LEAVING ANZAC

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 223, 8 June 1918, Page 9

LEAVING ANZAC

THE GREAT EVACUATION

AN INTERESTING NARRATIVE

( . f A very interesting account of the evacuation of Gallipolr was given by .Major It. B. Smytlio, N.Z.H.C., 111 a lccture bel'oro the Garrison Officers' Institute last . night. Colonel Campbell was 'in ilia chair.

Major Smylhe, alter describing tho situation at A nunc Cove, stated that a fortnight before tlie daco fixed for the evacuation there were 12,000 men at Ansae Cove. 'The plan was to get t.ho u unite down to 2O.O0I) secretly, and then remove this remaining forco in two nights. 'J'ho 22,000 men wero taken aivay on .various excuses. A brigade was sent to ono of tho islands for "a rest." The horses were shipped off on tho plea (hat they would not lio required during the winter. Tho 22,000 men wero moved Hway safely during the fortnight preceding tho evacuation without the Turks suspecting what was going on, and without tho real nature of tlie movement being revealed oven to the New Zealand And Australian forces concerned.

Tho evacuation of tho remaining 20,000 men was to be. undertaken on the nights of December IS and l'J. The Navy had .undertaken to move 10,000 men each night, tho maximum number, that could lie handled in the time. The front line .was to be held until the end, tho troops increasing their rate of Sre as their ranks, thinned, and so giving the enemy tho impression that tho trenches were still firmly held. The scheiuo involved an enormous amount of detail work. Elaborate plans had to bo made, times had to bo synchronised, and all sorts of contingencies had to be foreseen. Three main piers, all under the firo of the Turkish guns, were available for the embarkation of tlie troops, but they were not sufheient for 10,000 men in a single night, and additional landing stages had to be prepared and hidden away until they were required. Tracks had'to .bo multiplied, and all arrangements rehearsed. There were ten guns to be destroyed, including a 4.7 gun that had been the pride of the artillerymen, and large quantitiesof stores to bo destroyed. Much ammunition was dumped into tho Bea.

An accident that causw! much anxiety to the staff, said Major Smytlie, was a'firo in the main supply dump close to the piers. This fire broko out on December 16, aaid efforts to suppress it. were in vain. The . flames rose 200 feet high. The dump burned itself out during the night and the following day, and fortunately the Turks, inslead of suspecting tho destruction of stores, imagined that they had started the firo with their 6hells.. The weather on the evening of December 18 was perfect, with a slight mist, and by 5 p.m. it was dark enough for the movement of troops to begim Extraordinary precautions had been "taken to' ensure silcnco. All equipment likely to jinglo had been muffled. Wharves and some of the roads had been covered with straw. The men moved down to tho beach in parties of <100, each party being tho maximum load of a lighter. Tho lighters wero packed to their" full capacity, and. took- their freight as rapidly as possible to tho ships that wero waiting. There were all Boris of ships—mine-sweepers, transports, old battleships, destroyers, and clastal craft. The Navy was moving 10,000 men fi;om Suvla Bay the eamo night, and its resources were being taxed to tho utmost. At about 3.45 a.m. on December 4 it was reported that the first part of the evacuation had been completed without a hitch.

General Russell stayed in command of tho rearguard. Ho had a most responsible position, said Major Smytlio, for .if tho Turks had suspected what was 3iappening antl attacked tho remaining 10,000 men, tho British losses would inevitably have been enormous. Thero was lceen competition among the men for the honour of staying till the last night, and only the best men were left. December 19 was a day of keenest anxiety for tho staff, who. scarcely dared hopo that tho Turks were not aware of what was happening. Tho weather was threatening and there were .various ' alarms. Tho Tturks early in the morning opened a heavy bombardment of the strongest .points in the Anzac line, and it was reported, probably incorrectly, that large bodies of Turkish troops wero in movement. Then a Turkish aeroplane came over tho position, and had an opportunity to make a good observation of the partly deserted lines and see what wns •to be seen. Finally an enemy submarine ;was reported off the wharves. But the night came without any untoward incident and at 5 o'clock the final movement of the evacuation began. As tho parties came down from the front line the remaining men spread out ond increased their rate' of fire., There was a rearguard party, 250 strong, of real "die-haTds," under command of an Australian colonel named ■Patten. This party was to . cover the wharves until tho end, and its members expected to liave a very rough time indeed. The nucleus of an ambulance section stayed until the end also. Tho ambulance men Wero to have been left behind altogether in the event of fighting occurring, it being felt that wounded men ought not to bo left without attention. But this sacrifice did not become necessary, since the anticipated Turkish', iattack did not occur. i Tho movement of the remaining troops

preceded without ft hitch during the night, Thoro woro no noise, no confusion, and no hurry. An occasional dull explosion told of tho destruction of ono of tho guns that had to bo left behind. Tho lint parly to leavo tho lino fired a big mino that had been laid at Russell's Top, and tho-explosion drew ■ a blaze of firo fr.jin tho Turks along tho wholo line. Tho deserted colonial trendies made soui) reply, 6ince rifles had been left with'tl;e ingenious "home-made" attaclm.cnt that would firo theui after tho men had gone. Tho last party eamo down from the front lino and got aboard tho lighters; tho linal rearguard, the ambulance unit avd the remaining oflieers followed, and before f> a.m. tho staff received tlie "all clear" report. The find iuci(!(-ii ! came after daybreak, added Ma,or Sinytbe. General Godley iind hi-: offices weie watching from a mino rwcopor, and between (i a.m. and H a.m. they taw the Turks heavily bombarding the fro:iJ; li'io Then about 8 a.m. tho Turks began to come over in inrga numbers. They found tho British trendies .unoccupied, and quickly sivarmt.J down to the beach, where there, were still great dumps of stores of all kinds. T!;o enemy soldiers raided thoso stores with evident enthusiasm, and did not appeal to be 'discouraged by tho surprises tint wero awaiting tliem in the form of concealed bombs, etc. Tho dumps wero black with Turkish soldiers when tho British warships opened a heavy lire, and the shells not only caused many casualties among tho enemy troops, but set the dumps on lire. Tho line of fires quickly extended right along (lie beach, and could not liavo left much booty l'or the Turks to take away. Major .Smyths was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address.