Item 02: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett articles on the Gallipoli campaign, 1915 - Page 38

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at the Dardanelles having been launched just over twenty years ago. Then she was the pride of the British Fleet and the envy of all Foreign nations at at once became Flagship of the Channel Squadron. For years in fact she remained a flagship until superceded by vessels of superior power. But her glory had long since departed and for several years before the present war she had been practically on the scrapheap and was actually waiting to be sold out of the service at the commencement of the present struggle. But necessity knows no age limit. When the expedition to the Dardanelles was decided upon she was refitted and a crew consisting chiefly of old reservists was placed on board her whilst most of her officers were also drawn from the R.N.R. Out in the Mediterranean she has done her full share of work up the Straits and bombarding the enemy's positions. In fact it may be said of her as was said of Cicero 'Nothing in her life became her as her end'. Now for the last forty eight hours of her existance, owing to the immense influence of hostile submarine naval operations the old Majestic the veteran of the fleet after twenty years of laborious and honourable service all over the world found herself once more a Flagship proudly flying the Rear Admiral's flag and the omly battleship left off Cape Helles to protect our army ashore, and to brave the terrors of the enemy's submarines.

That afternoon the Vice Admiral came down to Cape Helles to hold a consultation with the Rear Admiral and the two commanders met the one on the Majestic and the other on a small yacht bought of a resident of Constantinople earlier in the war. Such is the malign influence exercised by submarine. Throughout the afternoon of the