Item 03: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett telegrams, 1915 - Page 156

[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