Note 121 — Chapter VII · THE BATTLES OF MAY

“We went on board the Implacable on the way back, where I met Ashmead Bartlett, the official newspaper correspondent, who was most pessimistic. ‘The best thing we could do was to evacuate the place. This was developing into a major operation, and we had not the troops for it. Achi Baba was untakable, except after months of siege warfare’” (Diary for May 13, by the Rev. O. Creighton, With the Twenty-ninth Division in Gallipoli, p. 90). After his fortunate escape from the Majestic as she sank, Mr. Ashmead Bartlett returned to London for a short time, and a memorandum by him, strongly criticising Sir Ian’s positions, and advising an attack on Bulair, was considered by the “Dardanelles Committee” (Second Dardanelles Report, p. 26).