hand to the 29th Division. Birdwood's men are very weary and I am
supporting them with the Naval Division." These, I may say, are my very
last reserves.

(2) Telling K. how "I shall now be able to cheer up my troops by the
prospect of speedy reinforcements, whilst informing them of your
congratulations, and appealing to them to continue as they have
commenced," I go on to say that we have used up the French and the Naval
Division "so that at present I have no reserve except Cox when he
arrives and the remainder of the French." I also say, simply, and
without any reference to the War Office previous denial that there _was_
any second French Division, "D'Amade informs me that the other French
Division is ready to embark if required, so I hope you will urge that it
be despatched." As to the delay in letting me have the Indian Brigade; a
delay which has to-day, so say the 29th Division, cost us Krithia and
Achi Baba, I say "Unluckily Cox's Brigade is a day late, but I still
trust it will arrive to-morrow during the day."

_Bis dot qui cito dat_. O truest proverb! One fresh man on Gallipoli
to-day was worth five afloat on the Mediterranean or fifty loafing
around London in the Central Force. At home they are carefully totting
up figures--I know them--and explaining to the P.M. and the Senior
Wranglers with some complacency that the sixty thousand effective
bayonets left me are enough--seeing they are British--to overthrow the
Turkish Empire. So they would be if I had that number, or anything like
it, for my line of battle. But what are the facts? Exactly one half of
my "bayonets" spend the whole night carrying water, ammunition and
supplies between the beach and the firing line. The other half of my
"bayonets," those left in the firing line, are up the whole night armed
mostly with spades digging desperately into the earth. Now and then
there is a hell of a fight, but that is incidental and a relief. A
single Division of my old "Central Force," so easily to be spared, so
wasted where they are, could take this pick and spade work off the
fighters. But the civilians think, I am certain, we are in France, with
a service of trains and motor transport at our backs so that our
"bayonets" are really free to devote their best energies to fighting. My
troops are becoming thoroughly worn out. And when I think of the three
huge armies of the Central Force I commanded a few weeks ago in
England--!

_29th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Q.E." Of