Item 03: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett telegrams, 1915 - Page 125

[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]