THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 319, 2 November 1915, Page 7

THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN.

THE FAMOUS 2STH DIVISION. LONDON, October 29. Mr Ashxnead Bartlbtt, commenting on the paucity of reference to particular units in his Dardanelles messages, says that ninety-nine cases out of n hundred the censor was responsible, for excellent reasons. Sir lan Hamilton had earlier relaxed the rule whenever pass’’ remarking that the composition of the whole force was known in Cairo, which was swarming with spies. Later great secrecy was necessary owing tc, the arrival of drafts from Home f:; r the great effort which began on fith August, and may be said to have been definitely brought to a standstill on the 21st August. The forces engaged at Suvla consisted of the 10th and 11th Divisions of the New Army, and the 53rd and 54th Territorial* Divisions. The 13th Divisioon of the New Army landed secretly at Anzac, and participated in the desperate fighting at Bari Bair. The young and untried soldiers did extremely well alongside the more experienced colonial companies, who helped them to complete their training under fire. An excellent feeling of frindship sprung up between the Australianas and the volunteers from England. The 29th Brigade and the 10th Division also fought at Anzac. but the time has come to do belated justice to the famous 29th Division in the Homeric struggel. The Division Handed under General Hunter-Weston but has since been under General De Lisle. England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales were represented. All mention of the Division’s final effort to achieve success has been suppressed, otherwise the secret of the strategic move would have been disclosed.. The facts are that whew the attempt at Anafarta definitely failed it was decided to employ the 29th Division in a final effort to cut the enemy’s communications. Three brigades were brought up at night by trawlers and landed at Suvla. The arrival stimulated the whoDe Army, and also showed how seriously the leaders regarded the task. Everyone felt that if the 29th Division failed no one could succeed. Like the Old Guard at Waterloo they were brought up as a last effort to break .through the ene-, my’s ever-strengthening works. The 29th Division will ever be surrounded by a halo of romance and glory similar to that attaching to Caesar’s Tenth Legion and Napoleon’s Old Guard. Few of the veterans who landed at Bedd-ul-Bahr are Deft. Some have been wounded many times, for the Division has had the most prominent role in alits "original strength had passed through its ranks before the middle of September. Here wc see the value of tradition. It does not matter how young and inexperienced the drafts are, no sooner do they find themselves in a mysterious halo of No. 29 than they distinguish themselves and fight an die like the marvellous band of old soldiers who are the last of the orig nal regular army to take the field, an make the historical landing on t e 25th April.