"We left the citadel at 9.30 p.m. on May 1st, carrying two hundred rounds of ammunition and three days' rations of bully beef and biscuits per man. All the way to Cairo station we were singing ragtimes and cheering everybody we met. As we passed through the centre of the town we received a splendid reception from the European population, and we acknowledged this by singing "Tipperary" until we were all hoarse. At 10.30 we steamed out of Cairo, and everybody on the train said "Goodbye Cairo, and good riddance". Alas for the vain hopes of the "Terriers"
We arrived at Alexandria about 4.30 a.m. on Sunday May 2nd, and went straight aboard a Chinese boat with a Celestial crew. About 3 p.m. the Rev. Denis Fletcher of Rochdale came aboard to have a last look at his flock. He was travelling by another boat. We left Alexandria at a moment's notice about 5 p.m. We should have waited for an escort, but as troops were urgently required at Gallipoli we were hustled off. We had a glorious sail. The water was like a mill pond, and the boat was as steady as a rock. On the second day out we sailed through numerous small rocky islands, one of which had a volcano on it. These islands seemed devoid of any life or vegetation, and rose steeply out of the water. Just before dusk on the second day out we passed the island of Crete. On Tuesday morning we were informed that several Turkish submarines were knocking about in the vicinity, but no one seemed to trouble about them. Fortunately they did not spot us. At 5.30 in the afternoon we could distinctly hear the guns of the Fleet bombarding the Turkish position. At 6.30 we arrived at our destination and anchored near a large number of boats of all sizes and shapes.
We stayed aboard all night, and we could see the big guns of the fleet a few hundred yards from us pounding the enemy. At frequent intervals the Turks sent up star shells, which illumined the water for about half a mile. As soon as the star shell bursts the enemy spots its object and pours a few shrapnel shells in while the light keeps up. On Wednesday morning our boats moved near the shore, and the tenders came along to take us to shore. Everybody was greatly excited, and at last we were well on our way to the shore. The Turks, however, spotted us, and sent a few shells to remind us that there was a war on. One of the shells dropped right over our tender and fell into the sea a few yards from us. Nobody seemed to mind, however, and I saw one fellow waiting with his camera for the next shell to burst. At last we landed on an improvised jetty, and the first thing I saw when I stepped ashore was a grave.
As we marched to our base we passed two of the famous French 75mm guns. On our right as we landed were the remains of a town and fort which had been badly knocked out of shape by H.M.S. "Lizzie" and her pals. We reached our base at last, and we were told to make ourselves comfortable in holes about five feet square and two foot deep. Each of these holes was the home of four men. We decorated our hole with heather, and on the front we placed a sign indicating that our home was "Ivy Cottage". Captain Scott complimented us on making ourselves at home so soon.
However, we were not allowed to enjoy home life long, as the order came that the sixth must relieve the Scottish Borderers in the first line of trenches (the firing line). We set off at dusk to march five miles, but every few yards we all had to drop flat as a star shell burst over our heads. If the Turks had spotted us we should have had a few real shells about our ears in no time. As it was we reached the trenches without casualties and settled down, some to sleep and some to watch until dawn. When dawn broke the snipers made themselves troublesome, and anyone putting his head up above the trench was sure to have a bullet skimming past his ears. I put my helmet up on the top of the trench, and in less than two minutes it had a hole through it. We spotted a sniper in a tree, and I tried a ranging shot at eight hundred yards. The shot passed right through the tree, but the man did not drop out. Lieutenant Hornby then went out with several fellows, and found the sniper strapped in a seat in the fork of the tree. At eleven o'clock in the morning word came for a general advance, and we all left our trenches for the open. Then the fun started. We had no cover and the Turks were on a steep hillside. They simply poured lead into us from machine-guns and rifles, whilst their artillery blazed at us with shrapnel. What I cannot understand is that none of our fellows seemed at all afraid. They cracked jokes etc.
We occupied the extreme left of the line of advance, the regulars the centre, and the French the right flank. What surprised me most of all was that I did not feel at all frightened. I just lay there and blazed away as hard as I could. We advanced again and this time half of our platoon fell over a barbed wire entanglement hidden in the heather. Of course, the Turks knew the exact range of this obstacle, and they simply mowed our chaps down with their machine guns. However, all that were left of us advanced until we came to a bit of cover, when we lay down and blazed away again.
We had been in this position for a few minutes when the Turks spotted us. Then the fun began. They turned their machine guns on us. I knew a machine gun could fire five hundred to six hundred rounds per minute. So you can imagine we had a hot five minutes of it. I went on firing and every bullet that missed me made me think that the next one would be mine. I fell to thinking what it would feel like and whether I should be killed outright or not. Yet I did not feel a bit afraid, and I remember being rather sarcastic with the chap next to me for not firing fast enough.
Then my turn came. The bullet went in my left shoulder blade. The doctor has since told me that it went right round my heart and lodged in the muscles of the stomach. At the time it just felt as if a huge weight had fallen on my back and crushed it. I soon found that I could not advance, and I could not get up, so I wriggled out of my equipment and tried to crawl. This I found too painful, and I lay a few minutes waiting for the next bullet to come and finish me off. However, a chap in B Company spotted me and came across. He put me on his back and carried me out of the firing line, but when he got to the barbed wire he could not lift me over. So he stood up in a heavy fire and held the wire up whilst I crawled under. Then he picked me up again and carried me back to the trenches. Here he left me and went back to the firing line. He is a Shaw lad, and used to go to the P.S.A. He is called Bob McCourty, and lives in Greenfield Lane.
I laid in that trench for seven hours before I had my wound bandaged up. A sergeant has since told me that when he passed me I was singing "Tipperary", and asking for water. However, when darkness came Bob McCourty and Doctor Brentnall (of Rochdale) carried me a mile and a half before we came to a stretcher party, who took charge of me and carried me down to the base on the beach. There I was bandaged up. I slept on a stretcher all night, and was "starved to death". After I was knocked out the Sixth (Rochdale) Battalion pressed on and about tea-time took the first line of Turkish trenches on the left. We suffered heavily in doing so, however.
Some of the regulars who took part in the same engagement as we did, were present at the retreat of Mons, and they say that the Mons affair was a picnic compared with the fighting at Gallipoli. So you see we had a regular royal time.
On Friday morning Mr Fletcher (the chaplain) came along to the hospital base, and was very nice with me. However, when the Turks started shelling the wounded at the hospital base he seemed a bit scared. I was taken on a tender and aboard ship for Alexandria. On the voyage I made friends with the chief engineer, who came round to have a look at us all. As I was confined to my bunk he came every day with cakes, oranges, Woodbines, books, etc.
We arrived at Alexandria on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning we were conveyed in hospital trains to Cairo. On the five hour train journey we were provided with tobacco, cake, lemonade, tea, etc.
The first person I met Cairo station was "Tommy". We ere conveyed in motor ambulances to Luna Park Improvised Hospital, and We are still here. I had an "X-Ray" examination last Sunday, and am now awaiting my turn for an operation. I shall have the bullet fixed on my watch chain as a memento when it is extracted. "Tommy" has been very good to me since I came back. He has provided me with a new kit out of his own, as I left all mine on the field. I can walk about all right now, and feel fairly well. The wound has healed up splendidly".

Rochdale Observer 9th June 1915

9074, 1st/6th Bn., Lancashire Fusiliers
who died age 20
on 06 May 1915
Son of John Taylor, of 228, Drake St., Rochdale.
Remembered with honour
HELLES MEMORIAL

"I dare say you will have heard all about the three days' battle we have had, which occurred on the 6th, 7th and 8th of August. It was the worst we have experienced so far, for they gave us no rest the whole time, and did their best to get back the trenches they had lost. But they have failed so far. We have, however, had a lot of casualties, but I came out of it as well as could be expected, as the bullets were flying pretty thick as we advanced. I got a minor wound in the wrist on the night of the 8th, but I have kept out of hospital so far. I am having it attended to by the doctor. I was hit by a piece of one of the Turks' bombs. The same bomb knocked out one man on my right, so I can think myself rather lucky.
We had a lot of our officers and non-commissioned officers killed. We lost our Adjutant, Captain Spafford; our Quarter-Master, Captain Griffiths, and also Captain Clegg of the A Company. Our Company lost somewhere about 50, and we were one of the lucky ones. We have two still missing, so you can judge for yourself what we lost in the whole of the East Lancashire Brigade. We came out of the firing line on the night of August the 10th, and we were not at all sorry to do it as the brigade was completely done up. We had had no sleep for the whole of the three days, and very little to eat. We were more like men who had been on the tramp without a wash for months. We looked a pitiful lot and it will take the brigade some time before they get over it. The General, however, did not think us completely shattered, for we have been in the firing line since, having relieved the 29th Division on the 19th August. Then, however, we only had three casualties - one killed and two wounded. Now we are down at the rest trenches, but I don't think we shall be long before we are up at the front again as they seem to be pushing things a bit more now. There are very few signs of a coming furlough here at present.
I will try to describe a little of the battle to you. The advance started on the 6th on our left, which was held by the 29th Division. They got on very well for I believe they had very little opposition. Then it came our turn. We were in the centre. We advanced the night before as far as our own reserve trenches and got into the firing line on the morning of the 7th August. Our battalion started their bombardment which lasted somewhere about an hour and then the fun commenced. Well over the top we went and then off as if the "Divil" was after us. On we went to the nearest cover we could find, which, in this case, was the Turks' first line. But we lost a lot before we got there.
The ground was strewn with dead and wounded, but we couldn't do anything for them, for we dare not stop or it would mean a lot more casualties. So they had to stop until the stretcher bearers got to them, which was only after we had cleared the front. Sometimes that means hours or even days.
The first trench we took was full of dead Turks. The next one we took was one of their communication trenches. There we had to stop as we were before a murderous fire. So we had to convert their trench into a firing line for ourselves. This is where we lost a lot of men, as we had no cover at all to speak of until we got our sandbags up.
We are now holding the position which we took from the Turks on the 7th August, but they have made us work hard to hold it. They are still trying to force it from us, but I don't think they will succeed, for once we get hold we are made to stick".

Rochdale Observer 18th September 1915