GALLIPOLI.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1924, Page 4

GALLIPOLI.

REIGN OF THE LIGHT HORSE

STORIES OF 1922 CRISIS

After twenty-four hours in Constantinople H.M.S. Calypso Took us from the Bosphorus to Kelia Bay on the Peninsula!, the back door to Anzac, and the headquarters of the Gallipoli section of the Imperial War Graves Commission. That is the official title of a little band some fourteen strong. But the visiting Australian will be forgiven if lie mistakes it for a garrison of his own countrymen, or rather not so much a garrison, as an administration. Its head is Colonel Hughes, a Light Horseman. Ho has with hilll seven other Australians, mostly also of the Light Horse, two New Zealanders, and four British. Appearances, perhaps deceptive proclaims this little force the ruling authority of Gallipoli, its rason d’etre is, of course tho building of the war cemeteries at Suvla, Anzac and Holies. But —well, the Light Horse has a way of its own with men, and things, especially in Gallipoli.

Certainly the gods must love that wonderful corps. Did they ever whisper to. one of its lieutenants during the strenuous days of 1915, that he, ar aiiy rate, should reach the desired goal (though by a devious path); that he should fly his .country’s flag there even after a Turkish victory; that lie should reign as a king on Gallipoli with the Turks as his vassals, or something mighty like it; that in his administration lie should have a Russian prince of the blood as his gardener, and a distinguished Russian general as a suhgitrclciier. Yet so it has happened; and in the person of Colonel Hughes at least the Light Horse has won its due in Turkov. The story of another Light Horseman, named Jordan of Lismore district, i.s also one which the regiment might honour. lie was captured, wounded lit Anzac in June, 1915, and spent three years in an Anatolian prison camp.. Alter tho armistice, hv fftvour of the same gods, he, having learned Turkish, becamo British vice-Cori-sul at Constantinople. Tic has Listed some of tho finer sweets of life; for having been maltreated in prison, and having stored up in his memory (as any good Light Horseman will), the names and faces of some of those Turks in authority, who insulted his regiment, too, in ill-using himself, he has had given into his hands opportunity to “put it across most of them since.” as lie says, and has not failed to do it There were a few golden days in Constantinople after the Turkish armistice of 191 S. when the Royal Navy and the Light Horse (earlier arrivals) stopped in the streets every motor car used by impudent German staff, and other officers, told them curtly to get out and walk and commandeered t»he cars. "Tt was worth doing,” said Hughes, “just to see how the Turks jeered at them.” HOW NEAR TO WAR ? Wo settled down to talking of lnter historv in a corner of the mess-room at elia. How near were they to war here in Keptemlier 1922? Were we in Australia right in judging that collision would have involved these countrymen of ours pretty early in the scrimmage? Were, they thinking then of evacuating Gallipoli ? “Evacuating? Again?” replied

Hughes. "By God, wo weren't! As soon as the danger appeared wo offered our services to the small British force, ami we were all accepted gratefully.’ We knew nil the country well and the British badly wanted sapper officers. We shored up the wharf at Chanak for Harington’s army. Me built the aerodrome on Kilid Balir I’latcau for tho R.A.E. We helped to organise the camp here for the military, and select the battery positions for the guns. 1 think tho navy has a real affection for us. But leave Gallipoli, or sit neutral when we held it. and had our flag flying here, and the Anznts graves lying unfinished over the ridges ? No bloomin’ fear! We were lor the war all right, if the Turk wanted it. and the Defence Department in Melbourne had it from us by cable and approved. 51

“But the Turks were not really going to fight, and 1 think the British exaggerated the danger. All of us hero hoped that the Turk would do something silly and .start the hall rolling, for his attitude was insolent, and unfortunately the French only made him worse by drawing out. How could we see him threatening Gallipoli, with our graves here only half-finished and Lone Pine memorial only just begun? As

for Australia’s response, well I think that if one or two of us had got knocked and the Turk had started shooting im our ratlin or the cemeteries,There would have been no doubt about the response. Of course, Australia could always have said that we enlisted illegally, or lmd become simply British army, and washed its hands of us; hut it did not seem likely. We heard soon afterwards wlint individual friends of ours out home would have done, anyway.”

As a matter of fact the Light Horse were represented in the front line at Chanak as soon as the Turks began to surround the British position. One of two brothers Jones, of the Kelia camp, went out in a Ford car with a British cap til in of artillery and a load of petrol, and blew up a whole series of Turkish dumps near Erenkeui, 5.9 ammunition and grenades. Jones fired the last of these dumps in the very faces of advancing Turkish cavalry. ANOTHER STORY.

The cruiser Calypso, which took ufrom Tvelin again to Port Said, supplied another story from Smyrna, to confirm the Light Horsemen’s • assertion that the Turk did not really mean to precipitate trouble so long as lie was handled firmly. The Clypso and several foreign ships were lying in Smyrna Harbour when the Turks arrived there hot on the heels of the defeated Greeks. The Turks’ tail were well up, and they ordered the ships to leave. The captain of the Calypso said lie was sorry, hut lie had contrary orders from his own Government, and should have to consult them. The Turks replied by mining the harbour. The situation did not look happy, but the Calypso’s chief anxiety was that a sister-ship, the C'urncoa, was due in Smyrna in a day or so’s time, and the Navy did not want either to lose her from a mine or to allow the Turks to succeed in keeping her outside. Fortunately, in the afternoon of the day before tli’o Curaeoa -was clue, the Egyptian steamer Abax'sich: “Please he so good as to signal ns your course .as you go out;” | which the Abassieli did. The Calypso] then signalled the course out to the Curacoa, which, to the amazement of the Turks ashore, steamed in next morning, safely finding the channel between the minefields. In the words of the Calypso’s officers: “That finished the Turks. It convinced them that it was lio use their trying any more funny business with us.”

Mahan, if lie were alive to-day, would add a chapter or -two from modern events on the influence of sea power on history. It is Unlikely that he would omit mention of the Royal Navy’s work during the-crisis of 1922 in the Eastern Mediterranean.