World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
Of the New Zealanders who survived, Russell was beyond doubt the
outstanding personality on the Peninsula. Steady as a rock, with a
clear head and a firm character, he belongs to the type of soldier who
will shoulder responsibility and never leave either his men or his
commander in the lurch.
Chaytor, who was Assistant-Adjutant-General, did excellently well also,
though, through being wounded, he did not have full time to develop
merits which afterwards became so conspicuous in Palestine.
The losses incurred by the brigades from this terrible and prolonged
fighting for the key to the Narrows of the Dardanelles, were cruel. On
September 21 and 22, Russell had further victorious fighting when he
and General Cox took Kaiajik Aghala; soon afterwards the brigades were
sent down to Mudros to rest and to recruit. Reinforcements arrived in
due course, and, in a shorter time than would have seemed possible, the
formations were ready again and keen as ever to go on. But meanwhile,
in October, events had occurred which put an end to the forward
fighting and extinguished the Dardanelles enterprise. The first was the
sending of two of our Peninsula Divisions to Salonika. The second was
an order from Home that nothing serious in the way of fighting should
be undertaken. The third was the advent of a new Commander-in-Chief
who was opposed to the whole of the Dardanelles idea. From that date,
therefore, until the evacuation, there was no further attack. When the
tragic end came, the New Zealanders, steadfast as ever, held the post
of honour, and General Russell and his rearguard were the very last to
leave the Northern theatre of our operations.
Owing to the conditions under which my preface is being written, it
will be understood that any attempt to make a list of distinguished
names would be hopeless. I have just put down the half-dozen best
remembered in full confidence that the historian will make good my
failure in the body of the book. But there is one more officer I
must mention, for although he is not a New Zealander born, he had
the advantage of living there and getting to know both islands long
before the War. I refer, I need hardly say, to Sir Alexander Godley,
who commanded the New Zealand and Australian Division during the
Dardanelles campaign. He has devoted some of the best years of his life
to New Zealand, and with all his courtesy and charm of manner, has
never had any traffic with indiscipline or inefficiency. If he wants
his monument, let him look round at the glories won by the division in
the laying of whose foundations he played a leading part.
One last word: the New Zealanders have been feared by the enemy; in
quarters they have made themselves beloved. Wherever they have been
billeted, all the civilians say: "We want to have them again."
[Illustration: signature]
General
Lieutenant of the Tower of London
G.H.Q., Army of the Rhine,
17/8/'19.
To My Old Comrades.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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