CLEARING FOR ACTION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 January 1928, Page 5

CLEARING FOR ACTION

DARDANELLES CAMPAIGN. MEMORIES RECALLED. WAR CORRESPONDENT'S STORY. BY CABLE-PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. (LONDON, Jan. 23. Mr Ashmead Bartlett has commenced in the “Daily Telegraph’’ a series of Avar memories of the Dardanelles that will be a frank comment upon the strategy and conduct of the campaign. The preliminary article, entitled “Clearing for Action,” describes the coming of General Sir lan Hamilton aboard tho Arcadian on May 14, 1915. General Hamilton informed Mr Bartlett that he was entirely in favour of Avar correspondents Avith the army, although their despatches Avould be censored. He, personally, would take care that nothing was taken out, except anything in tho category of military secrets.

Mr William Maxwell, a former war correspondent and a member of General Hamilton’s' staff, vvas appointed censor and Mr Bartlett pays a tribute to his impartiality and his efforts to smooths out the difficulties that arose between the Avar correspondents and the general staff as CA'ents Avent from bad to Avorse.

“Meanwhile,” continues the article, “about 70,000 troops assembled. We aboard the battleship London were kej>t busy rehearsing the landing of the l'lth Australian Battalion under Colonel Johnston, Avho Avere to go ashore from our ship to facilitate the disembarkation. Simultaneously a great number of Avide Avooden ladders Avere made up on board, doAvn Avhich tAvo fully-equipped men could climb at the same time. These ladders, Avith the ship’s gangAA r ays, enabled 500 to 600 to embark into boats and steam pinnaces in a few minutes. The ctcavs of the boats were busy all day landing troops on the shores of the bay and in bringing them off at night. All the ships carried out similar rehearsals. “This was the first time we Avere in contact Avith the Australians, and they certainly created a fine impression. With their physique and general bearing they were "a truly magnificent body, but their ideas of discipline Avere very different from those of our old regulars. The men seemed to discipline themseh-es. Their officers had very little of the authority OAving to their rank, personality playing a more important role. This was easy to understand because the officers lacked experience and the authority that comes from years of service. Nevertheless they struck me as an efficient body of men Avho could be relied upon in an emergency. Whatever they lacked in discipline and experience would be compensated for by their native intelligence and initiative.”