Item 03: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett telegrams, 1915 - Page 150

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[Page 150]

[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 294 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 R.T.P.
Cable five section four stop The Australians rushed forward to the assault with the fury of fanatics taking little heed of a tremendous shrapnel fire and enfilading rifle fire stop on reaching the trenches the great difficulty was to force their way in for the head cover was so strong and heavy that it had to be torn away by main force stop groups of men effected entrances at various point and jumped in on top of the Turks who fought furiously caught as they wear in a trap some surrendered but the majority chose to die fighting stop in every trench and sap and dug out desperate hand to hand fighting took place four lines of trenches being captured in succession fresh infantry being poured in as the advancing lines were thinned by losses stop

in this fighting bombs played the most important role and it was only by keeping up an unceasing supply that the Australians were able to hold the position after it had been won stop the Turks massed their forces and for three nights and days made desperate counter attacks frequently retaking sections of the line only to be driven out again stop in this extraordinary struggle which took place almost underground both sides fought with an utter disregard for life stop the wounded and the dead choked the trenches almost to the top but the survivors carried on the fight over heaps of corpses stop in spite of the immense reinforcements and the most determined courage the Australians held the ground thus won and finally the Turks wearied of the struggle stop The trenches were now merely battered shambles and the task of removing the dead and wounded took days to accomplish stop in this ghastly struggle one thousand

ashmead bartlett / Radcliffe Censor

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