United States or Kiribati ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
In South Africa, this feature which looks like, and actually is, a good observing post, would have been thoroughly searched by fire. The Turks seem, so far, to have left it pretty well alone. After a long talk during which we fixed up a good many moot points, went on to see General d'Amade. Unluckily he had just left to go on to the Flagship to see me.
" Assure General d'Amade and the French troops of our entire confidence that their courage and skill will result in the triumph of their arms. We, here, think of Lord K. too. May his shadow fall dark upon the Germans and strike the fear of death into their hearts. Just got following from the Admiral: "H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, "23rd April, 1915. "My dear General,
All this partly from d'Amade to me; partly his Staff to my Staff. Nogués and his brave lads have done their bit indeed for the glory of the Army of France. Meanwhile, d'Amade is anxious to get his men off soon: he cannot well stay where he is unless he carries the village of Yeni Shahr.
Both Hunter-Weston and d'Amade came on board in the forenoon, Hunter-Weston quite fixed that his men are strained to breaking point and d'Amade emphatic that his men will not carry on through another night unless they get relief. To me fell the unenviable duty of reconciling two contrary persuasions.
I tender to Major-General Hunter-Weston and to his Division at the same time my profoundest sympathy with their losses and my warmest congratulations on their achievement. IAN HAMILTON, General. Also I have penned a farewell line to d'Amade: GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, MEDN. EXPED. FORCE, 12th May, 1915.
Not in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne or Perth no, nor in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington or Auckland, did I meet specimens like unto these. The spirit of War has breathed its fires into their hearts; the drill sergeant has taken thought and has added one cubit to their stature. D'Amade has just been to make me known to a couple of Frenchmen about to join my Staff.
Braithwaite came back and reported all serene; everyone keen and cooperating very loyally. D'Amade has now received the formal letter I wrote him yesterday after my interview and sees his way clear about Kum Kale. Went ashore in the afternoon and saw big landing by Australians, who took mules and donkeys with them and got them in and out of lighters.
I never saw so many ships collected together in my life; no, not even at Hong Kong, Bombay or New York. Filled up with oil fuel and at 7 a.m. d'Amade and Major-General Paris, commanding the Royal Naval Division, came on board with one or two Staff Officers.
Hard up as we are for shell he thinks it best to blaze it away freely before closing and to trust our bayonets when we get in. He and d'Amade have both of them their Western experience to guide them. I have agreed, subject only to the condition that we must keep some munitions in reserve until we hear for certain that more is on its way. The enemy had trusted to their shore defences.
About this time we heard from Hunter-Weston that there was no material change in the situation at Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr. I wirelessed, therefore, to d'Amade telling him he would not be able to land his men at "V" under Sedd-el-Bahr as arranged but that he should bring all the rest of the French troops up from Tenedos and disembark them at "W" by Cape Helles.
Word Of The Day