[119] The Immortal Gamble, pp. 167–174. Lieutenant Cather, R.N., went down with the Goliath, but was kept afloat by a safety waistcoat. This he gave to a sailor much exhausted. Ultimately he was himself rescued, and for some months commanded on the River Clyde. It is impossible to mention all such heroic actions, but hard to omit the deeds of personal friends. One midshipman, also protected by a safety waistcoat, was found floating about two days and nights after the disaster, but was too exhausted to live.
[120] Our casualties by the end of May were 38,600.
[121] “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).
[122] Such as Col. Crauford Stewart of the Hood (wounded) and Col. Roberts, R.A. (Egyptian Army), of the Anson (killed).
[123] The original Collingwood, with the Hawke and Benbow Battalions, crossed the Dutch frontier in retiring from Antwerp, and were interned. The new battalions were left to complete their training in England, when the R.N.D. sailed. Thus the Collingwood (Commander Spearman, R.N.) was now for the first time under fire. The brother of Lieut.-Commander Freyberg (see p. 120) was killed on this occasion. The Collingwood relics and the Benbow were incorporated soon after this battle with the Hood, Howe, and Anson Battalions as the 2nd Naval Brigade—an arrangement resented on both sides, but inevitable owing to reduction of men.
[124] Notes of the battle from hour to hour were taken by a French medical officer (Uncensored Letters from the Dardanelles, pp. 121–125).
[125] This fine officer was killed in the battle of July 13.
[126] One brigade of the R.N.D. alone lost 60 officers.
[127] “The worst was that the wounded had not been got back, but lay between ours and the Turks’ firing line. It was impossible to get at some of them. The men said they could see them move. The firing went on without ceasing.... The General had suggested putting up a white flag, and some one going out to the wounded. They tried this later, but it failed” (With the Twenty-ninth Division, pp. 122, 123). Who the General was is left uncertain. The passage is from a diary of June 5.
[128] With the Twenty-ninth Division, pp. 122–129. Of original officers in this famous division, the South Wales Borderers now had the most left. They had eight.