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[Page 134]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 24 Aug. 1915. 189 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlett's first report of the British action at Suvla Bay,
6th – 10th August]
Section 8R.T.P. Daily Telegraph London
Section eight August eighth [censor's deletion – (The immediate objective of the 10th and 11th Divisions after landing was this ridge the possession of which would place our troops right to the north of hill 971 and the Anzac position and seriously threaten the retreat of the Turks stop behind this ridge of Anafarta is another commanding position known as hill 820 and if we could also obtain possession of this the Turkish Armies to the south would be almost entirely cut off from all communication with the north and we would thus hold the two most commanding positions overlooking the Narrows stop)]
It was about nine thirty when the first of the ships conveying troops [censor's deletion – the Thesus [Theseus] and the Endymion] passed [censor's deletion – through the boom protecting] out of Kefalo Harbour and made for the rendezvous which is only some fourteen miles away from Imbros [stop] throughout the night the remainder of the transports trawlers and destroyers followed in prearranged order stop It was a pitch black night and at about two am the first of the motor lighters put in towards the shore stop three beaches had been selected A beach on the north shore of the bay and B and C on the southern spit stop the thirteenth Brigade of the 10th Division were opposed at A beach encountering rifle fire and land mines many of which exploded stop under these conditions it was decided to abandon the landing at A beach and the thirteenth Brigade were put ashore further out near the end of the northern spit where the 11th Manchester battalion had already landed and advancing along Kizlid Dar ridge gained some three miles of front where they entrenched and held their ground all day stop
Ashmead Bartlett / Radcliffe censor