The first Ashton Territorial to arrive home from the Dardanelles is Company Quartermaster-Sergeant WILLIAMSON, who arrived at his home, 74, Union Street, Ashton on Wednesday afternoon. He was given a right hearty welcome by the neighbours and friends. Flags decorated the houses. Soon the news of his arrival spread like wildfire, and wives, sweethearts and mothers came from various parts to see if he could tell them the latest about their loved ones. Company Quartermaster-Sergeant WILLIAMSON was wounded in the shoulder on July 5th, and landed in England on Saturday. When seen by a Reporter representative shortly after his arrival, he was surrounded by his wife and children, who could not tear themselves away from 'Daddy'. His face was quite bronzed, and despite his wound, he looked remarkably well. "I am only sorry I have only seven days leave," he said. "The boys of the 1/9th have done splendidly. Even now, though they are tired, they are game, and their spirit good. From Egypt we went to Kantara into the trenches there, and some of the boys saw a little fighting. However, after many rumours as to our destination, we landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula about May 8th. As our ship neared the Peninsula a heavy bombardment was in progress, and evidently a big battle was taking place, and as we neared, we watched with keen interest from the ship. We landed about 5 o'clock on the Monday, and had not been ashore half an hour when we received our baptism of fire. A huge 'Jack Johnson' shell, fired by the Turks from the Asiatic side, dropped about 500 yards away. About four more came shrieking overhead during the day. The following morning we went to relieve the Naval Brigade, and to give them rest. We received our first taste of rifle fire. We relieved them for one day, and on coming back we were shelled with shrapnel, but fortunately there were no casualties in the 9th. We came back and dug ourselves in for safety. Here we suffered our first loss, ANDREW GEE, being killed by a sniper. We kept going alternately from the dug-outs to the trenches, and at one period we were in the trenches for 19 days at a stretch. I was with A Company, and although we supported the charge on June 7th, in which Captain HAMER and Lieut. STRINGER fell; we did not take part in the affair. At that time we were all together, but the whole line did not go forward, but those on our left, next to us. We poured lead into the Turks during the charge, in which our boys never faltered. They captured the trenches, but owing to an enfilading fire, they had to retire. We went back to the dug-outs for a rest, but parties went out helping in the work of sapping. A number of casualties occurred. It was seldom the sapping parties returned without one or more having been hit, and even when 'resting' we were always under shrapnel fire. About the week before I was wounded, on July 5th, I believe it was on a Monday, but we lost count of dates - there was a very heavy bombardment on the enemy trenches by the British and Allied forces, and again we advanced on the left. The advance was remarkably well done, and three lines of trenches were taken. A and B Company were with the Inniskillings, and C and D Companies were with the Borders and Royal Scots. We left the Inniskillings and went into the trenches again. The Ashton lads soon got used to the warfare; in fact, the Inniskillings gave us a good name and were surprised to see how well we behaved under fire. Poor Lieutenant JONES never felt his wound. He was dead before he fell to the ground. All the officers have behaved gallantly, and we much missed those who fell. I think there is a possibility that Lieutenant WADE is alright, we did not hear of all the casualties. Of course, when a man falls wounded in a charge he makes his way as best he can to the nearest dressing station. An Ashton Territorial might find his way to the lines of the 6th Manchesters, or the East Lancashires, and he is sent from there to hospital, and the news would then filter through slowly to us. The warfare out there is developing into bomb warfare, although, thank Heavens the Turks have not yet started to use gas. At first we used to advance to within 50 yards of the enemy's trenches and dig ourselves in for fear of mines, but now we chance the mines and raid the trenches. Lieutenant FORSHAW, who was with A Company, left us, and Lieutenant A.W.CONNERY who took his place as second quartermaster at the stores, was hit in the mouth with a piece of shrapnel. It was hard work, and we suffered from want of sleep. At night every second man was on sentry, and every man stood to arms at dawn and dusk. We tried to sleep during the day in the trenches, but the heat and the flies - which bred fast from the decomposing bodies of the Turks, were too much. The flies were awful. The first lot of Turks we saw were fine, big fellows, but towards the latter end, the physique of those we saw was much inferior. One day, when some of the other battalions charged, the Turks left their trenches and came in a sideways direction towards us. Sergeant SPURRETT and one of our machine gun gunners named SHUTTLEWORTH, did good work and accounted for a lot of Turks. There has never been anything to equal the accomplishment of the 29th Division and the Australians. They landed under terrific fire, and although they were mown down and had to cope with barbed-wire entanglements, they won through, and they deserve every word of praise they have received. How was I wounded? On July 5th, we were in the 6th line of trenches behind the firing line. Evidently the Turks were celebrating one of their religious festivals, for during the night they gave us a heavy bombardment, My Company, who had been on fatigue, came in about 2 or 3 am, and I was just taking their numbers prior to issuing the rations, when the Turks commenced to advance on our right, and a bullet went through my left shoulder, right through my back, and went into my right shoulder. One of the men in our front trench dressed it with his field bandage, and another man assisted me to the field dressing station, and finally I was taken on to the hospital ship which lay off the shore for about five days until she filled up, and then we sailed to Lemnos, where we disembarked a number of wounded Sikhs and Gurkhas. We went to Malta, and from there to Gibraltar, and finally arrived at Portsmouth early on Saturday morning, after disembarking at Southampton; the hospital train took us to London, and then we were taken in taxis to the 3rd London General Hospital." "Were there any more Territorials with you?" "I believe Corporal TOWNSEND and Private HAUGHTON came on board at Lemnos." C.Q.M.S. WILLIAMSON was employed prior to the war at Messrs. Williamson's Printers, Ashton, and had been in the Volunteers and Territorials for about 15 years.