Joseph Lievesley Beeston

Five Months At Anzac Joseph Lievesley Beeston

In 1914 Lieutenant-Colonel Beeston, accompanied by his faithful dog Paddy, was dispatched overseas with the 4th Field Ambulance of the Australian Imperial Force. Chronicling his experiences of the Gallipoli Campaign, he recounts the irrepressible humour of the Australian soldiery, the privations of field life (including ration biscuits so tough that boxes of them proved an effective defence against artillery shells), and the characters alongside whom he served - the courageous private who transported wounded men to safety on a water-carrier donkey; the general who swam enthusiastically in the sea within range of a Turkish gun battery; and the soldier whose preferred service uniform comprised 'only a hat, pants, boots and his smile'...