At the Dardanelles.

Private P. R., Skehan, son of Mr P. Skehan, J.P., Kilmore, thus writes from the Convalscent Camp, Malta, under date 20th, August, to his parents : At last I am on the road to recovery and hope to be soon back in the trenches with the boys. Our battalion, in fact the whole, brigade, has suffered terribly, and very few of the originals are left. We have had some horrible experiences, I never thought I would get used to it so quickly--it was just, like some awful nightmare. Our brigade was the second one ashore, and landed at 9 o'clock. From early morning the " Lizzie," Bachantte, London and Triumph had been bombarding the forts at Gallipoli, the transports standing just behind. While we were getting into the torpedo destroyers which took us to the small boats we were shelled with shrapnel. Then we had to board the small boats and the naval pinaces took us, ashore, a string of three and four little boats being towed by each one. Then the excitement started. As we neared the shore they turned the machine guns on us from the hills while their field guns fired shrapnel from the flanks. We had to jump from the boats  into the water, which was four feet deep, and rush for cover of the cliffs. It was there we saw the slaughter the landing party suffered. Boats were smashed to pieces by shells, ghastly looking corpses laying and sitting in drifting boats, and others had been shot as they set foot on dry land. We scaled the little hill and went on up Shrapnel Gully. The first days and nights were awful. One of the machine guns of the 7th was manned by Essendon boys, and all were either killed or wounded. I thought I was a goner a hundred times during that week. The second reinforcements joined up with the 7th at Mena two days before they left, but some of us were picked to go as a hold party for the F.A. on the Indian. We concentrated at Lemnos Island and were taken back to the 7th on the Galeka the night before we sailed to the Dardanelles. We entrenched on the top of Shrapnel Gully, and now our trenches run right along the top of three similar gullies and right down towards Kuthier [sic: Krithia]. We have Indian mountain batteries at the back of us, as well as our field artillery, well hidden in the ridges, also Scotch howitzer batteries, which fire right over the hills, while the battleships extend from Gaba Tebe right up to the Dardanelles. On 7th May we (2nd Brigade, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Battalions) proceeded to Cape Helles, at the end of the peninsula, to assist the naval divisions, French, and Territorials. We advanced 500 yards from Hood and Drake battalions' trenches, against Acki Babi and got cut up again. We took a Turkish trench which was full of dead, killed by the warships' shells. We were at Cape Helles three weeks. The British and French troops told us they also had a terrible time at that end, as indeed the large grave yards prove. Shortly after coming back from Gaba Tebe we saw the Triumph torpedoed. While at Cape Helles we saw the River Clyde transport beached high and dry, The Dublins and Munsters landed off her. Father Hearne, of Richmond, was our chaplain; he has gone to Alexandria after being under fire for a couple of stiff months. We blew some Turks up in a mine, and went up to the same caper again. The Turks are brave fellows and just don't care a damn for death. After their last big charge in June they were killed in hundreds, falling dead off our parapets. Our position is called "A N Z A C," meaning A New Zealand Army Corps. All nicknames become official, such as Quinn's Post, Johnston's Jolly, Pope's Hill, etc. and the Turk's big guns are also nicknamed, being known as Asiatic, Annie, Lonely Liz, High Velocity Archibald, etc. I will be back in the trenches in September, all going well. I am one of the few lucky ones to keep going from the first day until the middle of July.

At the Dardanelles. (1915, October 28). Kilmore Free Press (Kilmore, Vic. : 1870 - 1954), p. 2 Edition: MORNING.. Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article58428889

Mr P Skehan of Kilmore has received word that his second son Private R P Skehan was severely wounded in the knee and leg in France on  August 24. He was at the landing in Gallipoli  and was wounded also on the peninsula. He was formerly in the Essendon Rifles Military Band. 

CASUALTIES IN FRANCE. (1916, September 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 19. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1614064  

Mr. P. Skehan, J.P., of Kilmore, has received word that his second son, Private R. P. Skehan, who went away with the Essendon Rifles in the 7th Battalion, and who is now in the Pioneer Battalion, was seriously wounded in France on 24th August. He is at present in the Wharncliffe War Hospital, England. He was at the landing in Gallipoli, and was wounded while on the Peninsula. The young soldier, before enlistment, was a member of the Essendon Rifles Military Band.

WITH THE COLOURS. (1916, September 28). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 5 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved February 12, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74594229

CITATION FOR MILITARY MEDAL

1st Pioneer Battalion, 1424 Private Patrick Raymond Skehan. At Pozieres, France, on the 18th August 1916 Pte Skehan was detailed as a runner for  Captain SPECKMAN while 1st Avenue was under construction.  During a heavy bombardment it was necessary to despatch Pte Skehan with a message to Lieut O’Brien.  On the way Pte Skehan was hit on the knee by a piece of shrapnel but notwithstanding this continued on his way crawling on his hands and knees a distance of over 500 yards under continuous fire. Australian War Memorial.   

http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/AWM28/2/289/0005.pdf

Mr. P. Skehan, of 25 Grandview street Moonee Ponds, has been informed that [his] son, Private Patrick Raymond Skehan [has] had the Military Medal conferred [on him] by His Majesty for bravery in the [field] at Pozieres, France. Private Skehan [was a] member of the Essendon Rifles and [the] Essendon Military Band when he [enlisted] with the second reinforcements for [the] Seventh Battalion. He was wounded [at] the landing at Gallipoli, being buried [by] a shell. After being five months in [hospital] he went to France, where he was wounded by shrapnel at Pozieres. After being tended to in hospital at Sheffield he [had] gone back to the firing line, and he ... with the first Pioneers.

ROLL OF HONOUR. (1917, May 24). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2 Edition: Morning. Retrieved May 12, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74602649