Gallipoli 1915 - A Lucky Day

• Saxon Mann, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2013

Boom!

The roar of a shell exploding rang through my ears. I felt shrapnel shave my head by a quarter of an inch. I tried not to yelp as I felt the unfamiliar sharp pain. Suddenly with a crunch, the row boat skidded ashore. I jumped out and waded through the waist deep water. The water was red with blood. Men were dropping all around me. I reached the shore and sprinted, the machine guns rat a tat tatting away. There were bodies everywhere. I reached the cliff face which provided cover from the Turks’ fire.

I quickly charged my magazine and fixed my bayonet. I looked around and saw the faces of the other chaps. They looked full of fear but very determined, like they really wanted to accomplish the invasion of Turkey and end all wars for good. That’s why they had signed up. Well, at least that’s why I signed up. It made me think I was glad that the public decided to vote against conscription, despite Mr. Hugh’s efforts to force men to go to war.

As warm blood dripped down my face, I began to climb the mighty cliff face. The Turks lobbing grenades down inflicted casualties on the chaps below. Hanging on to a rock ledge, I pushed my head over the edge of the precipice. I nearly lost my balance. I could see one of the Turk’s boots. He hadn’t seemed to have spotted me yet. I quickly grabbed the Turk’s foot and pulled my hand back. I saw his boots fly over my head and watched him tumble down the cliff face.

I pushed myself up and over as an enemy soldier swung his rifle at me. I tripped him, then watched him fall over the precipice too, but there was no time for cheering as another Turk charged at me. I shot some rounds at him and watched him fall to the ground. I advanced through the scrub, moving quickly and cautiously through the rocky terrain. I took cover behind a bush and charged my magazine as I watched the Turks retreating to the trench. I charged, feeling bullets whistle past my head in a hurricane of metal.

Pump, pump, pump.

My ears throbbed with the sound of explosions. Suddenly, my leg began to ache like someone had stabbed a knife into it. It must have been a bit of shrapnel from a shell. Despite my injuries I was the first to reach the trench, with others close behind me, and I fired and heard a Turk scream in pain. I fired once more and then there was silence. Realising I was out of rounds I quickly engaged with my bayonet. Within minutes there were no Turks left alive.
My Sergeant came and patted me on the back. “Good job, lad.” Australia and New Zealand had captured the Turkish position and destroyed their beach defence.

It was just one day, but it was a lucky day for me.