Today, April 25th, is ANZAC Day in Australia and New Zealand It's a solemn day, a public holiday, when we remember those men and women who have served in our forces. Dawn services and some marches are held in regional towns and large cities across Australia and at several sites overseas.
Most towns and cities have a war memorial which is the focus of these events.
Although several residents from Carey Bay have served in the Australian forces there is no war memorial in the suburb. The names of those who served in the First World War are inscribed on the Toronto Memorial as Carey Bay was previously a location within the suburb of Toronto.
Toronto War Memorial
Source: 1915 'SOLDIERS' LETTERS.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), 2 October, p. 11. , viewed 25 Apr 2024, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137966545
SOLDIERS' LETTERS..
INTERESTING NARRATIVES.
IN THE THICK OF THE FIGHT,
In a letter from the Convalescent Home at Epsom, Surrey, England to his parents at Carey Bay, Lake Macquarie, Private H. L. Froome, after referring to the good treatment he had received in England, refers to the landing of the Australians at Gallipoli, as follows:
On Saturday night, 24th April, we left Lemnos Island, and arrived off Gaba Tepe after about two and a half hours sail, with all lights out. At 12 o'clock we were mustered together, and told by the colonel, what we were to do, and were given the pleasing news that they were prepared to sacrifice the third and first brigades to effect the landing. Then the parson took us in hand, and finished up with a very stirring prayer for our souls. We were then given hot soup as our last hot meal, and then put on board the destroyers. boats, ready for our dash.
The third brigade moved off first, then the first. The second brigade was to follow later as reinforcements, The third moved off under cover of the darkness with us following close behind. We went in as far as the destroyers could go, when all of a sudden the signal went up by the Turks that we were discovered, and big flare lights went up. The thirds were in the boats by then pulling for the beach. The guns began to speak from the Turks on short, and we had to stay there and take it until the thirds were finished with the boats.
Then our turn came; our company being first to take the boats, The boat I was in was hit when about 20 yards from shore, and out we went into the water, which was up to our necks. As we reached the beach a few of them were knocked over, and off we went at them like tigers. I can tell you it was just great, for we seemed as if we had gone mad. Our position was to take the left flank, and I shall never forget the way we had to go up those cliffs, charging all the way, stopping at nothing, and fairly digging them out of the trenchs.
Over the first cliff we got them on the run, and we didn't pepper them at all. By this time we had lost heavily, but not half as badly as the Turks had. Then the shrapnel started to burst over us, but we were not to be denied, and went on. About 10 o'clock I got my first hit In the side, but it was only slight, just enough to make e swear. On we went, until we got to the third cliff, where we met their reinforcements, and they turned on us, and the fight began in real earnest; about ?000 of us against a force of between 20 and 30 thousands. But they never had a chance of shifting us. Shoulder to Shoulder we stood, and gave it to them.
When I think of it now it makes me shudder to think of the brave Australian boys who fell in that stand, game to the last. All this time the Turks had their shrapnel playing on the cliffs at the back of us, to prevent our reinforcements from getting up. About one o'clock we were weakening on the left flank, and were brought back about 50 yards. It was then I received my second crack right on the back of the neck and it, laid me out for a while, However. I was not done for by a long way and, at 3 o'clock I was in the charge of the day.
Our good, brave captain asked if we would follow him, and you well know the reply, He wanted to take that ridge again, or die in the attempt. We fixed bayonets, said good-bye to one another, and were ready, about 150 of us, to charge about 2000. The skipper jumped out, and cried, "At them, boys, for Australia," and you bet we did go for them.
We fairly butchered their first line; and were right into them, when they turned and fled for their lives, screaming " Allah." For that bit of work the skipper has received the military medal. Well we hung on, reinforcements getting up to us all through the night; But what a night it was. They were attacking, and counter-attacking, and we were holding them at bay, pouring the lead into them. The rifle would get that hot you could not hold: it, and you would then grab for the nearest belonging to one of the boys who had fallen.
It was here on the Monday that I got my knockout with a beauty in the leg. I crawled back as far as I could, then laid down, and was right out of it, and I remember no more until they got me back to the beach, where I laid for three hours with shrapnel bursting and bullets flying over us all the time, It was there that I found out my back was so bad; and the doctor wondered how I had gone on with it, for I had been hit right on the spine. But I suppose it was the excitement that carried. me through.
The only thing I am disappointed in is that I won't be able to go back and have another go at them, So I will have to be satisfied with what I was able to do while there. I shall be able to tell you a lot more when I see you, which I suppose will not be very long now.
The writer concludes with mentioning that Mr. R. Wootton had visited the home, and had arranged to take them out in his motor and show them the country.
Lest we Forget
To make reading easier I have added paragraphs to the article above.
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