Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"LANCE-SGT. SYDNEY JAMES ADAMS, Son of Mr. George Adams, of Hyde, who writes an interesting letter for to-day's "Argus" from the front. Writing to his friend, Mr. F. Pender, hairdresser, of Parkes-street, Ryde, under date, Turkey, 21/5/'15, Lance-SergeantSydney James Adams says: —

"Dear Frank, — I received your card to-day in the trench. The Turks' trenches are only about 100 yards in front of ours. We are sniping at each other all day long. They made a general attack on the 19th but we mowed them down. (They won't let me give you the numbers.) They crawled up in the dark as close as they could and just as daylight was breaking they charged us with fixed bayonets. Some of the Turks got in our trenches on the right, but they never got out again alive. The nearest they got to where I was was about ten yards — quite close enough for they are big men with long bayonets. At times, in the trenches, we can hardly hear ourselves talking because of the Turkish bullets flying over our heads as well as shrapnel bursting overhead and big Jack Johnson's falling within a few yards of us. The last named very often bury three or four men alive and then we have to dig them out with picks and shovels. Some times some of them are not hurt very much, but generally one at least of them is killed. A German airship dropped a couple of bombs amongst us, but did no damage. The Turks asked for an armistace the other day to bury their dead and we gave them eight hours! We were all up on top of the trenches waving our hats to them and yelling out to them. Some of our boys went out half way and had a yarn and exchanged things with them. It was just like half-time at a football match. As soon as the white flag went down we got at it again. We live on tinned meat and biscuits, a little jam and cheese; we don't get any bread. The only boy from Ryde I have met was Fred Wicks and he is doing well. I saw him only once and that was but for a few minutes. My number is 2506 and I am a lance-sergeant, in D Company, 3rd Battalion, A.I.F. You can tell the boys I am doing well. Syd."  

Writing to his sister under date Turkey, 26/6/'15, Lance-Sergeant Adams says:—  

"The Adams wounded in the paper is not me. I received a letter yesterday from Ray telling me that I have been wounded. I don't know anything about it, though. I am still in the firing line and well. The name they saw in the paper must have been someone else. I was sick a little while ago and was sent back to the hospital for a week, but I am well now. Don McGregor is in the same company as I am. (Here follows a clause obliterated by the censor's pencil) . . . I have been here since the 3rd of May, but I have seen very little of Turkey. If you get looking about too much these Turks fire bullets at you, and they can shoot straight, too, but the Australians are too good for them. I was told that ------ -— (a Ryde boy) was killed. I   suppose you read all about the Turks when they were going to drive all the Australians into tho sea. We soon showed them that the job was too big for them."

Another letter, undated, reads:—

"Dear   Mother, — I am in the hospital now, sick, but will be fit for duty soon. I was five weeks in the trenches. I am at Lemnos Island. We got well looked after here and we are free from the noise in the trenches. Most of my mates have been killed or wounded. I suppose a lot of the Ryde boys have enlisted since I left. We shall want them all, although we have done very well so far. As fast as we kill the Turks they seem to got more --- (two words excised by the censor).

Later a post card to his mother briefly announced,

"I am still in hospital but will be all right in a couple of days. The Australians are doing well. I got very few let- ters. Don't forget to put D Company, 3rd Battalion on them. Syd." - from the Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate 21 Aug 1915 (nla.gov.au)