GALLIPOLI EVACUATION IN 1915

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29803, 21 April 1962, Page 16

GALLIPOLI EVACUATION IN 1915

“Guardian’s” Report JFas Unexpectedly Authorised ONE of the first eye-witness accounts to appear in the British press of the Anzac evacuation from Gallipoli in December, 1915, was written by a Christchurch medical officer. The story of how it came to appear in the “Manchester Guardian” only nine days after the evacuation is as interesting as the narrative itself. The writer was Lieutenant-Colonel C. T. Hand Newton, who was awarded the D.S.O. and was twice mentioned in dispatches. Lieutenant-Colonel Hand Newton kept a daily diary of his experiences on Gallipoli and sent the manuscript, as'opportunity offered, to his sister in Manchester, Lady Rutherford, wife of the famous New Zealand physicist. On the day the last diary account of the Anzac evacuation reached her, Lady Rutherford was present at a dinner attended by many notabilities. On one side of her sat Mr C. P. Scott, the famous veteran editor of the “Manchester Guardian”; on the other the Chief Censor.

Inevitably the discussion turned to the Gallipoli campaign—and probably to the paucity of the news about it. Lady Rutherford mentioned that she had that day received the latest entries from her brother’s diary telling of the evacuation. ‘“But of course they are highly secret.” she added. “Why should they not be published?” asked the newspaper man: and the censor replied, in effect: “Why not? All the troops who can be evacuated are now safe. No harm can be done.” On December 29, 1915, the "Manchester Guardian’’ printed Lieutenant - Colonel Hand Newton’s story, anonymously, under three decks of headings: "The Astonishing Anzac Evacuation. A New Zealand Officer’s Story. Anxieties as the Lines Thinned.” The diary entries from which the extracts were taken are set out below:

“Aegean Sea, Christmas Eve, 1915.— 1 will continue my diary from the day I last wrote to you. December 10.— Received reinforcements for our unit today two officers and 36 men. which brings us up to war strength. This afternoon I had tea with the Colonel of a British battery, who curiously enough, proved to be Col. Sykes, who many years ago was a master at the Christchurch Boys’ High School, but who had been in the regular army ever since. I was astonished to learn that he was leaving immediately, with some of his personnel and guns. December 11.— This morning we received an order to evacuate all cases from our hospital, except these that will be fit to rejoin their regiment in 24 hours Much speculation as to what is in the wind! Dees this mean we are going out? It looks like it. but it is not safe to deduce anything in the Army. We hear that the Turks are putting 12in howitzers into position, so that we may expect a warm time in the future. December 12.— Told secretly to be ready to embark at any moment Weather at present is dead calm; may it continue so! Much excitement in the air. as it is generally thought that Anzac is to be evacuated It will be a terribly difficult feat and any hitch in the middle would mean a great disaster December 13.— Evacuation of the position is now proceeding steadily, and we hear that 3000 troops left last night. Weather today is threatening and it looks as if we are in for a storm. The landing was difficult enough but the final evacuation will be a desperate business. The Anafarta Plain already has a deserted appearance. and many of the guns have already been taken away The Turks must surely know what is happening, and we live in the expectation of their attacking at any time This evening all our stores were transported to Walker’s Ridge, where we are to embark. Transport was partly by mule trains and partly by our own stretcher bearers.

December 14.—Dull aAd

threatening, but fortunately no wind is blowing. The final scene when our troops are withdrawn from Anzac will be very thrilling and the estimated casualties are 6000 to 10,000, and for which number of wounded, we learnt later, preparations had been made in Lemnos. Many of our mounted troops have gone The last colonial troops to withdraw are to consist mainly of the old Main Body —Australians and New Zealanders. The first to land and the last to leave, • they have played a glorious part

December 15.—We expected to get orders to evacuate tonight, but none had come, and we hear we go out tomorrow night, the eve of the final retreat. It has been a very trying day, and tomorrow will not be less so Our line is now precariously thin, and we have only a few cannon left, which now fire a great deal to compensate for the others which have gone. If the Turks attack strongly, nothing can save a disaster. Their artillery has hardly fired at all for two days, so perhaps they are also hatching a scheme. Our warships have been firing incessantly at Helles, so probably they think we are going to try another assault on Achi Baba The weather still keeps fine and I have never studied the sky with so much apprehension, for a spell of bad weather would absolutely stop all embarkation.

December 16.— Spent an uneventful, rather anxious night, as it seems impossible that the Turks don’t realise what we are doing. So far the evacuation has gone without a hitch. Today is again calm, the wind has subsided and the sea is quite smooth. This morning there are four hospital ships quite close in, and several store ships,, but no transport. All evacuation, of course, is done under cover of darkness. The roads and saps seem deserted and where we are accustomed to see hundreds of troops passing, only small parties now come.

December 17.— -Still here but at last have some definite orders. The final evacuation takes place on two nights and we are to leave on the first of these. Let’s hope that it will be soon, as this suspense is very trying. The Turks are extraordinarily quiet and there is nothing doing in any of the trenches. Our few—very few remaining guns make a bold show, but the effect (to us) is very thin and the blanks in the batteries are very noticeable to us if not to the enemy. We hear that Cape Helles is not to be evacuated, so the Turks will not be free of the invader when we have left.

December 18. Received orders to depart tonight •wl six o’clock. The whole position now seems absolutely deserted, and hardly a man or mule passes our dressing station. It is still fine and the sea is absolutely calm and one could not wish for better weather for the ‘grande finale.” A few donkeys near us keep up a pathetic he - hawing, a* if they realise their

imminent abandonment. This afternoon for about two hours the Turks strafed our sector vigorously and about 50 shells (mainly shrapnel) fell into Taylor’s Hollow. Hardly a square yard in this area but received its bullet, but there was never a man there to serve as its host! Our aeroplanes have kept up all day and at one time we could see five simultaneously and no hostile plane has dared to venture near our lines. Tonight the garrison is to be reduced and tomorrow evening the remainder embark—or what is left of them. One of the most difficult of military operations has so far been carried out with tremendous success, but there are still 20,000 troops at Anzac and tonight or tomorrow will be very criticaL December 19. — At 5.45 last night we silently left our camp, leaving our fires burning and the station fitted up to receive wounded —our own or Turkish —who may require aid' tomorrow. My last act was to write a letter to the incoming Turkish M.O. and to put on the gramophone the record “A Turkish Patrol.” Quietly we passed Chalk Hill (with the old Colonel's grave showing up in the moonlight) and proceeded to No. 2 Post, which has been the scene of so much slaughter during the last eight months. There we found about 500 others, who had orders to rendezvous there at 6 p.m. V.’ithout delay the leading files entered the sap which leads to Walker’s Pier. Not a word was spoken nor a match struck as we proceeded, rapidly and as silently as possible. One felt keyed up. and at any moment one feared to hear the sound of rifle fire, which would indicate a sudden Turkish attack. W® were halted a short time just before we reached the mouth of the sap and heard several shells burst near the pier but soon we again moved off. At Last we reached the pier and were loaded with wonderful despatch. The wharf was covered with sacking to dull the footsteps, and without a single casualty we were got safely on board, and immediately afterwards the warship moved out to sea All this time not a shell was fired, although Beachy Bill had dropped four near the pier when we were in the sap Throughout the night 10.000 men were embarked and only one was wounded by a stray bullet! It was a glorious feat! We had a splendid welcome and supper was awaiting both men and officers. Half an hour later we left for Lemnos and the last sight we had of Anzac was a huge bonfire burning on the beach near Walker's ridge Few of us will ever see Anzac again Over 8000 New Zealand and Australian' dead lie buried there, and alfhousfi the objective was never gained, it has been the scene of many deed' of heroism and has made the reputation of the colonial soldier Suvla Bay will always be one of the disasters in British history, and when one looks back pn August 8 and feels sure that if the Suvia Army had made good, we should by this time have defeated Turkey, one feels a terrible disappointment and. alas, resentment We got no sleep and reached Mudros at 3 a.m and disembarked a’ 430 ".m After a weary day we got finally settled in our eamp. and that evening the New Zealand Artillery dined us well , and we had a jolly evening yarning together

December 20.—Slept long and deep, as we were terribly weary from the strain of the last few days. The first of the Anzac diehardf arrived this afternoon, and great was our relief to hear that things had passed off better then even the most •hopeful had anticipated Indeed, we bear their only casualties were three sprained ankles! The final evacuation was admirably executed. At 7 o’clock this morning the Turks furiously bombarded our trenches, and no man had been in ‘hem for over six hqprs Whet a fitting testimony to the skill and secrecy of the retreat! At 5 pjn. the last of the Anzacs arrived in camp and were efieered down the road lined with troops for nearly a mile. Very proud they looked and

none present will ever forget those rtrained, exhausted, but dauntless faces! General Birdwood must be a very proud man today His troops are as full of fight as ever and will yet win some great battles. And now? What next?

P.T.A. Indoor Bowling Club. —The organisation of an indoor bowling club formed by the Shirley Bovs’ High School Parent-teacher Association was approved at a meeting of the school’s board of governor*. The school’s gymnasium will be by the club.