State Library of NSW
[Page 65]
difficult to get about especially up to Gaba Tepe. There are many rumours of Cabinet changes. To-day I heard we are to have a Coalition Government with Balfour at the Admiralty and that Winston is to be outed which I do not think would upset the Navy much. Everyone is alamed about the future of this expedition which has been one long muddle from start to finish.
Wednesday May I9thI decided this morning to draw up a memorandum of the whole situation and to send it in in the form of a letter just to see if the Military Authorities will let it through, but I do not think they will. In any case I intend to leave a record of what I think ought to be done if we are ever going to get through to Constantinople. I feel certain the Military Authorities out here are concealing the truth from the Authorities at home and that they will not tell them the real facts about the situation because they are afraid they will be withdrawn altogther and then good bye to K.C.Bs K.C.MG and all the other damned Gs and Peerages they have in mind. But this is only plaing with a great question when the whole safety of your country is at stake. But our leaders in the field are very little men. That is the trouble Thursday May 20thAt six am the Cornwallis went up the Dardanelles to act as Flank bombarding ship. We were at battiestations and soon commenced a vigorous attack on both Europe and Asia aiming I believe at a 5-9 gun on the Asiatic side European side and at some batteries the Turks are supposed to be constructing on the Asiatic side. There was the usual fearful waste of ammunition and the general discomfort caused to every -
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