Excerpt from Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett's diary

Concerning military censorship

1)  Why is Ashmead-Bartlett’s attitude in this article so clearly set out?p1

2)  What is he referring to in “ only a few dry crumbs are left for the wretched public” ?p1

3)  Who is Winston? What is his involvement in the Gallipoli campaign ?p1

4)  What is Phillip Knightley’s attitude to the actions of Keith Murdoch? p2

5)  What did Murdoch promise Hamilton? p3

6)  Who were the other correspondents ?p3

7)  Why was there little news from Ashmead-Bartlett? p3

8)  How did this affect him? What did he tell Murdoch? p3

9)  How did Murdoch react to this knowledge? p3-4

10) What was Murdoch’s next action? p4

11) What was the idea behind the censorship? p5

12) What was the result of the letter to Asquith? p5

13) How was Hamilton’s Chief of Staff regarded? How insulting was the comparison made? p5

14) What action of Ashmead-Bartlett’s made sure something would be done? p6

15) What 2 important events then occurred? p6

16) What comment was made about the Western Front correspondents? p6

17) How important is Ashmead-Bartlett’s letter to Asquith? p7

18) What was the role of the senior commanders revealed to be? p7

19) What was meant by obvious they were extremely hard pressed? p8

20) Why was Ashmead-Bartlett thought to be a spy and arrested? p9

21) How had his benefactor saved him from being executed? p10

22) What did the people on the boats think of the chances of the Australians? p11

23) What made it vital that the troops hold on? p12

24) What event elsewhere gave the Australians hope? p12

25) What major problem is stated with the invading army? p13

26) What was the tragic tale of the Marine Reserves? p14

27) Why was the order 'Go as far as you can and then entrench' so unsatisfactory? p14

28) The treatment of the wounded is mentioned again. Why? p14

29) Why was the commander known as the Giggling Butcher? p15

30) How is the relationship between the generals described? p15

31) How is the incompetence of the leader causing so many unnecessary lives? p15

32) How were these deaths described? p16

33) What does he mean by not having any “business acumen”? p16

34) What is the significance of sending a letter to the PM by hand? p16

35) How was the action of the Australian troops described? p16

36) What scathing criticisms are made of the leaders actions? p17

37) What essential failure occurred? p17

38) What was the casualty toll by the 6th August 1915? p17

39) What were two critical weaknesses of the army? p17

40) What six factors suggest the only solution is evacuation? p18-19

41) What does he predict might happen to the Australian troops? p19

42) What was regarded as Britain’s advantage over Germany? How was it being wasted? p20

43) What had many soldiers said to Ashmead-Bartlett? p20