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[Page 27]
[The following five pages have been transcribed from Cpl. Rhodes' shorthand and extracts from these pages are included in the narrative, "The Memorable Month of August 1915" on Pages 25 and 26.]
Headquarters, New Zealand and Australian Division
Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
Gallipoli Peninsula, 14/9/15
[The following paragraph crossed through.]
You will hardly have been expecting a letter from me when you read all of our doings during the past six weeks. to keep continuity in the diary and in the sequence of notes I have already sent to you the official report on operations during 12th July to 5th August, I now enclose three divisional reports, namely the special report on the operations 6th to 10th August, the second report on the operations during 11th to 31st August and a third account of operations on our left flank under Major General Cox one of our Brigade Commanders. Before leaving Anzac for these particular operations, I sent you full reports up to date so with these divisional ones and these and other private letters from time to time I hope your headlines will be able to patch up a consecutive narrative of our doings up to date of 31st August.
From the casualty returns which of course you have received ere this you could judge what the quality and extent of the fighting which our men have gone through. It has been an enormous undertaking. These operations were entirely entrusted to General Godley and from the order of Godley which I enclose you will see that the force we controlled was equal to that of two Army Corps. We had never less than 41 Bns. and sometimes 45. The preparations for this gigantic move were of course exceptional and came very hard on Pin. and myself but still we managed to get through it. It was a great loss losing Coningham two days after we started with a broken leg by shrapnel. He was the best English officer in the Peninsula and the greatest help and we feel his loss greatly.
I also enclose a copy of orders for the advance in shore movements and assault of the Sari Bair position of this enormous force. The fighting lasted fast and furious for four days and we all but did the trick. Some of our troops were actually on top of the mountain for 24 hours before being bombed out of it and unable to hold on through sheer weakness, want of water and lack of reinforcements. The real reason that it did not completely succeed is that Brig. General Baldwin's column consisting of 5 Battalions, only one of which belonged to his own Brigade, on the morning of 9th August got mixed up, missed their way, arrived at the rendezvous 3½ hours late and then attacking over the long front losing heavily.