When England took off the gloves to Germany I knew the Colonies wouldn't hang back long. They breed men on the fringes of our Empire. Hence I wasn't surprised when I saw a notice in the papers, calling on all New Zealanders, or men who had seen service with the Maorilanders in South Africa, to roll up at the High Commissioner's office in London, to be trained for service with the "Down Under" contingents. Well, I had lived for years in New Zealand, and had fought Boers time and again side by side with New Zealand troops, so I sent in my name right away. * * * * * ... I fancy this "history" of the doings of the Anzacs is going to be more of a diary than anything else. I kept a rough note of things as they happened day by day. For one thing the diary style pins the various events down to a kind of sequence and insures their being told in the order in which they happened; for another it saves the author a deal of labor. This by way of explanation and apology. Here goes, then---- II--DANISH SKIPPER AND GREEK CREW--ON WAY TO ALEXANDRIA _April_ 17, 1915.--Sailed from Alexandria in transport _A26_, otherwise the S. S. _Goslar_, a captured German prize. We had a Danish skipper and a Greek crew--a poor lot as seamen go. We were quartered in the forepeak, the quarters being rough, but on the whole fairly comfortable. We shared them with a healthy and mightily lively lot of brown bugs. The tucker wasn't too bad. The weather was fine and the sea calm all the way to Lemnos Island. Had a pow-wow with the O.C., who read out aloud the General's orders, informing us that we should land under cover of the warships' guns, that we were to drive the Turks back, secure a footing, and hold it _at all costs_. Anticipated heavy losses. When dismissed went and made our wills. Were met on the 19th by the cruiser _Dartmouth_ and escorted by her till the evening, when a destroyer took us in charge and saw us safely into Mudros Harbor. The _Dartmouth_ informed us by semaphore that transport _B12_, steaming one hour ahead of us, had been attacked by an enemy torpedo boat, three torpedoes being fired at her, all of which missed. A number of soldiers jumped overboard, thinking the transport was doomed, and were drowned. The torpedo boat was engaged by our ships, driven ashore and destroyed.