How I would feel if I was Jack Simpson at war

Shrapnel Valley, Gallipoli
24 May 1915

My name is Jack Simpson and I am a medic in the war. Today I

am relieved that I survived another day because a bullet

whizzed past my head.  I have a donkey called Duffy.  Most of

the time we trek up and down the steep hillside rescuing

wounded soldiers.

We sailed to Turkey and landed on the beach a month ago. We

didn’t know the Turks knew we were coming. They shot at us

when we got out of the boat and onto the shore.   I heard guns

going off and bombs blowing up everywhere.  I smelt gun

smoke in the air.  An hour later my friend John got shot in the

arm.  I quickly bandaged his arm and put him on Duffy’s back

and we went back down to the beach and got him onto a

stretcher.

A moment later I felt the ground shake and I heard a bomb go

off.  I felt terrified.

 It is only the first day and I really want to go home.