Diary entry 1 -
Dear Mother, I hear that we will be landing tomorrow, from what I have been told the landing should be pretty easy and unopposed, the generals say that "Johnny Turk" will have no idea of what hit him. We were called out into the main deck of the ship and given our orders at 10am sharp. Just a week ago I was in Egypt training, I wish I was still there, the heat and sand reminded me of home. I miss you all and will hopefully see you again one day.
-private Jack West
Diary entry 2 -
Dear Mother, I was woken up at 1 am by my superior, given a hot meal and drink while we waited for the tows to be readied. It was about one thirty we were given the call to be mustered into our companies. It seemed at the time that everyone knew what they were doing, no one spoke and our orders were given in whispers. from the cafeteria to when we got to the little tows all I heard were the shuffling of boots and the curses as men slipped on the ladders leading down to the boats. I think it might have just been me but the sounds that were heard were magnified tenfold, I think being a still night didn't help either. We were told to roll our tunics up to the elbow so that we could identify each other easily in the dawn assault, it was a good idea but what about the New Zealanders. Most of them had a dark skin like the Turks. Since our uniforms were so thin we were all chilled to the bone but we weren't able to move to warm up, I couldn't wait until the sun came up to warm up again. It was about 8am by time we pushed the Turks back to the third ridge. The battle had moved inland.
It is now eight pm and I am starting to feel the cold again. I hope that I don't have to fight again even though I know that I will. I have lost a lot today, max and William died at the initial landing. John was wounded, a stray bullet hit his lower torso. The doctor says he will make it but I don't know.
-private Jack West
Diary entry 7 -
Dear Mother, john died this morning at 10:00am I was asleep next to him. I now have no one that I know left, after will and max died, Oliver got sent on an assault on lone pine, that was three days ago, I haven't seen him since. Now after jack died I am alone, although thousands here, I am alone to die in this foreign hell hole, I'm sick of the cold weather, the sand, the gun fire, the artillery and everything, I'm sick of it all, I want to go home mum. I need to go home.
-private Jack West
Diary entry 15 -
Dear Mother, I was just given orders to go on an all-out assault on 400 Plateau. I really don't want to go. I got your letter and the biscuits inside, I really liked them, and I shared them with some of the others. I met a man called Ryan, he seems like a nice man, he was a lawyer before this "great war" as people are saying. I don't see what is so great about it, if anything they should call it the terrible war, or something like that. I really miss you guys, I really can't stand it here anymore. I think that I am going to have to break you promise mum, I don't think I will be coming back, after tomorrow. From what I have heard all of our attacks have been fails excluding one or two. I feel this one tomorrow won't be an exception. I have been surviving on bully beef and a putrid form of water, but it is still better than drinking our own urine. The dead just passed our trenches are starting to rot, after baking in the sun all day and the wind blowing back on our trenches it is putrid.
Goodbye mother, I fear this will be the last letter that I will send. I love you and everyone at home.
-Private Jack West
