Pte. Charles Thomas True, “D” Company, 26th Battalion Australian Infantry, wrote to his father, Thomas, at Ulverstone, Tasmania, on 17th September 1915.
Pte. Charles Thomas True, “D” Company, 26th Battalion Australian Infantry, wrote to his father, Thomas, at Ulverstone, Tasmania, on 17th September 1915. His older brother had been killed on the peninsula in May.
“You will see I am at the Dardanelles. Stuart Harman, Bill Jeffrey (Zeehan) and I are in the same dug-out. We are on the top of a hill, and all night the bullets come whistling over us, but they are too high to hit us. Our dug-out is a good way from the firing line. We are often fired at by Turkish snipers as we go for water, but we are getting used to it.
The other morning we were subjected to shrapnel fire as we were going along a sap. We soon got under cover, though a few of our fellows were hit. We are engaged this week making a road; I am pretty good on the pick and shovel now. The weather at present is similar to that of Tasmania. It is grand to lie in our dug put at night and watch the ships firing at the forts...
“The war is carried on a lot different to what thought; you have no idea in Australia what is going on here. We get very good food. Nearly all the fighting is done at night, but we sleep pretty well. All the Ulverstone boys are well. In spite of all we have to put up with, it is not a bad life. I reckon we will finish the enemy off in a couple of months. I have had splendid health so far, and feel fit for anything. The Turks have just started shelling our water tank, and the boys are going for their lives to cover, as shrapnel is not a nice thing to have bursting over you.” [1]
His brother, 19 year-old Pte. George Haviland True, 12th Battalion Australian Infantry, was killed in action on 20th May 1915. He is buried in Shell Green Cemetery, Anzac.
Charles True was killed in action on the Somme on 29th July 1916. The 19 year-old is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.
They were the sons of Thomas Charles True, of Ulverstone, Tasmania, and the late Charlotte True.
[1] 'The North Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times' (Tasmania), 20th November 1915.
Image: “The original grave of 58 Private... George Haviland True, 12th Battalion.” AWM C03159.

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