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[Page 196]
[Telegram form – The Eastern Telegraph Company, Limited. Alexandria Station. Dated 3 Sept. 1915. 370 words]
[Continuation of Ashmead Bartlet's report on the second combined British/Anzac operations at Suvla Bay and Lone Pine, 21st August]
Daily Telegraph London R.T.P.
Cable six section eleven stop they charged at amazing speed without a single halt from the bottom to the top losing many men and many of their chosen leaders including the Earl of Longford and gallant Sir John Milbanke [VC] stop it was a stirring sight watched by thousands in the ever gathering gloom one moment they were below the crest the next on top a moment after many had disappeared inside the Turkish trenches bayonetting all the defenders who had not fled in time whilst others never stopped at the trench line but dashed in pursuit down the reverse slopes stop from a thousand lips a shout went up that hill seventy was won [censor's deletion – which was confirmed officially a few minutes later] stop
but night was rapidly falling the figures became blurred then lost all shape and finally disappeared completely from view as one left Chocolate Hill one looked back on a vista of rolling clouds of smoke and huge fires from the midst of which the incessant roar of the rifle fire never for a moment ceased stop this was ominous for although [Hill] seventy was in our hands the question arose could we hold it throughout the night in the face of determined counter attacks stop in fact all through the night the battle raged incessantly and when morning broke seventy was no longer in our possession stop apparently the Turks were never driven off a knoll on the northern crest from which the enfiladed us with machine guns and artillery fire whilst those of the Yeomanry who had dashed down the reverse slopes in pursuit were counter attacked and lost heavily been obliged to retire stop therefore it was decided it was impossible to
Ashmead Bartlett / Capt Maxwell Censor