THE DARDANELLES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 33, 9 June 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

THE TERRIBLE TURK. HOW OUR BOYS WERE TRICKED. i THOROUGHNESS OF SPY SYSTEM. "FROM CONSTANTINOPLE TO BERLIN." United Prk»» Association. (.Received 9.15 a.m.) Sydney, June 9. The Herald's correspondent with the Australians endorses the French naval ■officers' tribute that no troops in the whole world could possibly have done better than the magnificent Australian Infantry at the Dardanelles where they did the impossible. He adds: ."When the whole tale is told the world will see how richly our boys deserved the tribute."

| Referring to the thoroughness of the German spy system he States that 'spies on the transports and among the interpreters in the depots knew exactly'the places and the hour of the landing; they learned the bugle calls, which were used with telling effect. But the troops hate the enemy most on account of the shocking mutilations

practised on our killed and wounded. The Germans promised the Turks a sum of money for each Briton killed and identification discs were to be shown as proof. It was common for the amubulance-bearers to come across Australians with tongues cut off and eyes slit and with other mutilations, with the discs missing. The correspondent says it was a wicked trick and resulted in the slaughter of so many gallant men.' The First New South Wales battalion was holding the line splendidly, despite shrapnel and maxim fire, and hand grenades. They repulsed several attacks. Then a message was passed to attack and capture the guns in front. They did not doubt the genuineness of the order and obeyed, only to be met with a fire which told them that a trap had been set.

The report mentions that not only the Australian Light Horse but the First Brigade of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles offered to go to the front as infantry. He added that Colonel Pyrice expressed the dominant thought of the men in saying—"My brigade, who are mostly bushmen, never expected to go gravel crushing, but, if necessary, the whole brigade will start to-morrow afoot if they have to tramp the whole way from Constantinople to Berlin."

AUSTRALIAN CASUALTY LIST. Sydney, June 9. The following is the thirty-fourth Dardanelles casualty list:— Killed in Action.—Lieutenants Cunningham and G. H. Smith. Died of Wounds.—Major J. Mills. Wounded. Captain Hindhaugh, Lieutenants Tiddy and Steele, of Napier. The latter was previously reported as having died of wounds. Other ranks—Killed in action 19, died of wounds 30, died of illness 7, wounded 220, missing 20. New Zealanders wounded are:—Privates J. M. Hawke, W. McCracken, IP. Cotton, R. D. Chalmers, J. Bracey.