How Both My Great-Grandfathers Survived Gallipoli
April 25th 2010 12:07
My Great-grandfather Bill Lett enlisted as a Corporal in the 14th Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces on 12 Dec 1914, having served in South Africa as a Private with the Commonwealth Light Horse during the Boer War of 1899-1902. Originally destined for Europe, the troopships bearing the A.N.Z.A.C. were diverted to the Dardanelles.
Corporal Lett was amongst the second wave of troops onto the beach at Anzac Cove. His mate from the Boer war was killed within minutes, but Bill endured another eight months of grueling fighting at Gallipoli. Thousands of Australian, New Zealander, British and French troops were killed, along with thousands of Turks who were resisting the invasion.
My Great-grandfather Percy Renfree was a conscientious objector, patriotic but unwilling to kill men. He therefore enlisted as a Private in the A.N.Z.A.C.’s 23rd Battalion field ambulance. He served at Gallipoli as a stretcher bearer, the same as the famous John Simpson, who was killed after just twenty eight days. Private Renfree was wounded repeatedly at Lone Pine and bore the bullet scars until his dying day. In December the fruitless campaign was finally called off. The withdrawal was carried off over three nights without the loss of a single man.
The Anzacs were then shipped to the Western Front where they distinguished themselves as crack troops at Bullecourt, Villers-Bretonneux, Le Hamel and ‘the bloodiest battle of the bloodiest war’, Passchendaele. These battles each cost more Australian lives than the eight thousand killed during the entire Gallipoli campaign.
When Great-grandpa Bill was discharged in February 1919, he was told he had just months to live due to the effects of mustard gas and being buried alive on the battlefield. He lived ‘on brandy and egg flips’ for another 46 years and had six children, a dozen grandchildren and a score of great-grandchildren.
Great-grandpa Renfree lived until the 1970’s and sired seven children, twenty or more grandchildren and I can’t work out how many great-grandchildren. It is profound to think that I exist because they survived, and of the people who might have been, had all those fallen diggers lived.
They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We shall remember them.
Lest We Forget
As we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We shall remember them.
Lest We Forget
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Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
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