Item 01: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett diary, 1915-1917 - Page 171
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[Page 171]
of attacking at Helles. I pointed out that they must know by now that the 20th Division had been brought round on account of the numbers of dead lying about the evacuated positions. They had no answer to this so it is obvious to me that their real reason is they do not wish it known in England that they employed the 29th for this final effort. It looks to like working a willing horse to death. However I think it an awful pity to rob the 29th of the credit due to them. It will only be however for a time. They have succeeded in ruining my dispatch.
I found the whole of G.H.Q evidently reconciled to the, prospcets of a winter campaign. The younger members of the Staff are very disconted with the conduct ofnthe campaign. I had a talk with George Lloyd who evidently takes a very serious view of the situation in the Balkans. He seems to think there is a chance of Bulgaria coming in against us which would mean she would attack Servia to regain what she lost by the Treaty of Bucherest. Maxwell says the news from Russia is too bad to print in the Gallipoli liar. george Lloyd says the whole staff must go. That Sir Ian has lost all confidence in himself and is simply the tool in the hands of Braithwaite who is thoroughly stupid but ambitious and obstinate. In his opinion where the campaign has broken down has been in the actual direction of operations on the battlefield. In this I quite agree. He was just off to Athens offically and promised to bring me back the latest news as he was to see Chirol. Greece is said to have declared war in any case Venezelos has formed a ministry. But what good is Greece to us without Bulgaria.