CLOSING A PAGE OF MEMORABLE HISTORY.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 8, Issue 22, 27 January 1916, Page 8

CLOSING A PAGE OF MEMORABLE HISTORY.

FINAL SCENES THRILLING AND PICTURESQUE. 'TRIUMPH OF BRITISH GENERALSHIP. The following special message lias been received from the New Zealand War Correspondent (Mr Malcolm Ross): — CAIRO, Jan. 22. After the abandonment of Anzac and Suvla, the Turks were more keenly on the [ alert, a,nd the evacuation of Helles was regarded as more difficult. Once' again, however, bfilSiant British generals-hip completely outwitted the enemy. The operation lasted from December 29 to January 8, and though hampered by bad weather was a remarkable success. Unlike th e conditions at Anzac, there was no moon, and the operation was carried out in complete darkness. After the Suvla and Anzac affairs th e Turkish gunfire on Helles was greatly increased, and one intensive bombardment of our trenches was the heaviest of the whole campaign. The Turkish aeroplanes were also enterprising, and took unusual risks. They came over in twos and threes, and several duels occurred in the air. The enemy guns from the Asiatic side maintained a desultory bombardment. Had the gunners known what was taking pJace under cover of the darkness, they could have done great damage; but they misseS their opportunity.

The French -were taken away first. During the last week no French remained ashore -except the gunners and a French beach party. On the last night the British -had still 7,000 men ashore, and about 50 guns.

General Bird-wood came over in the morning and had a good look around. The same stratagems we're adopted as at Anzac, the men leaving the trenches in batches so that in the •early morning the front line was very thin, and was 'held by men who moved up and down firing from the vacated loopholes. The final shots were fired by mechanical guns. The rifles were fixed in ciubrazures, water dropping from a jam-tin into another*fixed to a trigger so that when a certain weight accumulated in the latter tin, the gun went off. Detonators, fired by burning candles, and Verrey pistols, also fired by the wpter dodge, added to the illusion that our trenches were still sh-ongiy hold, though not a soul rcincinDd in them. The Verrey pistols fired coloured rockets which made the Turks think we were about to attack. The final scenes were thrilling and picturesque. Great fires of petrolsoaked stores suddenly burst forth on three beaches, and at the Lancashire landing magazines containing ten tons of explosive broke th e stillness with a tremendous roar, making a scene of appalling grandeur as they hurled flames and 'great masses of material high into the darkness.

This showed the Turks that the evacuation was proceeding, and immediately the ship's in the Aegean saw a row of red lights spring up.along the Turkish trenches, this being their signal that the British were leaving. The enemy; however, made the" same mistake as at Suvla and Anzac, in thinking that the place was only -half-evac-uated, and they violently shelled our second line and the beaches. But by this time everyone had departed, and the guns and horses not removed had been destroyed and killed. The fires burned for 24 hours. On the following day picket boats, with shells ■ dropping near t-hem, went in and torpedoed the steamer River Clyde of immortal memory, and the old French battleship Massena, sunk by our Allies, and used as a breakwater. Thus ended one of the most memorable pages in British history.