This question is directed specifically to 'Thales' in light of the documentation that you have found at the TNA, "Questions put to the Ottoman General Staff about the Dardanelles Operations and the Answers Received", but also to any others who may have further information.
From the two files, CAB 45/217 & CAB 45/236, were there any questions put to the OGS specific to the 3rd Light Horse Brigades advance on the Nek & Baby 700. 7th August 1915?
John, now from your post to the "TURKISH MACHINE GUNS AT GALLIPOLI" topic, you outline that 217 was related to the questions put to the OGS by C.E.W. Bean for the ANZAC sector, and by such, Bean has probably derived all that was to be obtained to the charge at the Nek, but on the off chance that there may be further information of relevance to that question from within both files, have you copied these sections of the documents?
In light of the addition of far more information to the charge, that has emanated from accounts by the men of the 8th & 10 L.H. Regt's, than what C.E.W. Bean had at his disposal when he was writing the Official History, there may be Turkish information from these documents that will give a greater understanding of the charge, from their prospective.
This is a long shot I know, but if you don't ask, you don't get!

Jeff

Jeff

First of all, I need to correct a mistake I made on the posting to the TURKISH MACHINE GUNS AT GALLIPOLI thread. It is CAB 45/236 which covers "The questions...submitted by Captain C.E.W. Bean the Official Historian of the Australian Imperial Force", not CAB 45/217. I think the heat over here must be getting to my brain - heat which I suspect has been sent from Australia to create a more favourable wicket in a little matter concerning the Ashes!

I cannot find any reference to events at The Nek on 7th August from the extracts I have taken from 236. The only question that specifically refers to The Nek is Q59 'What was the reason for the attack by the Turks at the Nek, at Anzac on June 29?' My suspicion is that Bean may not have been too bothered about asking questions concerning events that were well documented elsewhere, but was filling in on background. I have copied a complete list of all the questions in 236 but not the answers and my extracts from 217 are highly selective so all I can say at the moment is that I cannot find a reference to 7 August in the files I have here but I cannot be sure. I will take another look for you on my next visit to TNA in about a fortnight if that is OK.

One further reflection. In the course of my own research, and because of a frustrating inability to get any sort of access to Birinci Dünya Harbi'nde Turk harbi Çanakkale Cephesi Harekâti (Harziran 1915 – Ocak 1916) Vncu Cilt 3ncü Kitap try as I may, I have had to rely heavily on 217 and 236 for my rather scant knowledge of the Turkish side of the campaign. It strikes me that it may be time for these 2 documents to be published - something that I think I might raise on my next visit to TNA.

John

John,

Many thanks for the correction, CAB 45/236, and to your response to my request, but your follow up to the questions posed by C.E.W. Bean are of interest.
I can understand Bean's interest to gaining an explanation to the Turkish attack on Russell's Top, 29th/30th June, it is a subject that fails to gain a mention in "The Turkish General Staff, Ankara. A Brief History Of The Canakkale Campaign in The First World War (June 1914 - January, 1916)." If one did not know that it had occurred, from that history, it just never happened.
A good deal of information was gained from the captured Armenian Officer interrogated by Lt Col Aubrey Herbert after the disastrous charge, and it is obvious that Bean was attempting to have that information confirmed.

These two sets of documents are of the utmost importance to the history of the Gallipoli campaign, and I agree entirely with your suggestion that they must be published. A great pity that they are not held by the AWM.
With some luck, and possibly not too far off in the future, the "Birinci Dünya Harbi'nde Turk harbi Çanakkale Cephesi Harekâti (Harziran 1915 – Ocak 1916) Vncu Cilt 3ncü Kitapmay" may well be made accessible, and better still, released in an English language version. We can but hope.

With your further visits to the TNA, if you do come across any information on the charge at the Nek, 7th August, or for that matter, anything relating to the August campaign, regardless of how seemingly insignificant, could you please put that forward here.

Again, my many thanks for taking the time to respond and to look into this further.

Jeff

All understood Jeff - no problem. Since my last posting I have had a PM from Bill Woerlee that 236 has been transcribed and can be found on his website. Part 1 is at:

http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse...l-staff-part-1/

Follow the links thereafter. Many thanks for that, Bill.

John

Most interesting.

Kim