CAPE HELIES.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3598, 2 April 1924, Page 5

CAPE HELIES.

HOW THE IMPOSSIBLE WAS ACHIEVED j ONLY TROOPS’ FATIGUE I SAVED AOHI BABA j [By Electric Cable—Copyright] ; [Aust. and N.Z. CabJa Association.] ■ (Received Tuesday 7 p.m.) j LONDON, March 31. j Lord Wemyss, in his account of the Gallipoli campaign, briefly refers I to the transfer of Australians to Cape ' Helles, eulogises the capture by the I British of Hill 141, as set-off to which came the news of the inexplicable retiremeht from Y Beach, which was a great surprise to Sir lan Hamilton. Lord Wemyss expresses the opinion that but for fatigue, nothing could have prevented the troops, after the success opposite Krithia on April 27 b from pushing on and capturing Achi Baba. The policy of starvation in the matter of reinforcements, however, crippled us from the outset, for who can doubt that had the reserves been available, Achi Baba, which is the key to the situation, would this day have been ours and the issue no longer in doubt.”. In his diary May 1, Lord Wemyss says: “We have a pretity firm footing on the Peninsula now, and it seems unlikely the enemy will turn us out. I don’t think the people of England can possibly grasp the magnitude of the job we have undertaken, ft Is al. most the Impossible that Is being achieved. Personally, I do not believe the Turks will collapse till the fleet gets through the Straits, which cannot bo till the Peninsula is in our hands.” , In discussing the accumulation of wounded men and the lack of special accommodation, Lord Wemyss says: “ I heartily cursed the lack of foresight which allowed such an expedition to be undertaken with moans so inadequate. I look back on the last ten days and wonder how on earth we got through with so little assistance from Home. If we had been successful it would not have been due to the help or encouragement from the Admiralty.” In the meantime he mentions the situation of the Australians at Gaba Tepo has improved and there is little chance of the enemy dislodging them from the position so hardly and gallantly won.