Item 03: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett telegrams, 1915 - Page 119

[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