outhern Russia there were immense stocks of wheat of which Western
Europe was in need. If the operations were successful this wheat could
be shipped from Odessa, and in exchange the Russians would receive
munitions for the heroic fight they were putting up against Germany and
Austria between the Baltic and the Carpathians.

Those of us who served at Gallipoli had not always these great issues
before us. We were content to know that we were fighting the Turk who
had basely sold himself to the Central Powers, and were upholding the
Cross, like Crusaders of old, in its long struggle with the Crescent.

The evening of 2nd July was fine, with a fresh easterly breeze, and
though the troops on the deck of the _Racoon_ were packed like sardines
the passage was a pleasant one. As we neared our destination artillery
were at work on Achi Baba, and the flashes of the explosion followed
by the dull boom of the guns were--to most of us--our first glimpse of
actual warfare.

[Illustration: CAPE HELLES, GALLIPOLI.]

Arriving off Cape Helles in semi-darkness about 8 p.m., the _Racoon_
slowed down and felt her way cautiously to the landing place at
Sedd-el-Bahr, better known as "V" Beach, where she brought up alongside
the _River Clyde_. The pontoons connecting that historic hulk with the
shore had been much damaged the previous day by the enemy's big shells
from Asia.

In disembarking we had to clamber up an accommodation ladder to the
_River Clyde_, follow a devious path through her battered interior,
descend a gangway from the bow, and pick our way ashore over a
miscellaneous assortment of half-sunken pontoons, boats and planks--no
easy task in the dark for a man laden with rifle, pick or shovel, pack,
blanket, ground-sheet, and 150 rounds of ammunition.

About 9.30 p.m. as the first men were quitting the _Racoon_, a message
was passed back that the O.C. troops was urgently wanted on shore. When
he had triumphed over the difficulties of the obstacle course and
reached the roadway at the pier-head, the C.O. found an officer of the
Divisional Staff awaiting him.

The S.O. was a little excited and the instructions he gave were not so
clear as one could have desired. The patch on which we were forming up
was a favourite target for the enemy's shells from Asia. They were in
the habit of devoting special attention to it on nights when they
thought troops were being landed. We were to proceed to No. 1
area--wherever that might be. A