my own Battalion comes back as garrison. It is by far the best in the Bde tho’ I say so. The flies multiply, but if I have to be inside in the daytime, shut out the daylight from my shelter and light a candle after drawing out the flies.
If you would send me a muslin cage, say 6 ft square, without a bottom, I should be glad, just any cheap muslin would do. I could then get my meals in peace and be quite a luxurious soldier. But you know how I hate flies, and there are extra reasons here to dislike them.
Weather is lovely, but hot in the daytime. I suppose you have seen Aunt Agnes by now.... Give her my love and tell her I am looking forward to seeing her ere [before] the year is out. It is expected here that as Venizelos29 has been returned with a big majority, that Greece will join the Allies in the war and that then Bulgaria must join too. Therefore Turkey will soon have to make peace. Progress is slow here. Trench warfare – all the same as Flanders.
I have been shortened! Gone into “shorts”. They are so cool and free. They are very much in fashion. I still clean my boots everyday and shave and manage to get a body wash everyday, but water is scarce. Many go down to the sea and bathe, but I am like a Captain on the Bridge, and cannot get away. I am sitting at a biscuit box escritoire,30 with your dear photo at my right hand. My shelter is like this:
The layout of Malone’s dugout.
Alexander Turnbull Library
Malone’s drawing of his escritoire, which was made out of biscuit boxes.
Alexander Turnbull Library
Walls are part dugout and part sandbags. I sit on edge my bunk, where shown. I can look out down a huge gully to the sea, with Imbros in the distance, the sea about 1 1/2 miles away. My shelter is on the side of the gully cliff near the tops. My escritoire (I think I shall patent it) is much admired and is very useful. One can’t sit on it as made owing to its legs being somewhat fragile, 4 strips of the box lid 2” x 1/2”. Not many flowers here, too many soldiers on a somewhat limited area, tho’ away in the gullies there are plenty. The longest day is over and they are long here – 3.30am to 9pm. But we have started keeping naval signal time that is 24 hours in the day – midnight 0 – midday 12, 1pm 13, 2pm 14 and so on. It is now 8pm i.e. 20.00 and now 21.35. I have just come back from a tour round the position seeing things in order for the night and making special provision at two points. It is a beautiful moonlight night. The evening and nights are delightful, except for the everlasting smack and crack, and clatter-clatter-clatter and boom and bang and “hunch” of rifle, machine gun, gun and bomb, which however we hardly notice nearly two months of such noises night and day makes them almost unnoticed. I think we shall have a quiet night and I shall be able to sleep until 3am (I mean 3.00). I am feeling quite all right tonight and full of go. Thanks be to God.
....I see England is shaping towards increased military training. She must adopt it. Had she done so in 1908 when Lord Roberts pleaded and argued so strongly for it, the war would never have started or if it had, it would have been over by now. I am not at all favourably impressed by the Territorial troops I have seen here. They are only 1/4 as good as our NZ troops. We were attached at Cape Helles to the Royal Naval Division, Churchill’s troops and we saw also Lancashire and Manchester Territorial Division troops. This was at the Battle of Krithia and I was disappointed. We fought thro’ and over and with the 29th Division, Regulars, and they are good stuff, but not as good as ours. Still we must remember, that the introduction to “fire” was sudden and very hot. I have unwittingly let myself write about things that I didn’t mean to but it is so astounding to me to think that England and Englishmen, Britishers have been so narrow-minded and foolish to go on as they have been and be found unready from [sic, for] war. [Two lines deleted.] I have deleted these lines as against censor rules. We too have suffered here from that unreadiness. Haldane ought to be crucified. Still, I will knock off. Why bother you with the subject. I know you have always been and are at one with me in the matter.
How do the children like England. I know that you and Norah are delighted, that is apart from the war. I am sure that everybody is pleased to see you and will do their best to make your life as pleasant as can be. I think of you always in my spare time, and long for our reunion. I am content tho’ to see my work thro’, especially now that I know I am really of use. Goodbye with all my love.
Yr loving husband,
x_____x
[MSX-2552]
[25 June 1915]
Quinn’s Post
Anzac
Gallipoli Peninsula
Dear Miss Stuart-Menteath
Your letter of 27th Ulto has only recently reached me. On the 16th Inst, I wrote to your cousin Flag Lt H.S. Bowlby on the Triad, in reply to a letter from him, giving him as much information as I could as to your brave brother’s death. I send you a copy of the letter, in case there is any delay in the original being communicated to you.
The action I refer to as of the 27th April was one in which my Battalion and especially your brother’s Coy distinguished itself. It took place 2 days after the 1st landing was affected. We were sent up a long steep ridge opening out on to a flat, covered with high scrub, some 500 feet above the beach, to reinforce some Australian troops. The Turks were in great strength and had machine guns and rifles trained, from across a gully so as to sweep the flat. Tracks led from the ridge track and these were marked with range marks and commanded by rifle fire. The fighting was consequently wood fighting of the severest. My men could see nothing, but were mowed down, as they charged with the bayonet thro the scrub. Our casualties were over 40% all in about the 1st hour of the fighting. The 2 leading Coys (that of your brother was the 1st to go in), gained the edge of the gully and the crest of a neck which connected the flat with a plateau beyond, and then dug in under the very severe fire. By night we had dug right in, and made absolutely safe the left of the whole Division – nay army. We stayed in the trenches dug, for 9 days and nights, repulsing all attacks, with slight loss to ourselves. (We were then relieved and sent to Cape Helles, to help in the attack on Krithia.) Your brother particularly distinguished himself. At one time a number of the Australians who had lost their officers, were inclined to retire but your brother took them under his charge and stiffened them up, so that they went on fighting valiantly, until they were nearly all killed, round and about him. It seemed a miracle that anyone escaped without hurt, on that flat, but your brother didn’t get even a scratch. I really thought and hoped
after that, that he had a charmed life, and would go thro the war unhurt. I regret his death very much, and you all have my very sincere sympathy. His death however was one of the best a man can die. He had been with me since August of last year, and I had formed a great liking, respect and admiration for him.
If I can do anything for you at any time I am at your service.
Yours sincerely
W.G. Malone
Quinn’s Post
Anzac
Gallipoli Peninsula
25.6.15
My dear Charles [Westerton]
...I am extremely busy here, ... I am O/C of this Post one which was causing our Generals great anxiety.... I was shifted with my Bn, from another post, and told that I was relied on to improve things. I have been here 16 days.... “The Turks [according to a deserter] think our troops here are wonderful shots and on account of the number of men shot in the head and face through the loopholes in the trenches, orders have been issued that men are to keep away from loopholes and when using them simply to put the rifle into position and fire.”
It has been and is strenuous work, night and day, rifles and bombs. Our daily average of bombs thrown is 182. Our frontage is only 200 yards. Owing to the Turks bombing 50 yards of our fire trench had been abandoned, that is no one could go into it, as the Turks from their trench 15 yards away pitched bombs into it. Bombing cuts two ways so the 1st day I came in I ordered 2 bombs to be thrown for every one of the Turks. Result, we have resumed occupation of the abandoned trench and the Turks trench opposite is an awful wreck. The more my men get to do the more they distinguish themselves. I am naturally very proud of them. No better soldiers in the world. But enough of Turks....
W.G. Malone
MSX 2551
Quinn’s Post
Anzac
26.6.15
My dear Terry,
I am so glad to hear from you that you are on the right road to recovery. I have been wondering how you were getting on and where you were. I asked Home to try and get you sent to England, so as to give you the best chance. I heard that it was frightfully hot in Cairo.... I am well, but have had about 8 days of dysentery. Managed to keep off the sick list and am now I think and hope round the corner....
It is hot here, and the flies are a great nuisance. Too many unburied dead Turks, close to our trenches.
Goodbye my dear boy – get quite well soon and take care of yourself.
Your loving father,
Wm.G. Malone
Quinn’s Post
ANZAC
Gallipoli Peninsula
26.6.15
My beloved,
I am sending you some photos, which I have managed to get taken and printed. I hope you won’t mind me sending you the one of the dead Turks. It is a memento of a remarkable day, and place and I want to keep it. If I don’t send it to you, it may get lost here.
....I showed Capt Coningham (10 Gurkha Rifles), who was my Staff Officer at El Kubri, your photos today. He said she is a “lovely girl” and so say I and all of us. Goodnight my beloved. With all my love.
Yours for aye,
Your husband
Quinn’s Post
Anzac
29.6.15
Genl Sir Wm Birdwood
Dear General,
Allow me to congratulate you on the new honour [KCMG] bestowed upon you by His G. Majesty. All my officers ask to be allowed to join me in the congratulations. We all hope that you will have honour added to honour to the full measure of life.
This Post is now quite a haven of safety. One can put one’s head and shoulders over the parapet of the front trenches without even drawing fire.
Yours obediently,
Wm.G. Malone
Quinn’s Post
Anzac
3.7.15
My best beloved,
At last letters from you, 4 all in a heap, dates 26th May, June 4th, 8th and 15th. It is over 3 weeks since the receipt of word from you. Imagine my delight..... I write, you can be sure, at least weekly.
....I hope that long ago you have got my letters. Of course your change of address, may cause some delay.... I must tell you, how extra delightful it was to get your letters today. I had been up since 3am and had just at 12 (noon) come down from part of the post, on to which the Turks had brought a new surprise gun and bombed one of our machine gun positions. I had been for about 3 hours very busy with my machine gun officer and some engineers, planning “deceit” and a new position just alongside the old one. I think we have worked our point. It was a very interesting morning and I was just coming in, thinking the mail will be in tomorrow, when lo as I got to my shelter, I was handed 3 of your letters and 2 from Norah. Your 4th came when I was reading the others. I waved my letters to Major Cunningham who is commanding the Wellington Battalion while I am commanding this Post, and some other officers. They all congratulated me and were so pleased. They know how I love my wife and look forward to her letters. I plunged into my “home” telling my Staff Officer that I would see no one, for an hour, unless on “urgent” affairs and then spread myself to get all the joy and delight I could out of the dear letters. I drove out the flies, put the letters in due date order and then read and reread, for an hour. The dear little photo of you and the Pickerings at Montevideo is a delight too. You do look so young and slim and pretty and aristocratic. But how I wished that it was I and not Mr Pickering that was with you. At 1 o’clock or rather 13.00 I had lunch with my S.O. we 2 mess together, the garrison troops change every 8 days, but we stay on. We had, I think I must tell you lest you believe we are badly fed, for lunch, lentils and toast, tinned kippered herring, cheese and tea no milk however. Tonight however some tinned milk arrives, from Imbros Nestles 1/-per tin! Also some sardines and canned fruits are coming! Prices you may be interested to know: sardines 8d 2lb, tin fruit 2/-. Still we must have a little change of diet, and we have nothing else to spend money on!
I am all right again now, but have, I am not sorry to say, got rid of all superfluous fat, and so don’t feel the heat much. I am like “all steel” now, bones, flesh, muscle and nerves. I can climb and spring like a goat, and a young one at that. We get plenty of climbing here! Last night we had some rain, so everything is fresh and cool today, but there is some sticky mud about. All goes well here, generally and with me and this post, specially. We have revolutionised it. When we came into it, it was looked upon and called “hell”. The Army was anxious about being able to hold it. The Turk trenches were and are, in some places only 15 feet away, mostly 20 to 25 yards, the furthest 50 yards. Well my men (Wellington Bn) who came in with me, soon got all over the Turks and this is what a deserter who came in the other day reported to our Army HQ: “The mining and fighting opposite Quinn’s Post is looked upon by the Turks as so hazardous, that they have to call for volunteers to go into the trenches and promote every volunteer to Corporal. The shooting by the soldiers in Quinn’s Post is so deadly (not to mention the bomb throwing) that the Turks have had to close every loophole”! It is, as I told Genl Birdwood 2 days ago, the safest Post now, in the show.... We have in 3 weeks so wrecked and mined and blown up and bombed and shot up [sic] the trenches in front of us, that they are like a big railway accident and are practically abandoned by the Turks. 3 weeks ago you couldn’t put your little finger up over our trenches, now you can put head and shoulders, in broad daylight and not run great risk. The trenches however are no good to us. They are enfiladed from both flanks by the Turks other trenches. You must know that Quinn’s Post is a pronounced salient striking out all by itself into Turk ground, something like this. [see below]
Quinn’s Post, showing the layout of the Allied and Turkish trenches.
Alexander Turnbull Library
We came from Courtney’s Post into this one. I am glad and proud to say that our casualties have been what I call “slight”. We have been congratulated all round on our success. The whole secret of it as I tell our Generals is “the cultivation of the domestic virtues”, inspiring t
he men with confidence, cleaning ones boots, having a daily bath even in a pint of water, the keeping calm, no matter what racket or noise (explosions) goes on, getting and keeping everything as near normal as possible, no pigging it, no letting things slide, no “near enough”, because it is war we are at (the fond excuse of incompetent people). At the same time the intense [?] preparation to meet every possible contingency to the best of one’s ability. The insisting that every man and officer constantly asks himself “If such or such a thing happens, what will I do?” and answering and memorising the answers to the questions. The bombs were the terror of this Post, but we laid down the rule that for every bomb thrown by the Turks at us, we threw two, if not more, at them. They soon got the tenor but enough such talk. I had meant to not write war news to you but perhaps it is better to say something, or you would imagine me [?] all sorts of things. We are now allowed by the censor to give news such as I send, because it is no more than what the Turks well know. One thing that makes Quinn’s Post so safe now, is that we are so close to the Turkish trenches – they do not shell us much, because they are as likely as not to hit their own people! They have had 2 goes yesterday and today but when they hit their own trenches, knocked off. Our casualties, nil. We can make good all the damage they did to us in a few hours.
No Better Death Page 27