Item 03: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett telegrams, 1915 - Page 152

[Page 152]

[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 1 Sept. 1915. 282 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 five stop the bodies of one thousand Turks and Colonials were removed from the trenches alone whilst houndreds of others lie outside where it is impossible to drag them in stop [censor's deletion] the total Turkish losses in this section alone are estimated at five thousand chiefly incurred in their furious counter attacks in close formations amongst which each bomb burst with fearful effect stop this capture of Lone Pine is the most desperate hand to hand fight that has taken place on the peninsular stop But this was but a diversion and preliminary to the main movement northwards which commenced the same evening under cover of darkness stop
no finer feat has been accomplished in the course of the war than the manner in which the troops destined for the main movement against the Sari Bahr Ridge were deployed for the attack stop without a minute examination of the map it is difficult to make the position clear but it must be understood that the original Anzac position consists of two semi circles of hills with the north and south flanks resting on the coast and almost entirely surrounded by higher ground on which the enemy's lines was not attempted for this would have entailed an immense loss of life and would probably have ended in failure stop there was only the attack which resulted in the capture of Lone Pine Plateau and sorties from Quinns Post Russells's Top and Pope's post north east of the position to hold the enemy in his trenches

ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe Censor