Item 03: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett telegrams, 1915 - Page 11

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[Page 11]

[Despatch by Ashmead Bartlett, dated 21st May, 1915. A heavily censored despatch. Compare this with the lack of deletions in the reports by Compton Mackenzie.
It includes a vivid description of the Turkish attack on Anzac of 18th May. See - Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918; Vol. II. Ch. V]
R.T.P. Press Copy – Ashmead Bartlett – Passed by Censor
Cable Urgent

Daily Telegraph London

May twenty first section one stop [censor's deletion – the terrible] Linden von sanders has just made another effort to carry out his threat to drive the British army into the sea with the sole result that his unfortunate dupes the Turks have received another quote [censor's deletion - most damnable] hiding quote from the Australians and New Zealanders [censor's deletion – in their efforts to carry the Anzac position] stop their losses have been enormous amounting at the very least to seven or eight thousand killed and wounded [censor's deletion - and do not as far as can be ascertained include a single German as the latter after pointing the way and encouraging them forward in the customary manner seem to have discretely remained behind in the comparative safety of the trenches] stop the cost of this most encouraging success has been triflying amounting to some five hundred Colonials killed and wounded whilst the moral effect on our most splendid comrades who were becoming rather bored with sitting tight day after day in the narrow trenches must be equivalent to the addition of nearly an entire army corps to their ranks stop

I have already described the [censor's deletion – Anzac] position in previous despatches and to-day the Australians and New Zealanders are holding almost the same perimeter as they were after the first few days of the landing except that the lines have been extended [censor's deletion - more to the north along the sea shore] stop [censor's deletion – Anzac] This is indeed [censor's deletion – is] one of the most remarkable positions ever seized and occupied by an army on a hostile coast and the more you see of it the more extraordinary does it seem that the Colonials were ever able to climb it and afterwards hold it on the historic Sunday April twenty fifth stop [deletion by Bartlett] it consists roughly of two semi circles of hills the outer higher than

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