Newspaper feature article on Gallipoli in world war 1

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Sunday 15th July 1915

THE DAILY MAIL

A feature article on ...

Daily Life at Anzac Cove

War correspondent Mark Smith reports on the two days he spent in Gallipoli

So far all the information the public received on Gallipoli has been positive. It has been said that our soldiers live comfortably and we are showing no possibilities of defeat.

But what is life really like in Gallipoli?

The food and water are of a bad quality and insufficient, the medical facilities are primitive and hundreds of Anzacs die each day, their bodies rotting in the heat.

Does Winston Churchill know or care about the situation he placed the Anzacs in?

As a war journalist, I have spent two days in Gallipoli living and fighting with our brave soldiers. What I found was incredible and far from what has been reported in Australia. It is my duty as a reporter to inform the Australian public about Gallipoli by recounting my two days there.

On my first day, I was woken up at dawn by a hand grenade exploding on the ground above my trench. I looked at the sunrise above the sea and instead of marveling at a beautiful morning and feeling spiritually alive, I felt heavy with dread and fear. Would I be here in one piece tomorrow? I didn't have much time to sit idly by as I hurried to a pool of muddy water to wash my face and shave. The water felt gritty and smelt putrid. I wouldn't be surprised if the rats have swum in it last night. The latrine was of the most primitive quality-a meter deep pit of human waste with maggots crawling around in the slop. However, no one objected to the smell, look or lack of privacy.

The entire place stank!...