DESPATCH FROM GENERAL HAMILTON.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6494, 22 September 1915, Page 3

DESPATCH FROM GENERAL HAMILTON.

(Continued from Page o

On the 20th, at fivn in the afternoon, white flags, with crescents, began to appear all along the line. Major-Central Walker met the Turkish officers half way between the trenches. TJhc Turks askf.d for a suspension for the removal of their dead and wounded. Major-General Walker said he^had not the power to comply, but would exchange letters at eight o'eiock.

Meantime hostilities Were recommenced in ten minutes. Hearing of these movements General Birdwood ordered the trenches to be manned against apossible attack. The enemy's concentration continued and everything pointed to the Turks' intention to use the last of daylight to get their troops into position without being shelled.

A message was sent across that the clearing away of the dead and wounded would rot be allowed during the night. Immediately in front of our right section masses of Turks advanced behind our line?, unarmed men holding up their hands. Firing became general all aiong the Turkish line, and was accompanied by heavy bombardment. Evidently the attack was prearranged. »

Suspension of Hostilities. As the Tuiks seemed anxious to bury their dead and human sentiment and medical science bcth favoured the course, I sent General Braithwaite to assist General Birdwood in making arrangements. The result was the suspension of arms on the 24th from 7.30 to 4.30. Three thousand Turkish dead had been killed on or sine* the 18th and were r< moved or buried. Fighting Round QuinnV Post.

The fighting from May 25th to June sth seemed to concentrate round Quinn's Post. Enemy galleries were detected there, but work on them was stopped by countermines, killing twenty Turks and wounding thirty. One gallery was overlooked and a mine was sprung at &.30 on the morning, of the 29th on the centre of Quinn's Post, followed by a very heavy bomb attack, before whichi our left centre subsection fell back, letting in a Turkish storming party and isolating the subsection.

At 5.30 we counter-atacked and in half-an-hour, the position was retaken with the bayonet by the 15th Australian Infantry, led by M3jor Quinn, who, unfortunately, was killed. We killed or captured all the Turks in the trench and the work of restoration was commenced.

Fine Work of Artillery. The Turks again attacked at 6.30, supported by artillery, machine gun and rifle fire, and Bhowe'l-3 of bcrobs from the trenches. The steadiness of our infantry and the fine shooting of our guns enabled us to inflict a bloody repulse, demoralising the-enemy with such effect that their second line of bomb throwers flung, their missiles into the middle of their own first line. At 7.15 the attacks slackened and at 8.45 practically ceased. Our casualties were two officers and thirty-nine men killed. Twelve officers and ]76 men were wounded. The enemy's losses must have been serious. Except for the first withdrawal, in the confusion of the mine explosion, all the ranks fought with the greatest tenacity and courage.

3 On the 30th the parties at Quinn's Post went forward and cleared two enemy sapheads. They penetrated the. trenches beyond, tiut were gradually driven back by a counter-attack, despite our heavy supporting fire. The casualties were chiefly caused by bombs, of which the enemy seemed to have unlimited supplies. Intrepid New Zealanders. On the night of June Ist, two New Zealand sappers crept out and laid a charge of guncotton against a timber and" sand bag bombproof shelter, which was completely destroyed. Series of Sorties. At sunset on June 4th the Anzacs carried out three enterprises. In compliance with my order the enemy's attention was distracted "while an attack was deli ye re d in - the southern zone. Firstly, we made a demonstration in the direction of Gaba Tepe, the navy co-operating by bombarding the trenches, Secondly, we made a sortie at eleven o'clock atnight towards a trench two hundred yards from Quinn's Post. This failed, but a second sortie by a hundred 'men at 2.55 in the nforning penetrated the trench and demolished a machine gun emplacement. They withdrew in good order. Thirdly, at eleven at night a party of sixty from Quinn's Post, accompanied by bomb throwers on

either flank, stormed an enemy trench and bayoneted many and captured 28 Turks. A working party followed up the attack. I Meanwhile we heavily attacked Turkish trenches on our left with machine guns and grenades, drawing very heavy lire. After daybreak the Turks strongly attacked and captured a trench, using a heavier type of bomb than hitherto utilised. At 6.30 we were obliged to abandon the trench and retire to our' original fire trench. Our casualties were eighty, but the enemy's were I considerably heavier. On the sth two officers and one hundred men of the First Australian Infantry sortied from Quinn's Post, their objective being the destruction of a machine gun in a trench known as the German Officers' Trench. A special party of men, under Lieut. Eric Lloyd, dashed for the machine gun. One man managed to lire three rounds into the gun from a range of five feet and another man three rounds from the same range through a loophole. The darkness of the trench and the overhead cover prevented the use of the bayonet, but some damage was done by shooting down .over the parapet and as much of the trench as possible was dismantled. The party was enfiladed all the time by machine guns on either flank. The aim of the gallant assault was attained and the party withdrew in good order with their wounded. The total capualties in the sortie were .36.

Turks Crumpled Up. Incessant attacks and counter-attacks till the end of June grievously swelled the casualty list. Several of these daily encounters would have bean subject to separate dispatches in the campaigns of my youth, I cannot even so much as-mention them here brieily. I mention one as an example from each of the French, British and Anzac spheres, so that the nature of the demands made on the troops' energies ard fortitude may be understood. On the night of June • 29th the Turks, under Enver Pasha's direct oi'der to drive us all into the sea, made a big attack at Anzac, principally on the portion of the hm under General Godley. From midnight till 1.30 musketry and gunfire of the greatest intensity was poured on our trenches. Heavy columns of Turks tbtn advanced to the assault, but were crumpled up by the musketry and machine guns of the 7th and Bth Light Horse. An hour later another grsn-J attack against our left was equally cut to pieces by our artillery and rifle fire. The enemy casualties may be judged from the fact that in the areas exposed to view between four hundred and five hundred were actually seen to fall.

Generals Eulogised. General Hamilton eulogises General Gourand, French Commander-in-Cbief, lor his daring1 in danger and calm in crisis; General Hunter Weston, for his resolute genius for war; General Braithwaite, for untiring loyalty, and General Maxwell, for remarkable administrative abilities in Egypt. General Birdwood has been the soul of Anzac. JNot for a single day has he ever quitted his posi. He is cheery and full of human sympathy and has spent many hours out of each twentyfour inspiring the defenders in the front trenches. If unknown to every soldier in his force at least every soldier believes he is known to his chief. Loss of Gaiiant Comrades.

General Hamilton concludes:—-"I must reifer to the shadow cast over the whole of our adventure by the loss of so many gallant true-hearted comrades. Some we shall never see; some have the mark of the Dardanelles set upon them for life; and others, thank Gcd by far the greater proportion, will be back in dae course at the front."