THE DARDANELLES TASK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13717, 22 June 1915, Page 4

THE DARDANELLES TASK.

HOW GENERAL ",'. BIRD WOOD RE- ' GARQEj>ET.. /,v. "A ?ROBJuEM ThS liA-6 EUZZLED ;so£t>rEßs ybiars." When General $ji>dwood, —who. has command of the Australian, troops, .entered upon, the task of co-operating, with the naval forces >jin staking .the, JJardanelles forts,; he'^fvlly realised, the dangers and difficulties of the job that had Been given him. and his men. .. This fact is made quite plain by the .address which General , Birdwood delivered . t*o- officers and men as a means.of inspiring them to make their strongest efforts, towards the .fulfilment of -a,, task, of 'tremendous difficulty, and giving %theni - uaefuL . adv vice from the experience of a -trained soldier. This 1 address, which was print 1 ed, runs as follows:— "Officers an,d Men., — s "In conjunction with, t^e -Xavy we are about to undertake one of tho moist difficult tasks any soldier can be called on to perform, and a' < problem which has puzzled many soldiers I ' for years past. That we .will succeed I have no-doubt, simply because I know your full determination to do so. Lord Kitchener has told us that he lays special stress on iihe role 'the army ihas to. play m this particular operation, the success of . which will be a v«ry severe blow to, the enemy — indeed, as severe as any she cpuld re r ceive m France* It will ; go, dp'wii, < tp history to the glory o^^the, soldiers', of Australia and New Zealand. Betpr.e we start, there axe one or two points which I must impress on all, and I most earnestly beg every single, man to listen attentively and take tnejie^to heart.. "We are going to have a. real hard and rough time of it untilj^at.allevent^/ we have turned the enemy out of.oui: first objective. Hard w rpngh finws none of us mind, but gjat , through them successfully we must, always before us the following -facts Vrr^yery jpossiJjle endeavor will be made Xo -bring up transport as often as possible,; bjut ;the. country whither we are .bound is y4i?y difficulty "we-gaay. jbti v b'e-.«ble to get our waggons any/fTOeT?^Niiear-us;ipr days, so men must hot think their wants have, been neglected if jwiqy do. not g^t all they want. On landing it will „be Heoejjary for every individual to ,cwry with him all his refjuixementsS jn f,oo^_ and clothing for thr^dajra, as we nmy. not (see our transport .jtity. then, Remember then that it .-is .essential "^r-. everyone to take the very ca^-e not only of his f 00$ but of 1^ ammuivition, the replem'shmei^ v pf jH^ich will be very difficult. Men are^fahl^ *P wu'pw. away their food the first 4 a jj : 'oyt $x$ to finish their water bottles -as soon; as they staiTt marching.' if v . you dp : thjs now/ we . can hardly hope" ior ,*ucce^s, as unfed men cannot 'fight, and you must :nia&e l aaVe]ffi6rt ta;try- and refrain from • ;i pn. your water 'ibotti.es until quite late m the^ day. .Once .you begin 'drinking you ca fW i P s^op^aiida - water bottle k very BOPt^jemßtaed. .. . "Also as regards ajmniunition-^ypu must not waste it by ftryng ayray indis-^ criminately at no tartffit v yThe . tM^e will come when we shall, and the enemy m well entrenched ppsiticttja. from we shall have U> turn^- mem.ou^ v . wlwn all our ammunition .wilt , be required ; and remember— -Vt- : .- _ -; •' .;, "Concealment whenever -wasib}©, "Covering fire always,, j? \{ "•• . "Control of fire and -control of your men, "Communications never to be neglected. •■":.-.,' v "W. R. I^RDWOOD."