Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett telegrams, 1915
A 1585/Item 3

[Pages 1-3 are cover and inside cover]
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[Telegram – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Malta Station. To Daily Telegraph, London. Dated 14 June 1915. 1773 words. Message contained on following pages]

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[Bartlett had been aboard the battleship “Majestic" when it was torpedoed on 27 May off Cape Helles. Following this he travelled to London via Malta before returning to Gallipoli at the end of June. During his absence, General Sir Ian Hamilton persuaded the writer, Compton Mackenzie, who was at Gallipoli, to write for the newspapers, in the belief he would be less critical and pessimistic than Bartlett. See "Myth Maker" by Fred & Elizabeth Brenchley, page 115.
This report was written by Compton Mackenzie and refers to events of 4th June in the British sector at Cape Helles]

Press - Daily Telegraph London

We boarded our ship, and travelled for nearly an hour toward the sound of guns that was coming down through a grey and indeterminate day that was very slowly changing to a clearer atmosphere. A northerly wind was blowing, such a wind as might shatter the chestnut blossoms in England on the fourth of June; therefore most of us stayed in the ward-room until we were off Cape Helles.

Among the transports and trawlers and various craft at anchor, a small green whale, all that is now visible of the “Majestic" waited, motionless upon the water. She was subsiding rapidly, they said: and already in the watery sunlight she gave the illusion of slowly assuming to herself the nature of the waves that splashed against her still rigid sides. Such a dream of a ship’s transmigration to her own element vanished in the billows of dust ashore, vanished in that queer heartlessness of war that is really the desperate occupation of the mind with something to do and therefore not time to dream.

Lancashire Landing, the glorious name of that beach, is the climax of all the castles in the sand that were ever built. No children at Blackpool or Southport could imagine in their most ambitious schemes such an effect of grown up industry. Inevitably the comparison with a seaside resort on a fine Bank Holiday arrives, so inevitably as really to be rather trite. Yet all the time the comparison is justifying itself. Even the aeroplanes on top of the low cliff have the look of an amusement to provide a threepenny or sixpenny thrill: the tents might so easily conceal phrenologists or fortune-tellers: the signal station might well be a camera obscura: the very carts of the Indian Transport, seen through the driven sand, have an air of waiting goat-carriages.

[Lancashire Landing or ‘W’ Beach, was in the British sector]

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We walked up the slope from the beach, and suddenly there broke upon one the realisation that all this time the guns had been thundering. Suddenly an empty stretch of desiccated scrub rolled on before us: the homely chatter of the beach was forgotten: there was nothing but a noise of guns and wind: and for the eye nothing but the black and white telegraph poles, the wires winking in the sun and the imperturbable larks rising and falling. This empty stretch began on the sky line, and it was necessary to enter a trench originally dug by the Turks, and good enough, it seemed, to withstand any but the heroes of that imperishable assault upon the 25th of April.

We hurried on, here and there almost sticking in the rank clay that was sometimes even wet enough to want a mattress of boughs for its passage. Finally we came to the shelter, considerately labelled Low Doorway upon the lintel. [The following sentence crossed out] The shelter consisted of four or five “rooms" hollowed out of the clay, and covered with sandbags over a ceiling of corrugated iron. The walls were hung with canvas, and each of the low oblong windows gave us, as we leaned upon their high sills, a new aspect, framed in branches, of the battle on the hill. Somewhere behind a sixty-pounder crashed at intervals, and we could hear the moan and rattle of the shell go forward on its way.

In front of the shelter, the country dipped gradually down to rise again more steeply beyond a wide and partially wooded hollow. Here, through the glasses, could be seen a quantity of mules tranquil enough, notwithstanding the concentration of shellfire that was sweeping and shrieking and buzzing over their heads to explode halfway up the opposite slope. Every shell burst with its own shape of smoke, and so substantial was the vapour, that the wind could only carry it away bodily, unable for a long time

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to disperse it utterly The shrapnel puffs materialized from the air at first as small and white as wads of cotton wool, then growing swiftly larger and turning to a vivid grey, then fainter again and travelling across the view like tadpoles of cloud, until at last they trailed their tails in a kind of fatigue before they dissolved against the sky. Heavy shells created volcanoes all along the line, and from the sea, like drums solemnly beaten, came the sound of the ships firing.
It seemed very calm in the shelter, as the wind fretted the grass and fluttered two magenta cistus flowers immediately outside the window, and as a tortoise crawled laboriously passed our straining binoculars. It seemed very calm as one looked at the maps pegged out upon the trestle tables: but it was ten minutes to twelve, and at twelve o’clock the advance would begin. The gunfire lessened, and from the whole line the noise of musketry and maxims came sharply, a noise that was tenser than the guns, and more portentous. It was as if one had been listening to a change of orchestration in a symphony, as if after a heavy and almost dull prelude, the strings were leading to a breathless finale.

Yet, as one gazed through the glasses, there was scarcely a visible sign of action. Once indeed a large body of men were visible as they limbed the green slope, but they were soon lost, and not withstanding those angry rifles, we had nothing at which we could look except the mules standing motionless in the hollow, and once down a ribbon of road an orderly galloping. Yet all the time messages were coming in along the wires, all the time it was possible to mark with green and red and blue pencils a redoubt gained, a trench occupied, or at some point perhaps a check. One message brought news of 50 prisoners coming in up on

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our left, and a Staff Officer went off to meet them. It happened to be my chief, and I was glad of the excuse to go with him.
The greyness of the morning had quite gone by now, and the air was very brilliant after the damp and gloom of the shelter. The road toward the line of battle ran by the cliff’s edge and out at sea, escorted by destroyers, two battleships, with guns and turrets in blackest silhouette against the flashing sea and the silver fume of the horizon, went backward and forward at their slow and stately business and their solemn firing.

We met the escort just where a Red Cross flag was flying above the cliff burrows of the Field Ambulance. Some of the prisoners were badly wounded, and these were at once taken off for medical attention. The rest were halted, and several of the escort really danced round us, talking and laughing, not yet free from that first wild elation of the charge. The dust and sweat caked upon their faces made it almost impossible to see where the khaki ended: they were like clay models of a sculptor: and their bayonets lacked even so much lustre as tarnished foil. They were children intoxicated with some splendid adventure, as they stood around us, laughing and chattering of the deeds of their regiment; and the plaster of dust obliterating all lines, all hair, all signs of age, made them appear more than ever like children.

The Turks were very glad to have been taken, and when another Staff Officer came up, and spoke to them in their own language they were enthusiastically anxious to be pleasant. One felt a fresh rage against the Germans for having been able to dupe such fine fellows; for they were fine fellows, as they squatted there, many of them wounded, but none complaining, and all of them beaming at the cigarettes our soldiers offered them. It was, of course, impossible to examine the prisoners here more than cursorily because a group so large might have drawn the enemy’s fire: so down they marched toward Lancashire Landing and the accommodation

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of the Assistant Provost Marshall.
When we were back in the shelter, there was still nothing visible, and two of us went down to the Divisional Headquarters where heralded by the telephone’s petulant and gnatlike summons more news came back of the progress of the battle. It was true then that the Blanks had captured three lines of trenches, and I thought of the men in that escort who had danced about in the roadway by the sea’s edge and chattered all together about their exploit like children. The Indian troops had suffered severely but the Blanks and the Blanks had made a desperate advance: the Blanks had pressed on: it was magnificent to watch a thin red line of pencil symbolise and record their achievement.

The Naval Division had lost heavily, having come up against three trenches banked one above the other on the slope: but nevertheless a blue line showed where, and with what valour, they had held their ground against a bloody enfilade. We emerged from the dugouts of the D.H.Q. and passed along the paths that wound among the tents and cavities which the Irishmen had found time to decorate with white stones. Once more returned that sensation of being near the seaside and all of this noise of battle being but a dream. The rifles and maxims had begun again when we reached the shelter.

A second advance, timed to begin at 4 o’clock, was already in full swing. Again we tried to see the figures of men in their bayonet charges up the slope, but still there was nothing visible except mules, and an ambulance waggon galloping up the ribbon of road. The sun by now was westering fast, and the shelter was lit up with pale gold in which the scarlet bands and tabs of the Staff glowed somewhat richly when the result of the second advance arrived we hurried back along the trench toward Lancashire Landing. Birds were twittering in their flight through the radiant air, and beyond them three biplanes were winging homeward, one behind the other, as birds fly across at sunset to roost. The sixty-pounder was still moaning on its way to the enemy lines, but not even guns could destroy the golden

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peace of that evening of the fourth of June. As we waited on the lighter to go aboard our ship, some of the wounded able to walk were coming down to the beach to go on board a Hospital Ship. These were the red and blue lines marked on the maps upon that trestle table. They were tired and silent, strangely different from the jubilant men of the escort at noon who had won their triumph in every movement. They were tired and silent, and the sight of that company was almost intolerably moving not from any vulgar pity for their suffering, but because they were so wonderful and so calm, coming down to the edge of the sea in the evening after the battle.
[signed] Compton Mackenzie

Compton Mackenzie
Lt. R.M.
Temporary for Mr Ashmead Bartlett

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[Despatch by Ashmead Bartlett, dated 21st May, 1915. A heavily censored despatch. Compare this with the lack of deletions in the reports by Compton Mackenzie.
It includes a vivid description of the Turkish attack on Anzac of 18th May. See - Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918; Vol. II. Ch. V]
R.T.P. Press Copy – Ashmead Bartlett – Passed by Censor
Cable Urgent

Daily Telegraph London

May twenty first section one stop [censor’s deletion – the terrible] Linden von sanders has just made another effort to carry out his threat to drive the British army into the sea with the sole result that his unfortunate dupes the Turks have received another quote [censor’s deletion - most damnable] hiding quote from the Australians and New Zealanders [censor’s deletion – in their efforts to carry the Anzac position] stop their losses have been enormous amounting at the very least to seven or eight thousand killed and wounded [censor’s deletion - and do not as far as can be ascertained include a single German as the latter after pointing the way and encouraging them forward in the customary manner seem to have discretely remained behind in the comparative safety of the trenches] stop the cost of this most encouraging success has been triflying amounting to some five hundred Colonials killed and wounded whilst the moral effect on our most splendid comrades who were becoming rather bored with sitting tight day after day in the narrow trenches must be equivalent to the addition of nearly an entire army corps to their ranks stop

I have already described the [censor’s deletion – Anzac] position in previous despatches and to-day the Australians and New Zealanders are holding almost the same perimeter as they were after the first few days of the landing except that the lines have been extended [censor’s deletion - more to the north along the sea shore] stop [censor’s deletion – Anzac] This is indeed [censor’s deletion – is] one of the most remarkable positions ever seized and occupied by an army on a hostile coast and the more you see of it the more extraordinary does it seem that the Colonials were ever able to climb it and afterwards hold it on the historic Sunday April twenty fifth stop [deletion by Bartlett] it consists roughly of two semi circles of hills the outer higher than

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it is certainly the most remarkable climb in the history of war since Wolfe stormed the heights of Quebec stop the ground occupied by the Colonial Corps consists roughly of two semi circles of hills the outer higher than the inner and rising in places to over six hundred feet stop a great valley known as Shrapnel valley runs north east up the centre of the position roughly dividing the position into a northern and southern sector both of which are rough and broken ground consisting of lesser hills and deep gullys covered with thick shrub or bear yellow earth of the colour of sandstone stop

every camp hill and gully now has a distinctive Australian or Colonial name stop the position facing north is known as Walker’s Ridge and following the perimeter of defence right round until it again strikes the coast to the south you are introduced in turn to Popes Hill Dead Man’s ridge The Bloody Angle Quinns post Courtneys post Mc Laurin Hill Scotts point Johnstones Jolly Boltons Hill and Point Rosenthal each of these names recalling some incident of the campaign or some memory of peaceful times in Down Under stop within this position are many under [other] topical designations such as Pluggers Plateau Maclagans Ridge Queensland Point Hell Spit where the landing was very bad Brighton Beach Shell Green Sappers post Maccoy Hill the Razor Back Monash Gully to mention just a few stop

the enemy is entrenched almost right round the [censor’s deletion – Anzac] position except where the Ships guns keep him off the coast stop generally speaking to the north and north east his trenches are on higher ground while to the south and south east they lie lower than ours stop the distance between the two front lines varies from about a quarter of a mile to twenty yards at one point and the average is about two hundred stop [censor’s deletion - right at the top of Monash gully which is a continuation]

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[censor’s deletion - of Shrapnel valley there is a break in our line] between Walkers ridge and Popes hill [censor’s deletion – where] the enemy is strongly entrenched [censor’s deletion - that up to the present it has been impossible to turn him out and thus] he can look right down the valley and snipe all those going up it at long range whilst his guns never weary of pouring an incessant hail of shrapnel [censor’s deletion - down the main road which has given the valley its sinister name] stop But if the actual area of ground held by the Australians and New Zealanders remains to-day as it was three weeks ago in every other respect the general aspect [censor’s deletion - of Anzac] has changed and instead of resembling the temporary home of a vast number of shipwrecked mariners the cliffs have the appearance of being a prosperous mining camp in full swing stop [The following two sentences deleted by censor]
the beach has its pier built out into the sea and the whole of the foreshore except for a narrow passage has disappeared under immense piles of wooden boxes containing every necessary for an army for a considerable period stop the face of the hills has been cut out into terraces along which are constructed the bombproof shelters of those who are having a spell stop

good roads have been made from the foreshore up to the front lines and in those places where you are exposed to shrapnel or sniping they have been banked to give some protection stop for although the Turks have made no attack until the one I shall attempt to describe for some time they have never ceased to shell the whole position not only with shrapnel but with high explosive shells of large calibre against which the strongest of bombproofs are liable to fail if there is a direct hit stop [censor’s deletion - General Birdwood who is immensely popular with his men still living in their midst constantly visiting the front trenches and sharing]

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[censor’s deletion - their privations and dangers nearly had his shelter destroyed by a big shell stop The general has in fact been lucky because he was hit on the head by a bullet whilst examining the enemy’s positions through a loophole but fortunately escaped with no worse injury than a scalp wound] stop

The front trenches are now very different to what they were when I last visited them they are very deep narrow zig zazs with traverses and having a ledge from which the men can fire through loopholes during an attack stop the Australians seem in fact to have adopted the Japanese system of trench making which aims at having a clear passage which will not be blocked by the troops actually holding the position who can lie on the ledge or repose in the bobbproofs [censor’s deletion – which have been dug in under the parapet and not under the paradox] stop every precaution has in fact been taken to render the position impregnable every section is self contained and unlimited supplies of ammunition are ready at hand stop

the spirit of these Colonial troops has been excellent throughout but they naturally feel sitting still doing nothing day after day far more than regular troops and it is no secret to say they were getting a bit bored with the hold up when Von Sanders decided on May 18th to make another abortive effort to drive them into the sea and thus provided – to quote a keen eyed bushman – the finest bit of shooting I ever had stop The presence of the [censor’s deletion – Anzac Corps] Australians and New Zealanders north of Gaba Tepe is a thorn in the side of the Turks which handicaps all their operations against our forces in the south of Gallipoli for whenever he attempts an offensive movement in the south or is called up to resist an attack in force Von Sanders is obliged to leave a very high proportion of his forces facing the Colonials who unless they are held in strength

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might cut right across his lines of communication therefore as a preliminary measure before attempting a further offensive against our forces at the southern end of Gallipoli Von Sanders seems to have made up his mind on a final effort against [censor’s deletion – the Anzac] this position stop for this movement the Germans seem to have brought up from Constantinople at least five fresh regiments including a corps d’elite of picked Gendarmes who wear a light blue uniform of much the same colour as the new French cloth stop Von Sanders himself directed the operations which have just ended so disastrously for his prestige stop

On May 18th various movements of troops were reported by aeroplane reconnaissance by ships observing at various points along the coast not only were the enemy seen to be disembarking men from steamers in the Straits but a general movement was reported from north and east of Krithia towards the west stop further evidence that some new move was meditated was the heavy bombardment opened on the [censor’s deletion – the Anzac] position throughout the eighteenth not only from field guns but from twelve inch nine inch and howitzers stop therefore a warning was sent to the trenches at ten o’clock on the evening of the eighteenth for everyone to be on the qui vive stop

at midnight a heavy rifle and machine gun fire broke out from the enemy’s positions at the head of the Monash Gully and from the Hill 700 which was chiefly directed on Quinns Post stop this fire was the hottest the Australians have yet known but the men lay low in their trenches and suffered but few casualties stop under cover of this fire a line of snipers crept forward from the Turkish trenches close up to our front line and attempted to snipe the defenders when they replied to this fusillade more Turks then crept forward until a thick line was established within very close range [possible censor’s deletion - but the formations in the dark were not well kept there was much bunching together at various points]

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These groups offered a splendid target to the Colonials when they surged forward to the assault shortly after three am stop this attack from the top of Monash Gully was repulsed with heavy loss by four am stop a series of attacks against various points were now delivered being directed with special severity against Quinns and Courtneys posts but these faded away beneath our rifle fire delivered at close range piles of dead being left in front of the trenches stop

at five am on the nineteenth as soon as it was light the Turks opened up a very heavy bombardment on our trenches the beach and the interior of the position bringing into action twelve inch nine point twos howitzers and field guns and most of the casualties suffered during the action came from this fire for the Turkish rifle fire had little or no effect on the well made trenches stop from six am until nine thirty am the Turks made a series of desperate attacks against Quinns and Courtneys posts but the Colonial line never yielded a foot and not a Turk, ever set foot inside the trenches although hundreds lie dead within a few yards some even on edge of the parapet stop

by ten am the enemy began to give way and to retire under deadly fire from our field guns and howitzers which inflicted terrible losses and the enemy retired to their trenches unable to face the rifle and machine gun fire any longer stop throughout the morning the Turks kept up their incessant bombardment and heavy rifle fire but it was obvious at 11 am that the impetus of the attack had failed stop at 3 pm there were evidence of a fresh movement but it came to nothing and throughout the remainder of the nineteenth and up to dawn on the twentieth the enemy contented himself with an incessant fire and sniping stop

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There never was a more utter or expensive fiasco than this attack stop it was supported by a very heavy artillery fire and according to the reports of prisoners at least thirty thousand men were amassed against our positions the Turks attacked bravely enough [censor’s deletion – but were badly handled] and there are signs that they were advancing more under compulsion than with any confidence of success stop

[censor’s deletion - they never formed in overwhelming strength against any one section of the line as the Germans do thus hoping to break through by sheer weight of numbers they split into groups and distributed their attacks over almost the whole front of the trenches and the ten thousand rifles in our front line had no difficulty in dealing with them piecemeal] stop

our official estimate puts the Turkish losses at seven thousand killed and wounded by judging from the enormous numbers of dead lying in front of the trenches unburied this is probably an underestimate and probably at least one third of the attacking whole army was wiped out stop the ground presents an extraordinary sight when viewed through the trench periscopes stop two hundred yards away and even closer in places are the Turkish trenches and between them and our lines the dead lie in hundreds there are groups of twenty or thirty massed together as if for mutual protection some lying on their faces some killed in the act of firing others hung up in the barbed wire stop in one place a small group actually reached our parapet and now lie dead on it shot or bayoneted at point blank range stop hundreds of others lie just outside their own trenches were they were caught by rifles and machine gun fire shrapnel when trying to regain them hundreds of wounded must have perished between the lines for it was only on

[The Official History puts the Turkish losses, killed and wounded at10,000 out of 42,000. The Anzac losses at 628]

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the twenty first that the enemy made overtures for an armistice for burying the dead but up to the present this has not been granted owing to the suspicious number of troops in his front line trenches stop in places the Turks made four or five separate efforts to charge home using hand grenades but they all failed dismally stop The effect of this success achieved at so small cost on the Australians and New Zealanders has been very great stop hitherto they have been fighting under most difficult conditions against great odds and their loses have been heavy both in the early days and amongst the two Brigades which took in part in the recent attack against Krithia and Achi Baba stop they have seen many of their comrades fall without the obtainment of the results for which they hoped and they have felt they have had many old scores to wipe out on the enemy ever since stop their revenge has exceeded their utmost expectations for without having to expose themselves they have wiped out thousands of the enemy stop

after the attack General Birdwood took me all round the front lines with him and it at once became evident that the troops were more contented with themselves and life generally than they have been for some long time past stop the men were resting after their exertions of the last few days lying in their bombproofs consuming large quantities of tinned meat biscuits jam of which they are extremely fond and tea stop in reply to a question of the general quote how many did you kill quote the answer came quote that I cant say general but lookout here and there are [censor’s deletion – twelve] eight acres of them lying round quote another happy warrior remarked quote you put them up for us general and we’ll shoot all you want quote there are many signs that the moral effect of this repulse on the Turks has been very great they are ask-[ing]

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continually asking for armistaces and are busily digging themselves in as if it was their intention to remain strictly on the defensive stop it is not surprising if they become weary of being continually led to the slaughter or rather driven there by their German masters stop ashmead bartlett

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[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Date 21 June 1915. From Ml (Malta) to Ln (London)]
Ga 120 Daily 1025 dwn
Southern end of Gallipoli

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[Telegram form – Malta Station. 2267 words. R.T.P. Press. To - Daily Telegraph London. Charge - £18.17.10. No date]

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[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. 1527 words. Date 30 June]

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[Despatch by Compton Mackenzie, undated but related to above Telegram form dated 30 June]
R.T.P.
“Daily Telegraph", London.
Passed by Censor

The battle of the Fourth of June ended with substantial progress on our centre; although on our left and on our right, notwithstanding the most violent charges and counter-charges, we were unable to consolidate some of our initial gains. The reason of this may be found in the natural strongholds of the Turkish flanks, natural strongholds that are helped by the most elaborate fortifications.

The British and French line, from the Aegean to the Dardanelles, is confronted by rising ground that culminates in the centre with the flat summit of Achi Baba 800 feet high. On either side the ground falls away to the sea in ravines and dry water courses (deres) which the Turks have had time to make impregnable to any except those superb troops that are now fighting to pass over them. There is no room on the Gallipoli Peninsular to find weak points; and we are now in the position of having to storm an immensely strong fortress, the advanced works of which by an amazing feat of arms we already hold, and the glacis of which has to be crossed before we move forward to the assault upon the bastion of Achi Baba, and beyond to the final assault upon the very walls of that fortress the Kilid Bahr plateau.

Further up the coast the Australians and New Zealanders have made a lodgement upon one of the strongest advanced works of the Kilid Bahr plateau as seen from the North West. Here they threaten the communications of the “fortress" and are drawing against them a large part of the garrison. This is composed of the flower of the Turkish Army, and not withstanding casualties that must already amount to 70,000, the troops are fighting with gallantry, with desperation indeed, because they realise that when the bastion of Achi Baba falls, the occupation of the Kalid Bahr Plateau becomes a mere question of time, and that
[contd. on page 26]

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[Not transcribed]

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[Telegram form marked – 2/Daily Telegraph]

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[Continuation of Compton Mackenzie’s despatch of 30 June 1915]
when Kalid Bahr falls the doom of Constantnople is at hand. In view of the difficulties – were it not for the landing one would be tempted to say the impossibilities – which confront our men, the gain of a score of yards in the Gallipoli Peninsular may fairly represent for the purposes of comparison a gain of 500 yards in the western theatre of war. Therefore to find its importance the gain of 500 yards on the fourth of June must be measures with affairs like Neuve Chapelle, and the few quiet days that succeeded may be accepted as repose after a violent effort.

On the night of the eleventh ad twelfth of June there was a brilliant little action by the Border Regiment and the South Wales Borderers, which resulted in the gain of two trenches. On the sixteenth the enemy, led by a Turkish and a German Officer, made an assault on the trenches of the 88th Brigade, but were driven off with loss. However, that night the trenches gained by the two regiments on the eleventh were heavily bombed, so heavily that our men were forced to retire about thirty yards and dig themselves in. At dawn we were able to enfilade with machine guns the vacated trenches; then the Dublin Fusiliers charged with bayonet and once more gave us possession of our gains, at heavy cost to the Turks whose dead completely filled one trench.

On the evening of the eighteenth the enemy bombarded very heavily another portion of our trenches on this side of the line. They were evidently attempting in miniature our own methods of Neuve Chapelle, and the Fourth of June, as immediately after the bombardment they were seen massing for an attack. However, the imitation ended rather abruptly at this point and the affair petered out into discretion. On the evening of the nineteenth the Turks by a fierce attack managed to get into an awkward salient which had remained in our hands after the Fourth of June. For some time there was great difficulty in recovering this, but the 5th Royal Scots and a Company of the Worcesters, led by Lt. Col. Wilson of the former regiment, made a glorious attack and drove out the Turks.

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[Telegram form marked - 3/Daily Telegraph]

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[Continuation of Compton Mackenzie’s despatch of 30 June 1915]
Sir Ian Hamilton at once gave the D.S.O. to Lt. Col. Wilson, an honour in which every man in his regiment may be said to share. Of the Royal Scots one can add nothing but that they are Edinburgh Territorials brought in by the fortune of War to make the twelfth regiment of the immortal 28th Division whose deeds since the twenty-fifth of April may have stirred the ghost of Homer to sing their valour.

Mention has been made already of the difficulties that oppose our advance upon the two flanks. On the twenty-first of June it was determined to straighten the line upon the extreme right and at 4.30 a.m. the preliminary bombardment began. The dawn had been clear, but soon a curtain of silver, through which gleamed the ghost of the rising sun, hung over the Kereves Dere. This was the smoke of bursting shells. Slowly as the sun climbed up, the curtain became more substantial; then it seemed to droop and sweep along the hollows like a vanishing mist of dawn, and during a respite the thin blue smoke of the bivouac-fires came tranquilly up into the still air. The respite was very brief, and the bombardment began again with greater fierceness than before: the 75’s drummed unceasingly: the reverberation of the 125’s and of the howitzers shook the observation post.

Over the Kereves Dere, and beyond the sloping shoulders of Achi Baba the curtain became a pall. The sun climbed higher and higher: all that mirage of beauty had disappeared, and there was nothing but the monstrous shapes of bursting shells, giants of smoke that that appear one after another along the Turkish lines. All through the morning the bombardment cannonade went on. By noon the Second Division of the French had on the left stormed and captured all the Turkish trenches of the first two lines. Even the Haricot redoubt with its damnable entanglements and its maze of communicating trenches was in French hands. On the right, however, the First Division after reaching their objective had been counter attacked so effectively that they had fallen back. Again they advanced: again they were driven out. It began to look as if

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[Telegram form marked - 4/Daily Telegraph]

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[Continuation of Compton Mackenzie’s despatch of 30 June 1915]
the victory upon the left would be fruitless, that the position would become an untenable salient and the Haricot redoubt revert to the enemy. At this moment a message was sent to say that the trenches must be recaptured, and when recaptured held. There were still five hours of daylight for this battle of the longest day. British guns and howitzers were asked for and were lent at once. The bombardment was resumed throughout that afternoon, and at half past five it seemed as if every gun on earth was pouring shells on the Turkish lines.

At six o’clock the third assault was delivered. In one trench there was a temporary shortage of ammunition, but the enemy fought even with stones and sticks and fists. A battalion came hurrying up from the Turkish right to reinforce. It was caught on open ground by the drumming 75’3 and it melted away. 600 yards of Turkish trenches were taken, and still the bombardment continued in order to ward off the counter-attack that was anticipated. The smoke of the shells which at dawn had been ethereal, almost translucent, was now in the sunset turbid and sinister. Yet the sunset was very splendid, flaming in crimson streamers over Imbros, tinting the East with rosy reflections and turning the peaks of Asia to sapphires. It had a peculiar significance on this longest day of the year, crowning as it did those precious five hours of daylight that for the French had been fraught with such achievement.

Slowly the colour faded out and now minute by minute the flashes of the guns became more distinct. The smoke was merged in the gathering dusk, and away over the more distant Turkish lines the bursts of shrapnel came out like stars against the brief twilight. One knew how anxious would be the darkness that now was falling upon the twenty-first of June, but in the morning we heard gladly that the enemy’s counter attacks had failed and that our Allies were indeed firmly established. The Turkish casualties were at least 7,000. One trench two hundred yards long and ten feet deep was brimming over with the dead. They were valiant, those dead men. French Officers who have fought in the west say that

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[Telegram form marked - 5/Daily Telegraph]

[Continuation of Compton Mackenzie’s despatch of 30 June 1915]
as a fighting unit one Turk is worth two Germans. In fact with his back to the wall the Turk is magnificent. The French casualties were about 2500, marvellously few considering what a day it had been, what an enemy was being attacked, and how much had been gained. The right of the line now commands Kereves Dere, and the profile of Achi Baba seems to write itself less solidly against the sky.

Compton Mackenzie
Lieut. R.M. vice Ashmead Bartlett
June 23rd 1915

[Page 32]
[Telegram form, heading partly obscured. Dated 30 June 1915]
Our LB/30 daily telegraph 82 dwn culminates in centre with

[Page 33]
[Not transcribed]

[Page 34]
[Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the British action of 29th June at Cape Helles]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station.
Dated 14 July 1915. 203 words]
Daily Telegraph London
July seventh number three stop The successful advance of our left wing on June twenty eighth seems to have most seriously alarmed the enemy and to have caused him grave anxiety for the safety of his right flank stop having brought up fresh troops some of them raw levies from Asia he has been counter attacking vigorously ever since making the most desperate but vain efforts to recover the lost trenches stop

it is reported that Enver himself has come down from Constantinople to stimulate
the faithful to fresh exertions by his presence and a great banner was hoisted on Achi Baba symbolical of his arrival stop there also are dissensions in the Turkish camp for the generals on the spot who have gained experience of the futility of these massed counter attacks against entrenched British infantry and under superior artillery fire were opposed to any attempt to recover the lost ground arguing that it would be better to strengthen the trenches to which they have fallen back and there to wait our fresh advance stop [censor’s deletion -this undoubtedly was the sound policy for them to adopt] but Enver would not hear of it stop he insisted on a general attack along the whole of our lines.
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 35]
[Blank page]

[Page 36]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 14 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 29th June at Cape Helles]
it is said that some thirty fresh battalions were engaged in this move stop it is impossible to give a detailed account of these various attacks which have generally been delivered at night or at early dawn [stop] the enemy has been particularly severely handled on our left wing where he was caught no only by our field guns and heavy howitzers but also by the enfilading fire of destroyers stop in fact his massed advances have simply faded away before our artillery and the accurate fire of our infantry who have suffered a minimum of loss in resisting

[Page 37]
[Blank Telegram form]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 29th June at Cape Helles]
these abortive efforts stop in our centre and right wing the Turks have on occasions sapped up close and have fought on more even terms but not in one single instance have they been able to maintain a lodgement in our trenches stop there artillery which was so very inactive on June twenty eighth has apparently received [censor’s deletion – large] fresh supplies of ammunition and has fired a large number of rounds for the Turks in the last three days stop the effect of this fire has been practically nil stop the Asiatic batteries have also been very active and both
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 38]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 14 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 29th June at Cape Helles]
V beach and Lancashire Landing have been having a very hot time but except for [censor’s deletion - blowing up the ammunition of the French trench mortars and] causing general annoyance to working parties the casualties have been very few because everyone is now too well dug in to suffer any harm except from direct hits stop all our officers are loud in their praise of the extreme gallantry and indifference to death shown by the Turkish infantry stop superlative as he has proved himself to be in defence his methods in attack are crude and wasteful for he possesses no knowledge of carrying out scientifically an attack such as our infantry do supported by their artillery stop

if he is entrenched close to our front lines the Turk is clever at sapping and in use of bombs of which he possesses a large supply but when he has to advance over the open and carry our positions at the point of the bayonet he is invariably beaten back with enormous loss stop before an attack he masses several battalions in any natural features of the ground under cover and hidden from view and then this mass surges forward in no regular formation advancing slowly without any apparent
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 39]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 14 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 29th June at Cape Helles]
enthusiasm for the task stop often our artillery are informed of these concentrations before the attack is launched and knowing the range to a foot they break up the gathering before it ever has a chance of leaving cover stop sometimes a few of the bravest and most determined reach our parapets only to be shot down but the majority scatter leaving large numbers of snipers in the broken ground who cause most of our casualties stop the net results of his efforts to recapture the lost ground has been to cause the Turks an enormous number of killed and wounded during the past week stop

all along our lines the dead are lying in hundreds large numbers we cannot see on account of the configuration of the ground and thousands of wounded are reported to have arrived in Constantinople stop the exact figure cannot be stated but they must number well over ten thousand killed and wounded and possibly many more stop under these circumstances Enver’s intervention has been a singularly happy inspiration from our standpoint as a general he had always proved himself beneath contempt as was clearly shown by the unparalled disasters which the
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 40]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 14 July 1915. 299 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 29th June at Cape Helles]
armies led by him suffered in the Caucasus stop possibly his activity is only temporary and he has taken the opportunity of Von Sanders wound to try his methods of driving us into the sea stop The enemy is beginning to take drastic stop The very losses which the Turks have suffered during the past eight days and the reckless manner in which they have thrown away thousands of lives points to their having an unlimited number of troops in the Peninsular in fact it would seem as if we are fighting the entire Turkish army which has been withdrawn from the other fronts and concentrated in Thrace and Gallipoli stop the successful offensive of the Germans and Austrians in Galicia and Poland has probably enabled Enver to denude Armenia [censor’s deletion - and the]

[Page 41]

[Envelope – postmarked London 8 May. Addressed to Signals Intelligence Dept,]
R.J. Mackay, Esq., C.B.E.
M.I.8.
War Office,
S.W.1.

[Page 42]
[Blank Telegram form]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 29th June at Cape Helles]
[censor’s deletion - the Caucasus] for they certainly have been very prodigal of life in the last few days stop from captured orders it is evident the Turkish commanders are very worried over the facility with which we have taken their trenches in our last two advances [stop] most drastic steps are being taken to prevent a repetition of this in the future for the men are strictly forbidden to retire and their officers have orders to shoot them if they do and any officer who refuses to shoot his men is to be shot himself stop this order sent round by one of the Divisional Commanders has to be signed by all the officers of battalions who undertake to carry out the instructions contained therein stop meanwhile the Turks have constructed four new lines of trenches of great strength in front of our left wing whilst they are daily digging all around Achi Baba and Kilid Bahr plateau into a regular fortress [censor’s deletion - so it would be foolish to expect any rapid opening of the road to Constantinople]

ashmead bartlett

[Page 43]
[Telegram form dated 14 July 1915 referring to above despatch]

[Page 44]
[Duplicate of above Telegram form]

[Page 45]
[Telegram form, dated [14] July 1915]
9/2 daily telegraph
ck 299 46 wds after twofifty [remainder of message in code]

[Page 46]
[Telegram form, 14 July]
9/2 299 46 after 250 [remainder of message in code]

[Page 47]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words]
[See next page (48) for the despatch attached to this telegram form]

[Page 48]
[See page 47 for telegram form related to this despatch]
[Ashmead Bartlett’s despatch transmitted, 23 July describes the action of 12th/13th July 1915 at Cape Helles involving the British 52nd Lowland Division, aimed at capturing the Turkish trench system east of the Sedd-el-Bahr-Krithia road]
Daily Telegraph London
July fourteenth summary stop as result of two days severe fighting the right of our line and French left has gained considerable ground in front of Achi Baba Nullah stop on twelveth 157 a Brigade Lowland Territorial Division after terrific bombardment lasting one hour successfully advanced capturing strong redoubt and several lines of trenches on left stop in severe fighting night of twleveth thirteenth on right 155 Brigade Lowland Division took two lines of trenches but and obtained lodgement in third but were driven out holding first two but they failed to make liason with French on our right stop

during night twelveth thirteenth bitter hand to hand fighting took place in trenches and saps Turks counter attacking vigorously and 157 Brigade were forced to evacuate some advanced trenches stop afternoon thirteenth attack reorganised and Naval Division were brought up into firing line stop at four thirty pm after further bombardment general assault was delivered in conjunction with French our infantry on left swept irrestibably forward recapturing all evacuated trenches and advancing considerable distance beyond the Turks flying in disorder stop on right two lines of trenches again taken but attack held up at third and Naval Division suffered considerable losses stop result whole section of enemy’s line captured and consolidated on left but on

Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 49]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
TWO. right attack, only partly successful up to present about three hundred prisoners taken and Turkish losses severe ashmead Bartlett

July fourteenth section two stop the right of our line has made a further considerable advance against the Turkish trenches to the right of the Achi Baba Nullah and the left wing of the French cooperating with this movement was also able to gain some ground stop this success has only been achieved after desperate fighting involving heavy casualties stop anyone who has not seen the ground can have no conception of the obstacles our heroic infantry have to face in gaining even a few yards of fresh soil in Gallipoli stop in the last three months the Turks have constructed a perfect network of trenches and small redoubts all protected by barbed wire and connected by saps and communicating trenches stop they have now realised that no infantry can withstand these tremendous bombardments with high explosive shells concentrated on a small section of the defence and therefore they withdraw most of their men down the communicating trenches whilst the bombardment lasts and our infantry are thus able to occupy two or three lines with but small loss but the majority of our
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 50]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
THREE casualties occur in holding the trenches after they have been won for the enemy knowing the ground and the plan of their trenches better than our men attack them with bombs through the saps and the fighting takes place at such close quarters that our artillery is unable to check these counter attacks so inseperably mixed do the combatants become in this maze of earthworks stop parties of men get too far forward and are frequently lost for hours whilst it is no uncommon occurrence for our men to gain possession of an advanced trench whilst the Turks are still holding sections of those behind them stop thus after each advance it takes a long time to straighten out and consolidate a captured position

ashmead bartlett

[Page 51]
[Telegram form marked – THREE/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
Daily Telegraph
July fourteenth section three stop the cost of this particular kind of warfare can be worked out with almost mathematical exactness for so many men must be sacrifices so many shells fired and so many gerdades are required for every fresh houndred yards of ground occupied stop it is bludgen work brutal and unattractive and giving little or no scope for skill or tactics or strategy but in front of Achi Baba the

Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 52]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
FOUR exactly the same as it is before Ypres or what the French are doing before Souchez and victories cannot be won in a day here any more than can be in France for sections of the enemy’s lines must be first be pounded to pulp then stormed and finally held against his counter attacks
[the following sentences has been crossed through with blue pencil]

(and to achieve these ends unlimited men unlimited ammunition and unlimited geranades are required stop our men cannot be surpassed in bravery determination and cheerfulness under all conditions but are [our] supplies of ammunition and our grenades are unfortunately limited and the stock is apt to run low before an engagement has been fought out to a finish whilst the Turk seems to have an inexhaustible supply of grenades of which he makes most effective use in his counter attacks stop)

The Territorials have had many opportunities of proving their merit on the peninsular and have come out of the fiery ordeal with a greatly enhanced reputation for once they have been given time to settle down and have become accustomed to the novel conditions they have proved themselves to be in most instances first class fighting men possessing great intelligence and great dash worthy to fight side by side with a division such as the famous twenty ninth

ashmead bartlett

[Page 53]
[Page not transcribed]

[Page 54]
[Telegram form marked Four/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]. Heavily censored]
Daily Telegraph
July fourteenth section four stop The honour of attacking the Turkish position on the twelveth fell to the 155 and 157 Brigades of the Lowland Division of Territorials who went into action on a big scale for the first time although the 156 Brigade of the same division greatly distinguished itself on June twenty eight and lost heavily stop at dawn on the twelveth after a heavy bombardment the 155 brigade on

Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 55]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Co. Ltd. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
FIVE. the right assaulted and captured two lines of Turkish trenches and reached a third where they failed to established themselves and were driven out and we failed to establish a liason with the French on our right stop throughout the day our heavy howitzers were busy registering on the enemy’s position and at four pm a terrible bombardment was opened on the left of this section of his line where it touches the Achi Baba Nullah stop the Turkish position looked appaling strong and ressembled a giant ploughed field in which successive libes of trenches took the place of furrows stop in addition on his right overlooking the nullah the Turks held a regular redoubt perched on the edge of the ravine down which he had concealed machine guns stop at four pm every available gun assisted by several French batteries who cooperated most loyally and who shot splendidly was turned on the enemy’s trenches and on the redoubt houndreds [sec] of high explosive shells falling into the trenches and saps and throwing up great masses of earth sand bags and wooden beams to an immense heighth stop it was an extraordinary sight and it did not [contd. page 58]
Ashmead Bartlett
[Last three lines belong to end of page 58]

[Page 56]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Dated 23 July 1915]
[Text in code]

[Page 57]
[Text portion of telegram form which refers to line four of despatch page 55]
Daily 43 down our heavy howitzers were busy registering

[Page 58]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 213 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
Six. seem possible for any infantry to live under such a fire but I fancy the majority has been drawn down the communicating trenches stop during this bombardment our in
July fourteenth section five. during this bombardment our infantry lay low and not a man was visible our positions only being discernable by the tin discs and red flags exposed on the paradox of the trenches we were holding stop exactly at five pm our guns lengthened their fuses and concentrated on the enemy’s reserve trenches and on any dead ground where he might be massing his reserves for a counter attack and a war ship bombarded the observation station on the top of Achi Baba with twelve inch shells which is most valuable in upsetting his arrangements for directing operations stop at the same moment as if animated by a common will the kilted regiments of the 157 Brigade lept from their trenches and surged forward towards the great redoubt and the network of saps and trenches stop the whole scene resembled some picture from the inferno for our guns shelling the works behind made a great background of earth and smoke whilst no sooner did our advances become apparent than the enemy’s batteries which had been keeping very quiet opened up on our infantry with [contd. page 60]
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 59]
[Page not transcribed]

[Page 60]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
SEVEN. shrapnel and high explosives smothering his own works which we were about to enter stop the ground resembled a gigantic steaming cauldron into whose thick vapours the gallant 157 Brigade pours without once hesitating or looking back stop individuals soon became swallowed up in the mist and all you could see were black dots rushing about or jumping into trenches with bayonets flashing in the shrouded sun amidst a continuous roar of musketry which showed the Turks were resisting valiantly stop but when the smoke lifted somewhat our men were everywhere in possession or the enemy’s trenches.

ashmead bartlett

[Page 61]
[Telegram form marked Seven/2-]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
Daily Telegraph London
July fourteenth section sixth. for a few minutes it looked as if the redoubt might give some trouble but the Scots never gave the Turks a chance swarming up the escarpment on all sides and jumping in on top to settle the arguement with the bayonet stop for an hour and a half parties of Turks held out at various points and the fighting was continuous and furious but our artillery made such a curtain of shrapnel that his reserves never had a chance of counterattacking stop thus at sunset on the twelveth the 157 Brigade had captured all the works assigned to [it]
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 62]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
Eight. it on the left but on the right the 155 had been forced to evacuate two lines of captured trenches nevertheless it had been a great day for these young untried soldiers who in spite of the extreme heat and the difficult task had fought like veterans.
ashmead bartlett

[Page 63]
[Telegram form marked Eight/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
Daily Telegraph London
July fourteenth section seven stop. the night is always the most anxious time for generals in Gallipoli after positions have been taken and must be held by men warn out by the heat and exertions of the previous day stop the Turk has a partiality for night fighting for then his inferiority in artillery is not apparent and he meets us on more even terms stop it was impossible to see what was happening but throughout of the night of the twelveth and thirteenth the rifle fire hardly ever ceased and at dawn it rose into a crescendo stop the Turks bringing up reinforcements attacked our weary men through the communication trenches with bombs and bayonets stop the kilted troops fought gallantly but could not maintain all the ground they had won on the previous afternoon being driven out of two lines of trenches but never losing their hold on the redoubt but [the]
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 64]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 203 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
NINE. the enemy’s losses were heavy and the prisoners showed signs of great discouragement stop when day broke on the thirteenth the Staff were able to examine accurately the position and count what sections of the enemy’s lines we still held and what had been lost stop it was decided to give him no rest but to follow up with another attack stop for this purpose the two Lowland Brigades exhausted by twenty four hours continuous fighting were withdrawn from the front trenches and the Naval Division moved up stop this section of the line has always been held by the Naval Division who actually resented being taken back to make way for the Lowlanders now on the afternoon of the thirteenth they once more found themselves on familiar ground at the same time the Zouaves were brought forward on our right to cooperate in the advance
ashmead bartlett

[Page 65]
[Telegram form marked- Nine/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
July fourteenth section eight. stop at four pm on the thirteenth our field artillery loyally assisted by the French opened up once again on the battered shambles now knocked almost out of recognition a high wind was blowing and the bursting shrapnel through up immense clouds of dust which hid the horizon from view stop at four thirty [our]
Ashmead Bartlett

[Page 66]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 July 1915. 347 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
TEN. our right and the French moved forward amidst a terrible rifle fire regaining the two trenches taken on the previous day but again being held up by a third and fourth they then moved more to the right and advanced a long distance skirting the enemy’s works without being able to enter them and suffering heavy losses stop for nearly three hours this fighting continued on the right hidden partly from view and no one knowing exactly what was happenying stop but the attack of the Naval Division on our left was completely successful it was conducted with the utmost skill and dash and our infantry simply swept over everything in their front bayoneting those Turks who did not succeed in escaping down the saps stop having carried everything assigned to them in a few minutes there was no stopping our infantry who swept forward in small parties often in twos and threes as if they would never stop in spite of the shells and heavy rifle fire stop at one time it looked as if they intended to assault a fresh position behind on a low hill but fortunately this further advance which would have been premature was checked in time [stop]

[Page 67]
[Telegram form marked - ten/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report on the action of 12th/13th July at Cape Helles]
stop the Turks seemed thoroughly demoralised on our left by this final charge and fled a long way back to the foot of Achi Baba pursued by our shells stop
July fourteenth section nine. at sunset on the thirteenth the whole of the enemy’s left was in our possession and firmly consolidated during the night but on the right inspite of every effort the Naval Division and the French could not take the last two lines of works but remained in possession of the two first which were also consolidated and that is how the position stands at present stop we were opposed by three of the best Turkish regiments and have captured some three five houndred prisoners the cost of this achievement has however been very heavy stop our infantry fought splendidly and our artillery rendered most efficient support ably seconded by the French batteries which were placed at our disposition end of message
ashmead bartlett

[Page 68]
[Blank page]

[Page 69]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 Aug. 1915. 207 words]
[Report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, 6th – 10th Aug. by Ashmead Bartlett.
This was a combined operation with the British landing at Suvla Bay, see page 88]
R.T.P. Cable 2
Daily Telegraph London
Cable two section [one] August twelveth while the new landing was being successfully carried out in Anafarta Bay [by British forces] the Australian and New Zealand Corps at Anzac reinforced by the 13th Division of the New Army the 29th Infantry Brigade and the Indian Brigade has been engaged in a desperate struggle to obtain possession of the main ridge running north east from the Anzac position stop the ground over which the Australian and New Zealand Corps the 13th Division and other reinforcements had to operated has been discribed so often that no further discription is needed here stop no troops have ever been called upon to make an advance over more difficult and broken country
ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor
[Major Delme Radcliffe]

[Page 70]
[Blank telegram form]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
R.T.P.
Daily Telegraph London
Cable two section two August twelveth stop sufficient it is to say that the ground gradually rises from Anzac to Koja Chemen heighth in a series of hills and ridges broken by deep nullahs and dongas and covered with thick scrub which provide excellent cover for snipers and that form of irregular warfare in which the Turks have proved themselves so skilful throughout the campaign stop but before any advance could be made towards the main heighth the whole of the successive lines of Turkish trenches north east of the Colonials had
Ashmead Bartlett
Redcliffe censor

[Page 71]
[Blank page]

[Page 72]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
TWO. to be taken by assault to allow them to debouch onto the further hills which like giant steps gradually mount to [censor’s deletion - the final objective] Koja Chemen stop this sinister heighth is split into two portions by a fearful ravine which completely cuts the mountain into two portions stop
[censor’s deletion - idea may be obtained on the task which lay ahead of the combined forces under General Birdwood]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 73]
[Blank telegram form]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
Cable two section three stop I am indebted to Mr Malcolm Ross the New Zealand Official representative for the following details of the roll, played by the [censor’s deletion - forces under General Godley in this desperate fighting for the possession of Koja Chemen] New Zealand division on August 6th 7th and 8th stop throughout Friday August seventh there was a furious bombardment of the Turkish positions north east of Anzac from our field guns and howitzers assisted by destroyers cruisers and monitors stop whole sections of the Turkish trenches disappeared in clouds of smoke and earth stop meanwhile the combined Australian and New Zealand Division braced itself for the desperate night attack which had been decided on [stop] the men had long been waiting for this hour to arrive which would end the long monotonous days of sitting in the trenches and were confident they could carry the enemy’s works in their immediate front with the bayonet stop strict orders were given that not a shot was to be fired the bayonet alone was to be
[Contd. Page 78]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 74]
[Blank page]

[Page 75]
[Telegram form]
[message] Daily 105 dwn and monitors stop whole

[Page 76]
[Telegram form]
[message indecipherable]

[Page 77]
[Telegram form]
[message in code]

[Page 78]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
THREE. used stop exactly at ten o’clock on Friday night the New Zealand Brigade clambered over their trenches and furiously charged the Turkish line amidst loud cheers bayonetting all the enemy found therein stop the Turks taken apparently quite unawares fired wildly and were unable to check the advance [censor’s deletion] stop thus in a few minutes all the enemy’s positions nearest the sea were in our hands and the way was thus cleared for the main advance stop [The following two lines crossed through]
The New Zealanders only stopped to gain breath and then pursued their victorious career rushing in succession the old Number 3 outpost

Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 79]
[Telegram form marked - 2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable two section four stop the New Zealanders only stopped to take breath and then pursued their victorious career rushing in succession the old No 3 outpost Bauchop’s Hill and other Turkish positions stop the native Maoris in action for the first time entered into the charge with great dash making the darkness of the night hideous with their wild war cries and striking terror into the hearts of the Turks with the awful vigor with which they used their bayonets and the butt of their rifles stop these Native troops have in fact forged yet another link in our chain of Empire stop the darkness of the night the broken nature of the ground and the skill with which the enemy had smothered every available bit

[Page 80]
[Blank page]

[Page 81]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 23 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
FOUR. of dead ground with his deadly snipers delayed the main advance somewhat after these preliminary positions had been successfully rushed for every hill and spur had to be picquetted to keep down the fire from lurking marksmen left in rear of our advancing columns stop the fighting throughout the night was continuous for amidst these gloomy ravines the Turks New Zealanders Australians and Maoris continued to snipe and bayonet one another offered a courageous and dispairing resistance to the Australians New Zealanders and Maoris and many bloody encounters the details of which will never be known filled in the dark hours which proceed a still more eventful dawn stop [three lines deleted by censor]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 82]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable three section five stop throughout the whole of Saturday August seventh the struggle [censor’s deletion] went on without intermission and finally the New Zealand Infantry Brigade gained a good deal of ground but were finally held up [censor’s deletion] by rifle and machine gun fire stop on Sunday the eighth our men began their [censor’s deletion] advance up the steep slopes at dawn [two lines deleted by censor] stop the Turks came out from cover gallantly and made a charge [censor’s deletion] from both ends and from the reverse slopes of the ridge stop Many fell in this attack but the survivors actually closed on the intrepid Colonials with bayonet and the buts of their rifles endeavouring to
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 83]
[Blank page]

[Page 84]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
FIVE. bludgeon them [censor’s deletion - off the crest] stop this is just the form of fighting the Colonials like and their magnificent physique stood them in good stead stop although few in numbers they closed on the Turks with fury using their rifles as clubs swinging them round theie heads and laying out several with each sweep stop the Turk could not stand this rough treatment and those that were not killed or wounded fled and the New Zealanders began hastily to dig themselves in stop so far this was the finest feat in the fighting and the highest point yet gained by any troops on the peninsula stop the Turks in this encounter fought with the utmost bravery and one big man in particular could be signalled out who repeatedly came out in the open and drove his men forward but all his efforts were in vain and in a little while not a single Turk was left on this particular section [censor’s deletion]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 85]
[Telegram form – marked Five/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable two section six [four lines deleted by censor] the enemy’s fire and counter attacks were [censor’s deletion - however] checked by our artillery assisted by the cruisers and monitors and many of the Turks must have been killed and wounded stop on the left of the New Zealand advance with which I have
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 86]
[Telegram form - text in code]

[Page 87]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s report of the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, of 6th – 10th Aug]
SIX. particularly dealt in this dispatch the Australians assisted by the Sikhs and Gourkas also fought splendidly [censor’s deletion] full details I will cable later stop considerable successes have thus been gained in this section including two machine guns one nordenfeldt and many trench mortars and six houndred Turkish prisoners have been taken including three houndred from a single battalion
[End of this despatch]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor
[Nordenfeldt - 25mm four-barrelled gun]

[Page 88]
[Telegram form marked – Six/2]
[Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British landing at Suvla (Anafarta) Bay by the 10th and 11th Divisions, 6th – 10th August. This was a combined operation with the Anzac attack at Lone Pine]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P. Copy for War Office
Cable three section one August twelveth up to the evening of August eight the advance of the 10th and 11th Divisions landed at Anafarta Bay was entirely successful stop the 10th Division pushed along the high ground overlooking the gulf of Siros on the left known as Karakol Dagh whilst the 11th Division supported by a brigade of the 10th swept round the north end of the Salt Lake and then wheeling to the south formed a continuous line in front of the Anafarta heights stop by a brilliant night attack the hill of Yilghin Burnu due east of the Lake was occupied which gave us a commanding position on which our right wing could rest during the night stop therefore during the night of August 8th 9th our left therefore rested on the cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Siros our centre in the low
[Siros should probably be Saros]

[Page 89]
[Telegram form – message in code]

[Page 90]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]

SEVEN. ground in front of Anafarta and our right on Yilghin Burnu or Chocolate Hill as it is known on account of the surface having been burnt that colour by accidental fires caused by the bursting shells stop we had thus secured a wide front on shore on the far side of the Salt Lake but on the other hand the enemy’s [censor’s deletion] position the Anafarta ridge on which is situated the village of that name remained unoccupied and as yet untouched by our advance stop our troops except on the extreme left where they held the high rocky ground of Karakol Dagh now found themselves lying in a wide open cup covered with trees thick scrub hedges and farms in which it is impossible to see any distance ahead and which provides excellent cover for the enemy’s snipers who took full advantage of it stop immediately east of the Salt lake the plain is perfectly flat and without any cov -

[Page 91]
[Telegram form marked – Seven/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]

Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable three section two stop on the east of the Salt lake is a stretch of perfectly flat plain without any cover before an area of cultivation begins then there is some two thousand yards depth of trees hedges cornfields and scrub broken by small low hills before the ground gradually rises towards the Anafarta ridge stop from the edge of
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe Censor

[Page 92]
[Blank page]

[Page 93]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]

EIGHT. the Salt Lake to the village of Anafarta it is a little over four thousand yards stop towards the south east the hills recede leaving a gap between the Anafarta section and the heighth of Koja Chemen [censor’s deletion] stop in the gap thus created lies the beautiful village of Buyuk Anafarta surrounded by tall and stately cypresses stop from the south side of the Salt Lake you can walk right along the low ground to the Anzac beaches stop [nine lines deleted by censor] to keep the enemy in front of Achi Baba the 8th Corps made repeated attempts to advance attacks on August 6th and 7th [two lines deleted by censor] [contd. page 96]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 94]
[Telegram form indecipherable]

[Page 95]
[Telegram form]
Daily 132 dwn has not been seen since

[Page 96]
[Telegram form marked Eight/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]

R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable three section three stop all eyewitnesses are agreed that the Turks brought entirely fresh troops to oppose our advance at Helles that they fought with great courage and determination and counter-attacked with vigor which has not been seen since the days following the first landing stop [eight lines deleted by censor] also it must not be forgotten that the Turks are fighting for their very existence as an independent nation and that the men have been nerved up to a state bordering on fanaticism against the infidel and are in consequence putting up a resistance the like of which has not been seen since Osman held Plevna
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 97]
[Page not transcribed]

[Page 98]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]

NINE. stop Our forces in front of Anafarta having secured a good position by the evening of August seventh eighth [censor’s deletion] found themselves confronted with the problem of taking the Anafarta Hills on the eighth stop but the Turks although few in numbers made the most skilful use of the assistance afforded them by the broken nature of the country stop their artillery sought out our reserves and shelled the roads leading round the lake they only held their trenches weakly and pushed forward the majority of their men as tirallieurs into the broken ground in front stop [contd. page 102]
[tirailleurs = colonial soldiers]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 99]
[Telegram form]
Daily 22 dwn confronted with the problem

[Page 100]
[Telegram form – message in code]

[Page 101]
[Telegram form – message in code]

[Page 102]
[Telegram form marked – Nine/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable three section four stop these men many of them local peasants and carrying no kit except their rifles and a large supply of cartridges made the most skilful use of the dead ground and the cover thus provided stop from all angles they sniped our lines [censor’s deletion] and passing round the north of the Lake sought cover in the cultivated ground thus giving the impression from their rapid movements from one point to another of being in far greater strength than they really were stop
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 103]
[Telegram form marked – Nine/3]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable three section five stop [censor’s deletion] several attempts were made to advance during the day and some further ground was gained notable two

Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 104]
[Blank page]

[Page 105]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
TEN. battalions were pushed out in the plain south east a low rise was seized and occupied in front of the hill of Yilghin Burnu and our infantry [censor’s deletion] now reinforced by a Territorial Division pushed forward and nearly occupied the whole of a low hill in the centre on which the enemy had a trench and from which his snipers had given us much trouble stop but about midday on the ninth a [censor’s deletion] difficulty arose a strong north wind was blowing at the time and either by accident through bursting shells or by design of the Turks the shrub caught fire in several places and spread with amazing rapidity stop

the smoke and flames swept diagonally across our front and forced our infantry to abandon their advance positions stop it was a weird sight for in all directions you saw Turkish snipers and British infantry crawling out from amongst the shrub and trees and hedges where they had been lying invisible and turning their backs on one another crawling or running to get out of the track of the flames and dense black clouds of suffocating smoke stop thus for some hours these fires created a number of neutral zones
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 106]
[Blank page]

[Page 107]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]

ELEVEN. between the opposing lines and neither was able to advance stop the hill which we had occupied in the morning emerged from his fiery ordeal a dull khaki whereas it had formerly been a blaze of green and bright yellow since that hour it has been known by the army as Burnt Hill stop these fire effectively put a stop to our advance on the ninth but the fighting and sniping lasted without intermission all day and through the night stop
Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 108]
[Telegram form – marked Eleven/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable three section seven/six stop the scenes at night were weird for the flames still continued to burn and great red glows lit up the darkness backed by clouds of white smoke from out of the midst of which there came the incessant rattle of machine guns and rifle fire whilst further south you heard the booming of guns and you could see the bursting of shells on the tops of the hills as the Anzac Corps gradually fought its way from ridge to ridge to join hands with our troops in front of Anafarta stop on the morning of August 10th it was reported by a prisoner that the Turks had received large reinforcements and that the whole of the Yemen Division had
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 109]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
TWELVE. arrived stop judging by the numbers one saw during the day this was probably an exageration and probably some odd battalions had actually reached Anafarta during the night [stop] his trenches however seemed to be more densely manned and his Tirailleurs thrown out in the broken ground more numerous stop [Ten lines deleted by censor]
Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 110]
[Telegram form – messages in code]

[Page 111]
[Telegram form – marked Eleven/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
cable three section seven/eighth stop throughout the whole of the tenth this disoultry fighting so unlike anything that is now seen in Europe and reminding one of the old days of the Boer War went on along the front [censor’s deletion] stop it was an extraordinary fight to watch for from the top of Chocolate Hill you could see plainly the movements of both sides in the lower ground in front and it was tantalising to watch the Turks creeping up towards our men in twos and threes their light uniforms showing up plainly against the burnt or green background [censor’s deletion] stop throughout the day fresh fires were started at various points and burnt furiously frequently causing both sides to change their positions stop throughout all this fighting on our centre and right the 10th Division on the high ground overlooking the sea had been engaged in a desperate struggle with the enemy in its efforts to
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 112]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
THIRTEEN. push forward along the heights of Karakol Dagh stop by the evening of the 10th [four lines deleted by censor] a strong trench line had been dug right across the flat country connecting up all our positions and our right is in touch with the Anzac Corps stop [censor’s deletion]
Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

Page 113]
[[Telegram form – marked 13/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
cable four section one stop I have already in a previous described the operations of the combined Australian New Zealand Division [censor’s deletion] and will now give some details of the great role played by the Australian Division [censor’s deletion] our own 13th Division and the Indian Brigade of Sikhs and Gourkas stop in order to divert the attention of the Turks from our [censor’s deletion] movement against Anafarta Bay the offensive from the Anzac position was started on the afternoon of August sixth stop after an hour’s intense bombardment from the sea and land at 5.30 pm the third Australian Brigade assisted by the 1st Brigade attacked the Lonesome [Lone] Pine Plateau which rises to a height of four houndred feet to the south east of Anzac position stop the first rush of the Colonials was checked by shrapnel fire [censor’s deletion] but the second and third lines never wavering for a second charged furiously and captured four lines of trenches which they have succeeded in holding [censor’s deletion] in spite of
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 114]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
FOURTEEN. the enemy’s furious bombardments which smash in the parapits which have to be constantly rebuilt stop on the same evening soon after sunset the Light Horse who are serving on foot made a sortie from Walker’s ridge north of the position [four lines deleted by censor] the net result of the operations carried out on this sector of the Anzac front was the capture of a portion of the Lonesome [Lone] Pine Plateau
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 115]
[Telegram form – no entries]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 8th August]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable four section two August 12th stop whilst this fighting was in progress the 4th Australian Brigade marched out silently towards the north along the lower spurs high hills held by the Turks stop this brigade was protected on the flank by the Brigade of Gourkas and Sikhs stop instructions were given to the Australians that they were not to load their magazines and that all fighting until dawn broke was to be done with the bayonet stop after marching for two miles the Australians met with their first opposition in unknown and unexplored territory and the ridges broken and covered with thick bramble were very like those encountered on the first landing stop every ridge seemed to be held by the enemy and there
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 116]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 207 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th - 10th August]
FIFTEEN. was nothing to do but rush each in turn with the bayonet small parties being detached for this purpose stop when day broke [censor’s deletion] it was decided to deploy and seize the ridges flanking the valley of Asma Dere where the Brigade [censor’s deletion] succeeded in digging in under [censor’s deletion] artillery and rifle fire stop during the course of this running fight the emplacement of the seventy fice centimetre [75 mm?] gun which has done so much damage on the beach was discovered but the gun had been removed however a very large store of ammunition for it was captured and the New Zealanders who had come in on the right captured two machine guns stop the whole of Saturday was spent in consolidating the position [three lines deleted by censor]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe Censor

[Page 117]
[Telegram form - marked 15/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Cable four section three stop [five lines deleted by censor] on Wednesday August 11th the South Wales Borders [Borderers] who had advanced across the low plain from the hill of Yilghin Burnu linked up with the 4th Australian Brigade thus establishing a complete line between Anzac and the newly landed forces in Anafarta Bay stop The manner in which the Colonials Indians and 13th Division have fought during these [censor’s deletion] days has between beyond all praise and has earned the unstinted admiration of their commanders stop [censor’s deletion]
ashmead bartlett radcliffe censor

[Page 118]
[Blank page]

[Page 119]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 211 words. Daily Telegraph London]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Cable R.T.P. Section 1
Daily Telegraph London.

Section one August eight stop for nearly three weeks since the last attack of our right wing on Achi Baba there has been an almost entire cessation of fighting in Gallipoli stop during this period both armies have been engaged in making strenuous preparations to brace themselves for the tremendous clash of arms which it was obvious to all was coming [censor’s deletion – and one issue of which will be of such vital importance to all the nations engaged in this world war] stop it has been necessary to preserve absolute secrecy and all reference to our own preparations has naturally been suppressed by the censor but now the enterprise is fairly launched the veil can in a measure be lifted and a short summary given of the stupendous amount of work which has been so quietly planned and carried through in this period stop
up to the present time our army in Gallipoli has been continuously engaged in a struggle against odds on a restricted front which allowed of no strategic movements for turning the enemy out of his positions and which consequently necessitated frontal attacks [censor’s deletion – which has been extremely costly and which have gained but little ground] stop the arrival of the promised reinforcements from England consisting of the 10th 11th and 13th Divisions of the New Army have at length enabled Sir Ian Hamilton to undertake a flanking movement on a grand scale for the purpose of forcing the Turks to abandon their positions [censor’s deletion – in front of Achi Baba and Anzac] stop
[following deletion apparently by Bartlett – No one outside of certain officers on the Central Staff and the Corps and Divisional Commanders had any knowledge of where the Commander in Chief would chose to strike until after the]
Ashmead Bartlett Radcliffe censor

[Page 120]
[Blank page]

[Page 121]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 274 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 2
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London.
Section two August eighth stop The plans of the Commander in Chief were kept a profound secret and no one outside certain officers on the General Staff and the Corps commanders had any real knowledge of his intentions until after the expedition sailed from Kephalo Bay Imbros on the night of August sixth stop it has long been obvious that some new landing on a vast scale was about to be attempted and surmise had therefore been ripe as to the exact point on which the blow would fall stop it was hoped to take the Turks completely by surprise and to obtain a firm foothold on the shore before he could bring up his reinforcements in this it would seem as if we have been successful for two divisions the 11th and 10th were yesterday put ashore almost without opposition [censor’s deletion - but of course the real work of driving the enemy back and getting astride of the peninsular thus completely cutting off his armies south of the Narrows at this hour remains yet to be accomplished)] stop [this deletion presumably by censor]
The enemy probably had accurate knowledge of the arrival of large reinforcements at Imbros and Mudros for it is almost impossible to keep movements of troops unknown in the near east and his aviators have frequently flown over our camps he knew therefore we were preparing to strike but on the vital point as to where the blow would fall he seems to have been entirely ignorant stop one who has not seen a landing of a large army on a hostile shore can have any idea of the enormous amount of preparation work and rehersal which must proceed any such movement stop for three weeks this has been going on incessantly in Kephalo harbour which is only ten miles away from the Gallipoli peninsula
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 122]
[Blank page]

[Page 123]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 274 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 3
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London.
Section four three August eighth stop the new craft are admirable for landing men for they draw only [censor’s deletion - four feet] little water each moves under its own motor [censor’s deletion - they are constructed of steel sufficiently thick to resist bullets and shrapnel and each can carry five hounred men fully equipped on deck or in their spacious holds] stop landing parties can thus approach the shore in complete cover instead being exposed in open boats towed by steam pinnaces stop each motor lighter has a kind of drawbridge which lets down over the bow along which the troops pass to reach the beach stop the arrival of these craft immensely simplified the problem of the landing stop
at Imbros for many days past the 11th Division has been practicing embarking and disembarking until every officer and every man new the exact role he had to play stop nothing had in fact been left to chance all the preperations being worked out to the minutest detail stop on August sixth the final preperations were at length complete and the main movement was proceeded by a general bombardment of the Turkish trenches around Achi Baba and in the afternoon the forty second Division made a successful attack carrying several lines of Turkish trenches stop this movement was however really in the nature of a feint to hold the enemy round the mountain and to frighten him from moving troops to reinforce his other positions stop on the morning of August sixth I was told to hold myself in readyness to embark that evening for an unknown destination which would not be [divulged?] to me until after I got on board the [censor’s deletion – Minneapolis transport]

[Page 124]
[Blank page]

[Page 125]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 271 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 4
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section four August eighth stop there was general rejoicing amongst the troops when it became known that the period of preparation was at length passed and that the hour for action for which these new formations have been training themselves for ten months past had at last arrived stop throughout the whole of August sixth the work of embarking at Kephalo proceeded without a stop stop dense masses of fully equipped infantry each carrying two days iron rations and tin discs strapped on their knapsacks moved down to the quay and there embarked on the new motor lighters whilst the covering parties which were to go ashore first were taken to [censor’s deletion – to] two [censor’s deletion – old] cruisers [censor’s deletion - Thesus [Theseus] and Endymion have been specially protected against submarine attack] stop
the troops seemed in excellent spirits and full of fight as one passed down the serried ranks one was struck by their business like look and the high state of efficiency which has been reached in these ten strenuous months of training stop the men have not the physique of the Colonials but they are trained to the hour and as hard as nails stop they were cracking jokes and singing many familiar songs the favourite of which seemed to be a blending of Tipperary in which every verse ended up with Are we down hearted which query was answered by a deafening roar of no stop on the previous day Sir Ian Hamilton issued a stirring proclamation to the army calling upon the new formations to prove themselves worthy of the veterans with whom they have the honour of fighting side by side stop already the new Divisions have [indecipherable]

[Page 126]
[Blank page]

[Page 127]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 234 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section five
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section five August eighth As the sun went down over Kephalo Bay on August sixth the calm waters reflected a stirring spectacle every warship destroyer transport and light[er] was crowded with our soldiers packed like sardines on the decks knowing they would have to pass several uncomfortable hours before they could find themselves at grips with the enemy on an unknown shore stop behind lay a forest of deserted tents the last home that thousands of those in the bay will ever know stop
It was a grand sight but one could not overcome the feeling of the great trajedy in the lives and homes of so many waiting eagerly for news in far off England which lies behind it all stop all lights on board the ships were extinguished at sunset and this heterogenus collection of weird craft lay in absolute darkness throughout the early hours of the night stop
Up to the moment of landing the troops had no idea of their destination but I was informed about nine o’clock stop we then learnt that the point of disembarkation for the 10th and 11th Divisions was the Little Anafarta Bay or Suvla Bay as it is sometimes known roughly four miles north of the Australian position at Anzac stop Sir Ian Hamilton had disposed his troops as follows for this great movement [censor’s deletion - which has for its objective the cutting off of the Kilid Bahr salient from the north and which if carried out successfully will obtain for us the European side of the Narrows and perhaps bring about the capitulation of the Turkish armies in front of Achi Baba unless they succeed in slipping through the net in time)] stop [contd. on page 130]
ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 128]
[Blank page]

[Page 129]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 195 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay, 6th – 10th August]
The message on this telegram form appears on page 130 from the line reading “its lower slopes the difficult nature of the country", to the end.

[Page 130]
[Continuation from page 127 of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay, 6th – 10th August]
Section six
Daily Telegraph London
Section six August eighth The three new divisions were disposed as follows the 13th which has had two weeks previous experience in the trenches in front of Achi Baba was landed at Anzac to reinforce the Australian and New Zealand Corps together with the twenty ninth Indian Brigade and the twenty ninth Brigade of the 10th Division stop the remainder of the 10th Division and the whole of the 11th were employed on the new landing stop [censor’s deletion – (the first objective of the troops at Anzac would be the great hill known as 971 which is the highest point held by the Turks in front of Anzac it was the original objective of the Australians on the day of the first landing but although small groups reached its lower slopes the difficult nature of the country proved too much and it has ever since defied capture)] stop
The country is in fact terrible [censor’s deletion – to get over] the hills are an awful jumble with no regular formation but broken up into valleys dongas ravines and partly bare sandstone and partly covered with dense scrub in places there are sheer precipices over which it is impossible to climb and down which a false step may send you sliding several hundreds of feet stop [censor’s deletion – no direct advance against 971 is possible from Anzac until the Turkish trenches have been carried but from the extreme left of the Australian position] along the sea shore at the point known as the Fisherman’s Hut the hills recede leaving a wide stretch of grassy soil partly covered with low trees and dense scrub which stretches right up to the southerly arm of Suvla Bay the point chosen for the new landing stop

Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 131]
[Telegram form – indecipherable]

[Page 132]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 230 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 7
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section seven August eighth by moving along the flat ground stretching north from Fisherman’s hut a force can with difficulty climb up the lower spurs and Dongas [censor’s deletion – (of hill 971)] and perhaps eventually work its way to the summit stop it is however impossible to organise an advance in any regular formation and it must be left entirely to the initiative of the troops themselves for an operation of this sort the Australians and New Zealanders are peculiarly suited stop [censor’s deletion – the importance of hill 971 cannot be overestimated for once it is in our possession we hold the most dominant point half way across the peninsula and can look down on Maidos and Kilid Bahr stop)]
Suvla Bay the sight chosen for the disembarkation of the 10th and 11th Divisions is a mile and three quarters wide at its extreme points the one to the south a low spit and the northern rising gradually to the range of hill known as the Kizlar Dagh stop the two arms of the bay are connected by a narrow sandy causeway behind which is the strange inland Salt Lake a morass in winter but partly dry in summer although liable to become impassable after rain stop on the far side of the Salt Lake is a low stretch of land partly bare and partly covered with scrub which gradually rises to the hills on which stand the villages of Kuchuk Anafarta and Biyuk Anafarta stop the heights on this ridge vary being highest toward the north from seven houndred to one hundred feet stop the immediate objective of the 10th and 11th Divisions after landing was this ridge the possession of which would place
[These deleted lines are repeated on page 134]
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 133]
[Blank page]

[Page 134]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 189 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 8
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section eight August eighth [censor’s deletion – (The immediate objective of the 10th and 11th Divisions after landing was this ridge the possession of which would place our troops right to the north of hill 971 and the Anzac position and seriously threaten the retreat of the Turks stop behind this ridge of Anafarta is another commanding position known as hill 820 and if we could also obtain possession of this the Turkish Armies to the south would be almost entirely cut off from all communication with the north and we would thus hold the two most commanding positions overlooking the Narrows stop)]
It was about nine thirty when the first of the ships conveying troops [censor’s deletion – the Thesus [Theseus] and the Endymion] passed [censor’s deletion – through the boom protecting] out of Kefalo Harbour and made for the rendezvous which is only some fourteen miles away from Imbros [stop] throughout the night the remainder of the transports trawlers and destroyers followed in prearranged order stop It was a pitch black night and at about two am the first of the motor lighters put in towards the shore stop three beaches had been selected A beach on the north shore of the bay and B and C on the southern spit stop the thirteenth Brigade of the 10th Division were opposed at A beach encountering rifle fire and land mines many of which exploded stop under these conditions it was decided to abandon the landing at A beach and the thirteenth Brigade were put ashore further out near the end of the northern spit where the 11th Manchester battalion had already landed and advancing along Kizlid Dar ridge gained some three miles of front where they entrenched and held their ground all day stop
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 135]
[Telegram form – message in code]

[Page 136]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 264 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 9
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section nine August eighth simultaneously with this movement the 11th Division and the thirty first brigade of the tenth began to disembark at B and C landings on the southern spit in their immediate front there is a small hill known as Lala Baba which the enemy held stop there was a short sharp fight before it was rushed at the point of the bayonet and afterwards groups of Turkish snipers in the low scrub on the right of the Salt Lake caused some casualties stop at dawn both divisions were firmly established ashore holding both spits of the bay and the low narrow neck running across the front of the Salt Lake stop
[censor’s deletion - no sooner had the fleet of transports entered the bay than a torpedo net was run across it with marvellous speed stop] as soon as it was daylight the Turkish artillery commenced to shell the neck and the landing places stop as far as I could gather they had two batteries in action and there fire was accurate but as usual the shrapnel was high and caused but few casualties whilst the common shell bursting in the soft sand also did but little damage stop
the precision with which this mass of men were put ashore was most remarkable and also the bearing of the new army under a heavy shell fire for the first time is something of which the whole country may be proud and opens up the brightest prospects for the future stop whilst these operations were in progress we could hear very heavy firing at about four am on the Anzac position showing that the Australians and 13th Division were also advancing [censor’s deletion - (to open the advance on 971)]
ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 137]
[Telegram form – indecipherable]

[Page 138]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 284 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 10
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section ten August eighth it was of the utmost importance to open up a sufficiently wide front without loss of time for the deployment of the 9th Corps in its advance against the Anafarta Hills this operation was splendidly carried out battalion after battalion was moved across the narrow causeway fronting the salt lake under a heavy shell fire the men never wavering stop our Cruisers [censor’s deletion - the Talbot Bacchante] and the monitors furiously bombarded the enemy’s gun positions but were unable to accurately locate them and silence their fire stop

a field battery and mountain battery were got ashore at dawn and placed in position on Lala Baba were they rendered effective support to our infantry advance stop the 11th Division after passing the causeway wheeled to the right to face the Anafarta ridge and found themselves in broken woody ground where their advance was temporarily checked and at the same time another brigade of the same division move along the narrow spit south of the lake stop these movements lasted throughout the morning stop at eleven am a Taube came over and endeavoured to drop bombs on the ships but fortunately missed them all stop throughout the afternoon there was no forward movement until five pm but reinforcements were continually been pushed ashore to strengthen the advanced brigades stop at four pm the sky became over cast a wind sprang up which at one time threatened to seriously interfere with the landing and then we had a violent downpour of rain stop this lasted twenty minutes and cleared the air to the great advantage of our thirsty infantry ashore who had no water except what they carried in their bottles

Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 139]
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[Page 140]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 226 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett’s first report of the British action at Suvla Bay, 6th – 10th August]
Section 11
R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section eleven August eighth thus refreshed at five o’clock the 11th Division again advanced stop they swept inland under very heavy shell and rifle fire in long lines keeping their formations beautifully as if on parade stop in vain the Turkish gunners tried to check the advance
the long lines swept forward amidst clouds of smoke and dust thrown up from the bursting shells they swept right across the back of the Salt Lake wheeling half right and finally joined up with the infantry who had advanced on the southern side stop

a long continuous firing line was thus formed in front of the Ananfarta Hills which is [in] the gathering darkness swept up the lower slopes disappearing in the scrub and gloom but before darkness had fallen two battalions of the 33rd Brigade had the captured the advanced position of Yighir Burnu and are firmly established in front of the main ridge stop this ended the days fighting stop a most successful landing has been made we have deployed on a big front and have everywhere penetrated some three miles inland stop on the other hand the Turks were taken by surprise their reserves have not yet come up and their main position is still intact stop I have no details of the advance from Anzac [censor’s deletion - but I have learnt that the hill known as Chunuk Bar has been captured and the Australian forces and 13th Division are now quite close to their main objective hill 971)] end of message
ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 141]
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[Page 142]
[Telegram form]
XA22/25 daily telegraph wds 226 confirmed

[Page 143]
[Telegram form]
XA22/25 daily telegraph wds 226 confirm

[Page 144]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 300 words]
[Ashmead Bartlett’s second report on the British action at Suvla Bay, and the Anzac attack on Lone Pine, 6th – 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section one August nineteenth stop since the great battle the greatest fought on the Gallipoli peninsular closed on the evening of August 10th both armies have been busily engaged in consolidating their new positions in taking stock of their gains and losses and replenishing their ammunition and munitions and in sorting out and reorganising the divisions brigades and battalions which of necessity become intermingled in this rugged mountainous country stop since last cabling I have had time to visit the ground over which the Anzac Corps advanced in its desperate efforts extending over four consecutive days to reach the crest of Sari Bair the commanding ridge overlooking the Dardanelles which gives access to the highest peak of all the sinister heighth of Koja Chemen which is torn asunder by a giant ravine stop
The New Zealand Infantry Brigade the Gourkas and some battalions of the 13th Division almost reached their objective but were unable to hold their ground through no fault of their own stop the 6th battalion of Gourkas actually reached the crest of the plateau and was chasing the Turks down the reverse slopes when by one of those unavoidable mischances which are bound to happen in modern warfare more especially in broken mountainous country some of our own shells [censor’s deletion] landed in their midst stop at the same moment the Turks taking advantage of the resulting confusion counter attacked in great force and the gallant men from the Hills were driven back off the crest to the lower spurs beneath stop but the survivors obtained a view and have given a description of the promised land which lay beneath them stop Below lay the waters of the Dardanelles and they looked down on the Narrows and Kilid Bahr stop
ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 145]
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[Page146]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 299 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section two stop along the roads they watched the Turkish transport streaming southwards and automobiles dashing to and fro stop it was a bitter disappointment to have to relinquish the [censor’s deletion] crest when it almost seemed within the grasp after so many months but there was no alternative stop the Anzac Corps fought like lions and accomplished a feat of arms in climbing these heights almost without parallel but all through they were handicapped by the failure of the 9th Corps to advance and make good its positions on the Anafarta Hills further north and thus check the enemy’s shell fire which swept the crest of Chunuk Bair with devastating effect stop when all the details of these complicated operations are collected and sifted will form one of the most fascinating pages of the whole war stop

It was a combat of giants in a giant country and if one point stands out more than another it is the marvellous hardihood tenacity and reckless courage shown by the Australians and New Zealanders stop neither would it be fair to overlook the part played by the 13th Division of our new Armies in this section of the field stop although new to their work and unaccustomed to the novel conditions of mountain warfare and not acclimitised to marching fighting and climbing in the heat of August often for hours without water they nobly supported the Colonials and suffered heavy losses unflinchingly stop I have already mentioned the great efforts of the Indian Brigade and in a previous despatch have referred to the great role played by the Maoris who proved themselves extremely skilful in creeping forward in this broken ground and cutting wire to prepare the way for the advance

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 147]
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[Page 148]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 298 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section three stop in order to enable the forces detailed for the main movement towards which it was hoped would lead to the occupation of the Sari Bahr position from Chunuk Bair through Q Hill to Koja Chemen Tepe it was necessary to attract the enemy’s attention towards the south and force him to keep his troops in front of our lines in position while the main force debouched from the Anzac position stop therefore at 5-30 on August 6th the 1st Australian Division made a desperate attack on the Lone Pine position situated on a plateau four houndred feet high south east of the Anzac lines stop quite apart from acting as a diversion this position had great strategic importance for it opens up the main lines of communication between Anzac and the Kalid Bahr plateau further south stop

therefore the Turks had fortified it with the utmost care and had turned it into a veritable fortress for they had covered in their trenches with huge pine logs railway sleepers and teak planks of immense thickness covering the whole with earth so that their trenches were impeverous to all shells except the heavy howitzers stop in order to debouch from their trenches with a minimum of loss the Australians dug tunnels towards the enemy and then ran passages at right angles with numerous concealed exits which could be easily opened up when the signal came for the advance stop the assault at 5-30 on August 6th was proceeded by fifteen minutes furious bombardment from the field batteries howitzers and ships guns stop but the Turks were too well dug in for this fire to have much effect and it was left to the infantry to force the position

ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor

[Page 149]
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[Page 150]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 294 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section four stop The Australians rushed forward to the assault with the fury of fanatics taking little heed of a tremendous shrapnel fire and enfilading rifle fire stop on reaching the trenches the great difficulty was to force their way in for the head cover was so strong and heavy that it had to be torn away by main force stop groups of men effected entrances at various point and jumped in on top of the Turks who fought furiously caught as they wear in a trap some surrendered but the majority chose to die fighting stop in every trench and sap and dug out desperate hand to hand fighting took place four lines of trenches being captured in succession fresh infantry being poured in as the advancing lines were thinned by losses stop

in this fighting bombs played the most important role and it was only by keeping up an unceasing supply that the Australians were able to hold the position after it had been won stop the Turks massed their forces and for three nights and days made desperate counter attacks frequently retaking sections of the line only to be driven out again stop in this extraordinary struggle which took place almost underground both sides fought with an utter disregard for life stop the wounded and the dead choked the trenches almost to the top but the survivors carried on the fight over heaps of corpses stop in spite of the immense reinforcements and the most determined courage the Australians held the ground thus won and finally the Turks wearied of the struggle stop The trenches were now merely battered shambles and the task of removing the dead and wounded took days to accomplish stop in this ghastly struggle one thousand

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 151]
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[Page 152]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 282 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section five stop the bodies of one thousand Turks and Colonials were removed from the trenches alone whilst houndreds of others lie outside where it is impossible to drag them in stop [censor’s deletion] the total Turkish losses in this section alone are estimated at five thousand chiefly incurred in their furious counter attacks in close formations amongst which each bomb burst with fearful effect stop this capture of Lone Pine is the most desperate hand to hand fight that has taken place on the peninsular stop But this was but a diversion and preliminary to the main movement northwards which commenced the same evening under cover of darkness stop

no finer feat has been accomplished in the course of the war than the manner in which the troops destined for the main movement against the Sari Bahr Ridge were deployed for the attack stop without a minute examination of the map it is difficult to make the position clear but it must be understood that the original Anzac position consists of two semi circles of hills with the north and south flanks resting on the coast and almost entirely surrounded by higher ground on which the enemy’s lines was not attempted for this would have entailed an immense loss of life and would probably have ended in failure stop there was only the attack which resulted in the capture of Lone Pine Plateau and sorties from Quinns Post Russells’s Top and Pope’s post north east of the position to hold the enemy in his trenches

ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 153]
[Telegram form – indecipherable]

[Page 154]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 318 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section six stop from Anzac Cove the hills culminating in Koja Chemen Tepe take a general direction north east leaving an ever widening gap of flat ground between them and the sea shore which stretches northwards to Anafarta Bay stop along this flat ground the Australians have a line of outposts the most advanced of which was when the movement commenced was No 2 Post just beyond the point known as Fisherman’s hut all connected by a wide sap as by daylight it is impossible to cross the flat ground in the open as the enemy holds all the positions on the hills above stop now all the troops stores ammunition destined for the attack on the Sari Bahr position had during the days to be passed out to No 2 Post along this sap or else along the beach under cover of darkness stop

millions of rounds of ammunition and thousands of shells were successfully concentrated at the advance posts without the enemy becoming aware of the movement neither did he know of the strong reinforcements which had reached the Australian Corps stop all this required the utmost skill and was successfully kept a profound secret stop the troops had therefore to leave the Anzac position in narrow columns and pass along the sap or the beach after dark and then having passed the outposts to deploy over a wide front facing the various spurs and deep ravines which give access to the Sari Bahr position stop but before this could be attacked a number of outlying posts held by the enemy old No 3 Post Bauchop’s Hill Big Table Top and Little Table Top had first to be taken and held stop all this meant a preliminary move due north over broken ground in total darkness and then a wheel due east to assault the main ridge

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 155]
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[Page 156]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 289 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London
Cable five section seven stop It was at nine pm on August sixth when [censor’s deletion] the force destined to attack old No 3 Post crept forward from the outposts stop for nights past the navy had thrown its searchlights on this and other lower positions and bombarded them at frequent intervals this procedure was not departed from on the sixth and the Turks had no suspicion of the coming attack stop when the lights were switched on to another position the Australians dashed forward and speedily captured the position in succession throughout the night Bauchop Hill and Big and Little Table Tops were occupied stop

by the morning of the seventh our whole force was holding the front Damakjelik Bair to Sazli Dere and was slowly moving towards the main Sari Bair position in face of great difficulties harassed by the enemy’s snipers and checked by the difficulties of the ground and the scarcity of water stop at dawn on the seventh the left of our line had reached the Asma Dere position the Indian Brigade had advanced a long way towards Chunuk Bair and had reached the farm whilst the New Zealand infantry Brigade [two lines deleted by censor] was on Rhododendron spur and ridge stop [censor’s deletion] it was decided to postpone a further advance until nightfall stop the fighting however continued everywhere throughout the day the Turks making constant local attacks and harassing our lines everywhere with their snipers stop At four am on August 8th the advance was once more resumed stop the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade on the left advanced from Asma Dere to Abdel Rahman from which position it was hoped it could wheel to the right and attack Koja Chemen Tepe

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 157]
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[Page 158]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 319 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section eight but little or no progress could be made with this attack the Turks were in great strength and at one time threatened to surround the Brigade which had to be withdrawn to its original position on Asma Dere where it held out all day against determined attacks stop meanwhile the New Zealand column advancing up Rhododendron Ridge made a most determined assault on the crest and succeeded in gaining the south western slopes of the main peak of Chunuk Bair whilst the Indian Brigade on their left also gained ground north east of the farm and on Hill Q stop

again the exhaustion of the troops the necessity of reserting the units the scarcity of water and the collection of the great numbers of wounded made it necessary to break off the action until nightfall stop only those who have been over the ground can have any conception of the difficulties of these short advances they are a stiff climb in normal times without an enemy in front and without the climbers being encumbered with kits rifles food and ammunition stop throughout the afternoon of August 8th the forces were reorganised into three columns [censor’s deletion] New Zealanders on right [censor’s deletion] Indians in centre and [censor’s deletion] 38th Brigade on left for a final assault on Chunuk Bair which was timed to begin at dawn on August 9th stop large reserves from the 13th Division were thrown into the firing line to assist the New Zealanders and Indian Infantry Brigades and the men were as far as possible rested throughout the day and early part of the 9th stop the advance on the morning of the 9th was preceded by a heavy bombardment of Chunuk Bair and Hill Q by naval and land guns stop the advance of No 3 Column was delayed by the broken nature of the ground and the enemy’s resistance

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 159]
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[Page 160]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 290 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section nine stop meanwhile the 6th Gourkas [censor’s deletion] advanced gallantly up the slopes of Sari Bair and actually succeeded in reaching the neck between Chunuk Bair and Hill Q stop it was from here that they looked down on the Dardanelles but were unfortunately unable to hold their position in the face of violent counter attacks and heavy shell fire stop meantime the Turks counter attacked [censor’s deletion] the left column in great strength and they were compelled to withdraw to the lower slopes of Sari Bair stop meantime throughout the day and night the New Zealanders succeeded in maintaining their hold on Chunuk Bair although the men were thoroughly exhausted stop

during the night of the 9th the exhausted New Zealanders were relieved by the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment and the 5th Wilts stop at dawn on the 10th the Turks who had been strongly reinforced made a most desperate assault on our lines from Hill Q and Chunuk Bair stop to the strength of a division in successive lines they hurled themselves quite regardless of their lives on the North Lancashires and 5th Wilts who after a desperate resistance were driven from their position by artillery fire and sheer weight of numbers further down the slopes of Chunuk Bair stop following up their success the Turks charged right over the crest and endeavoured to gain the great gully south of Rhododendron Ridge evidently with the intention of forcing their way between our lines and the Anzac position stop but they reckoned without our artillery and the ships guns stop this great charge of four successive lines of infantry in close formation were plainly visible to all our warships

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 161]
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[Page 162]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 395 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section ten stop and to all our batteries on land in this section the Turks were caught in a trap the momentum of their charge down hill prevented them recoiling in time and they were swept away by houndreds in a terrific storm of high explosives shrapnel and common shells from ships guns six inch howitzers and field pieces stop never since the campaign started has such a target delighted the hearts of our gunners stop as the huge shells from the ships exploded in their midst huge chunks of soil were thrown into the air carrying figures of their panic stricken infantry amidst which you saw human bodies hurled aloft and then chucked to earth or thrown bodily into the deep ravines

[Page 163]
[Telegram form – marked ten/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
But even this concentrated artillery fire might not have checked the Turkish advance unless it had been assisted by the concentrated fire of ten machine guns directed by the famous Hythe [musketry school] shot Sargeant Major Wallingford at short range stop For half an hour he maintained a rapid fire until the guns smoked with heat stop during the whole of this time the Turks were pouring across the front in dense columns attempting to attack our men occupying the farm stop hardly a Turk got back to the hills again stop

[Captain J.A. Wallingford, M.C. Auckland Regiment]

[Page 164]
[Telegram form – marked ten/3]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
the lines got mixed up in a wedge as those in front tried to retire whilst others pressed them from the rear stop some fled back over the crest seeking to regain the trenches others dashed downwards to the ravines where our shrapnel searched them out stop in a few minutes the entire division had been broken up the charge checked and the survivors scattered everywhere stop thus if they succeeded in driving us from the crest of Chunuk Bair the Turks paid a terrible price for their success stop the Turks certainly fought with desperate courage this day evidently realising the precariousness of their position if we succeeded in retaining Chunuk Bair and the neck between it an Q Hill stop they attacked in great strength all along the lines our positions extending from Damakjelik Bair through Asma Dere and the spurs and farm north east of Rhododendron Ridge held by the 88th brigade stop at the latter point portions of our lines were compelled to give ground but the magnificent conduct of our officers saved the day stop

[Page 165]
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[Page 166]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 250 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section eleven stop generals and colonials fought with rifles and bayonets alongside their troops in the firing line stop it was a fierce hand to hand struggle amongst the scrub through broken ground in which no man knew how his comrade was faring stop many commanding officer were killed including General Baldwin who had throughout these four days set a splendid example to his men stop gradually the enemy was driven back and the ground we had been obliged to abandon regained stop

throughout the day of the 10th the enemy continued his attacks with gradually lessening power but could not force our men from their hard won positions stop at nightfall the fighting gradually died down from the sheer exhaustion of both armies and the consequent impossibility of any further physical effort stop thus closed for the time being amidst these bloodstained hills the most ferocious and sustained soldier’s battle since Inkerman stop but Inkerman was over in a few hours whereas Englishmen Australians New Zealanders Gourkas Sikhs and Maoris kept up this terrible combat with the Turks for four consecutive days and nights amidst hills dongas and ravines nine houndred feet above the sea to which point all water rations and ammunition had to be borne along paths which do not exist except on the map and down which every man who fell wounded had to be borne in the almost tropical heat of August in the Mediterranean stop [three lines deleted by censor]
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Brig. Gen. A.H. Baldwin, 38th Inf. Bde]

[Page 167]
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[Page 168]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 250 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 6th to 10th August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable five section twelve stop The result of the operations in this section has greatly extended the Anzac position stop you no longer have that confined stifled feeling of too many men being crowded into a restricted area stop the line now runs north until it joins up with the 9th Corps before Anafarta stop we hold the foot hills and are established beneath the crest of Chunuk Bair some way down it is true at the top of Rhododendron Ridge stop here our men have securely dug themselves in and await events with that complacency which is characteristic of the British and Colonial soldier stop

in spite of the disappointment of being so near our first goal the men do not seem at all down hearted and express themselves as willing to have another try stop if our plans did not succeed in full it is certainly no fault of the troops who advanced from Anzac stop had the 9th Corps pressed forward its advance on the 8th and 9th a great deal of the pressure would have been taken off General Birdwood’s army and it only needed just a little of that dead weight of numbers to be removed for the Anzac Corps to have made good and consolidated that short and desperate grip it got on Chunuk Bair stop
between our lines and the Turkish trenches you look out on a scene of desolation the Turks lie in masses just as they have fallen or have been thrown out of the trenches to make room for the living whilst at one point I saw a Colonial an Englishman a Maori and a Gourka all lying dead side by side marking the highest point yet reached by the Imperial forces in the peninsula

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

[Page 169]
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[Page 170]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 2 Sept. 1915. 194 words]
[Report by Ashmead Bartlet on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable six section one stop August twenty third stop if we have failed in the great strategic scheme of getting astride the peninsular north of Anzac by seizing the hills round Anafarta and forcing the enemy to abandon his positions before Achi Baba and on the Kilid Bahr salient it has certainly not been through want of trying stop the original plan just failed as the most carefully laid plans will go wrong in war because the 9th Corps failed to carry out the task assigned to it namely to push through with a rush when the enemy was completely surprised and had only a few battalions picked troops it is true of Gendarmes to oppose the tenth eleventh and fifty third divisions stop every possible step had been taken by the General Staff to insure the success of this dash and only one factor was lacking which caused the fatal delays on August eighth and ninth namely a veteran division of picked and tried troops such as the famous twenty ninth proved itself to be on that historic morning of April twenty fifth at Seddul Bahr stop

[the following passage deleted by censor]
but we have no more such divisions available stop our highly trained veterans have long since been swallowed up in the insatiable maw of this gigantic struggle and the Commander in Chief of an army must rely on our new formations to undertake the most difficult intricate and delicate operation known in war namely landing in the face of an enemy and seizing positions in mountainous rugged broken unexplored country without hesitation and adequate reconnaissance stop it is absolutely no slight on the new armies to say they proved unequal to the task stop they fought bravely and bore cruel losses but the officer and soldier with nine

Ashmead Bartlett / Maxwell Censor

[Page 171]
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[Page 172]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 2 Sept. 1915. 212 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable six section two stop officers and men with only nine months training behind them cannot be expected to have the experience and cohesion and dash of regular troops who have been trained together for years until every officer knows his men and the men have gained that implicit trust and confidence in their officers stop

another factor which told heavily against these new troops was the fact that they had obviously been trained for service in France and Belgium and had accustomed themselves to move over flat ground from trench to trench in solid rushes after a prolonged artillery preparation keeping in touch with one another and not losing their formations stop but the ground at Anafarta is very close and broken and rises gradually to the hills stop it is essential to advance in very open order and the men thus speedily become separated and out of touch with their officers and comrades stop it requires troops highly trained in skirmishing and self reliance where every man will push on to the objective of his own accord without stopping for orders or to see if his comrades are following stop for this kind of warfare these new troops had not been prepared stop

Ashmead Bartlett / Maxwell Censor

[Page 173]
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[Page 174]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 2 Sept. 1915. 207 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London

Cable six section three the first attempt to seize the hills round Anafarta have definitely broken down by the morning of August tenth it required time to sort and reorganise the units to collect the wounded and to land stores ammunition and artillery before any fresh attempt could be made against the position and it was not until August twenty first that the army was in position to make a [censor’s deletion] frontal attack on the Turks in this quarter stop The prizes which would reward success were great and fully justified a [censor’s deletion] supreme effort

ashmead Bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Page 175]
[Blank page]

[Page 176]
[Telegram form – marked three/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.

Cable six section three stop this ten days interval was of course made full use of by the enemy who now knowing definitely where our main blow would fall was able to released his divisions in the north stationed round Bulair and bring some of them to the threatened point stop all hope of effecting a surprise had now vanished and it was obvious that if the position was comprised within the sector stretching from Hill seventy to hill 112 the line chosen for our assault could only be taken by a frontal attack and sheer hard fighting stop meanwhile the Turks ah made full use of the time afforded them

Ashmead Bartlett / Maxwell Censor

[Page 177]
[Telegram form – not transcribed]

[Page 178]
[Telegram form – not transcribed]

[Page 179]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 2 Sept. 1915. 246 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London

Cable six section four and accordingly to their invariable practice had dug themselves in up to their necks stop every day disclosed new trenches which had been dug in the night and it was obvious from the manner in which they searched our beaches and camps with shell fire that several fresh batteries had been brought in to this front stop meanwhile the position of our line had changed but little except that it had been rendered secure from attack by digging permanent trenches right across the low ground in front of Anafarta and out into the plain southwards being connected by a series of posts to the Australian left flank stop opposite our trenches in the open the Turks had also dug two lines of immense strength and carefully loopholed stop our immediate objective on the left was the capture of this hill known as seventy on the map or Burnt Hill among the troops which lies in front of the main position and which has caused us so much trouble ever since the landing stop

[the following deleted paragraph is repeated on the page 181]
our centre and right were to advance from the ridge in front of Chocolate Hill or Yilghin Burnu and from the trenches in the plain south of it and after capturing the

[Page 180]
[Blank Page]

[Page 181]
[Telegram form – marked Six/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable six section four our centre and right were to advance from the ridge in front of Chocolate Hill or Yilghin Burnu as it is marked on the map and from the trenches in the plain south of it and after capturing the Turkish trenches in the low ground in their immediate front where to converge and assault the main objective hill one houndred and twelve stop
Ashmead Bartlett / Maxwell Censor

[Page 182]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 2 Sept. 1915. 221 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London

Cable six section five for this supreme effort [censor’s deletion] was massed along the line Hill 70 to Hill 112 and the second mounted Division of Yeomanry recently arrived from Egypt without their horses were held in reserve behind Lala Baba stop [six lines deleted by censor] the disposition of our forces was as follows stop the 87th one Brigade of [censor’s deletion] was ordered to attack Hill seventy the 86th another Brigade [censor’s deletion] hill 112 with the 88th Brigade a third in reserve whilst the tenth and eleventh divisions holding the trenches in the plain to the south were to rush the Turkish trenches in their front and then wheel northwards to converge on hill 112 from the south stop throughout the early part of the day the troops rested quietly in their trenches the soldiers [censor’s deletion] were calm as usual but fully realising the responsibilities of the task assigned to them which they regarded as more difficult than any attack they had made at Helles excepting the original landing
ashmead Bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Page 183]
[Telegram form – marked five/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.

Cable six section five [three lines deleted by censor] for the bombardment which was to proceed the attack the battleships [censor’s deletion] moved in closer to the shore supported by the cruisers [censor’s deletion] and several monitors stop exactly at three pm on August twenty first the first gun was fired and for half an hour we witnessed another of those terrible bombardments which have become commonplace on this bloody soil stop

Ashmead Bartlett / Maxwell Censor

[Page 184]
[Blank page]

[Page 185]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 2 Sept. 1915. 207 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London

Cable six section six the battleships and cruisers concentrated on Hills seventy and one houndred and twelve supported by field guns and heavy howitzers stop once again the enemy’s trenches appeared to be swallowed up in clouds of earth and smoke but the Turks showed no sign and not a man left his position stop whilst this bombardment lasted the enemy’s guns replied furiously concentrating their fire chiefly on and behind Chocolate Hill which was wreathed in bursting shrapnel stop very soon the shells set fire to the bush and shrub which fanned by a breeze burnt furiously spreading with amazing rapidity and at times blotting out the positions in clouds of rolling smoke and flames stop at three thirty [censor’s deletion – the Inniskillen Fusiliers] a regiment crept forward from their trenches and endeavoured to forma firing line at the foot of Hill seventy stop this was the signal for a terrific outburst of rifle fire from the whole length of the Turkish line which showed what little effect the shelling had had on that iron hearted infantry

ashmead bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Page 186]
[Blank page]

[Page 187]
[Telegram form – marked six/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.

Cable six section six stop at the same time [censor’s deletion] another Regiment advanced against the south side of Hill seventy and established themselves in the burnt shrub at its foot stop

Ashmead Bartlett / Maxwell Censor

[Page 188]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 2 Sept. 1915. 284 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London

Cable six section seven the guns still thundered away at the trenches on top but the Turkish infantry did not seem to care many of them standing boldly up from cover in order to get a better view of the advancing lines of Khaki figures stop the rifle fire was deafening and I do not think I have ever heard such a din as that produced by the ships guns field pieces bursting shells and thousands of rifles on any battle field before stop at three fifty the two regiments made a final rush up Yilghin the hill the Inniskillons/Fusiliers a battalion from the west the Border Regiment and another from the south stop a great solid mass of khaki with bayonets glistening amidst the smoke and dust seemed to emerge from the burnt shrub and surge towards the trenches on top stop
For a few minutes the artillery lengthened their fuses and shelled the reverse slopes leaving the trench line clear stop the Turks came out on top and fired furiously into the advancing lines some of them seemed to waver for a moment and abandoned the crest running down behind but the majority stuck to their trenches determined to die where they stood stop our men got high up the hill but on the north side the [censor’s deletion – Inniskillons] battalion was brought to a standstill by machine guns and cross fire on the south some of [censor’s deletion – the Borderers] our men reached the top and jumped into the trenches where they died fighting amongst the Turks at the point of the bayonet stop in fact at this southern angle a desperate hand to hand fight took place and never have the enemy fought with greater courage and determination

Ashmead Bartlett / Maxwell Censor

[Page 189]
[Blank page]

[Page 190]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 3 Sept. 1915. 306 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.

Cable six section eight stop for a few minutes to looked as if the hill was won for our men were swarming all over it just below the crest and had actually occupied a section of the trench line on the south but then the Turkish battery behind Hill112 began to pour salvoes of shrapnel into our ranks at a range of only twelve houndred yards which simply swept whole lines away and forced the survivors to retire further down the slopes to some feeble cover stop here they hung on for a few minutes but the attack had spent its force and [censor’s deletion] came [censor’s deletion] back to the trenches they had so recently left stop the attack had failed [censor’s deletion – where so many had failed before them] stop once more Hill seventy was left to the Turks the wounded and dead stop

meanwhile the fighting had been just as severe on the right for at three thirty the troops of the eleventh Division rushed from their trenches and stormed the first Turkish line under fearful fire over ground without a particle of cover the advance of the [censor’s deletion] Brigade from the ridge in front Yilghin Burnu being held up until the right had accomplished its first task stop unfortunately it was found impossible to storm the second Turkish line in the flat a deadly loopholed trench with overhead cover stop attempts were made but our men fell in groups the dead and wounded lay scattered everywhere stop unable to clear the Turks from the open our infantry wheeled to the north according to the previous plan to form for an assault on Hill 112 whilst [censor’s deletion] a Brigade advance from the ridge in front of Yolghin Burnu or rather they were driven off it to the south side by the terrible fire which had broken out
ashmead bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Page 191]
[Telegram form – not transcribed]

[Page 192]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 3 Sept. 1915. 285 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.

Cable six section nine stop having been ignited by the bursting shells the flames swept in a solid bank sourmounted by rolling clouds of black smoke right across the hill and the heat was terrific stop many of the wounded who had been placed or had crawled there for safety had to be hastily carried out and laid in the open where they came under the enemy’s fire stop all this delayed and stopped a further development of the attack on one houndred and twelve stop the eleventh division wheeling towards the same objective were caught at short range by the enemy’s second trench on their flank in the open plain and suffered heavily in fact it became obvious it would be impossible to proceed with the advance on 112 unless this trench line was taken stop

our artillery concentrated on it but with little effect and all attempts to rush it were simply swept away stop throughout the afternoon the fighting in this quarter was intense and the rifle fire tremendous but we could not gain another yard of ground stop meanwhile orders were issued for another attack on Hill seventy by [censor’s deletion – the South Wales Borderers] a battalion which had hitherto been held in reserve and the second Mounted Division in reserve behind Lala Baba stop this splendid body of troops in action for the first time and led by men bearing some of the best known names in England moved out from under cover and proceeded to cross the Salt Lake in open order stop no sooner did they appear than the enemy concentrated a heavy shrapnel fire on the advancing line fully exposed as they were in the open

ashmead Bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Page 193]
[Blank page]

[Page 194]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 3 Sept. 1915. 307 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.

Cable six section ten stop But the men of Dorset Bucks Wilts Warwick and London moving as if on parade pressed steadily on loosing many but never wavering and formed up behind the [censor’s deletion] infantry Brigade in front of hill seventy stop it was now six o’clock and once more the crest was furiously bombarded by every available gun whilst the Turkish batteries concentrated on our trenches stop the scene was majestic but awful for the light was rapidly waning and the whole horizon almost blotted out with enormous clouds of smoke and flames as the trees scrub homesteads and very grass burnt furiously at a dozen different points whilst the noise of the guns and the incessant and never ceasing roar from thousands of rifles rendered the scene a perfect inferno stop
a little after six [censor’s deletion - the South Wales Borderers] a battalion went forward and seized the southern slopes of the hill and began to dig themselves in preparatory to a further advance against the top stop at this point the shell fire seemed to begin to tell on the Turks for many of them could be seen streaming from the northern knoll of the hill down the trench line either because it had become untenable or they were preparing to meet the advance of [censor’s deletion] our men stop for about an hour there was no change in the situation and then the Yeomanry again moved forward in a solid mass forming up under the lower western and northern slopes stop it was now almost dark and the attack seemed to hang fire when suddenly the Yeomanry lept to their feet and as a single man charged right up the hill stop They were met by a withering fire which rose to a crescendo as they neared the northern crest but nothing could stop them
ashmead bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Page 195]
[Blank page]

[Page 196]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 3 Sept. 1915. 370 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable six section eleven stop they charged at amazing speed without a single halt from the bottom to the top losing many men and many of their chosen leaders including the Earl of Longford and gallant Sir John Milbanke [VC] stop it was a stirring sight watched by thousands in the ever gathering gloom one moment they were below the crest the next on top a moment after many had disappeared inside the Turkish trenches bayonetting all the defenders who had not fled in time whilst others never stopped at the trench line but dashed in pursuit down the reverse slopes stop from a thousand lips a shout went up that hill seventy was won [censor’s deletion – which was confirmed officially a few minutes later] stop
but night was rapidly falling the figures became blurred then lost all shape and finally disappeared completely from view as one left Chocolate Hill one looked back on a vista of rolling clouds of smoke and huge fires from the midst of which the incessant roar of the rifle fire never for a moment ceased stop this was ominous for although [Hill] seventy was in our hands the question arose could we hold it throughout the night in the face of determined counter attacks stop in fact all through the night the battle raged incessantly and when morning broke seventy was no longer in our possession stop apparently the Turks were never driven off a knoll on the northern crest from which the enfiladed us with machine guns and artillery fire whilst those of the Yeomanry who had dashed down the reverse slopes in pursuit were counter attacked and lost heavily been obliged to retire stop therefore it was decided it was impossible to
Ashmead Bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Page 197]
[Telegram form – marked Eleven/2]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet’s report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.

Cable six section eleven stop in the night it was decided it would be impossible to hold the hill in daylight and the order was given for the troops to withdraw to their positions stop nothing whatever will lessen the glory of the final charge of England’s Yeomen stop Thus ended this great fight [censor’s deletion – wherein in spite of so much gallantry not even the Old Guard and the Yeomen failed to pierce the Turkish line] stop However the troops at Anzac achieved some successes the fifth Australian Infantry Brigade finally driving the enemy from Hill sixty whilst our whole line was linked up with a trench line instead of isolated posts stop
ashmead bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor

[Transcribed by Peter Mayo for the State Library of New South Wales]