Thrilling story of pluck: Australasian soldiers’ heroism: Held position against overwhelming odds [8 June 1915]

[Editor: This article about an action in the Dardanelles campaign was published in the Port Pirie Recorder, 8 June 1915.]

Thrilling story of pluck.

Australasian soldiers’ heroism.

Held position against overwhelming odds.

Cairo, Sunday.

The wounded include Major Dawson, of New Zealand, who is now recovering.

Major Dawson, with 150 Australians and New Zealanders, held a corner of a second ridge at Sari Bahr for two days against tremendous odds. The general situation was critical and there was every prospect of the British being driven back to the beach, where nothing could save them, but Major Dawson’s party clung to their position with the utmost tenacity.

During the night Lieut. Conway, with a machine gun section arrived, but the Turks were so close that the machine gun was useless, so Lieut. Conway retired.

Major Dawson then crept up nearer the enemy, his men at the same time, shouting orders, and thus bluffing the Turks into the belief that they were being confronted with a considerable force.

Lieut. Conway’s machine gun was then heard at dawn sweeping across the Turkish trenches. Lieut. Conway had spent the night seeking a spot from whence he could enfilade the Turks.

Major Dawson thus held out until reinforcements came to his aid.

Source:
Port Pirie Recorder (Port Pirie, SA), 8 June 1915, p. 3

Also published (with some differences) in:
The Bendigo Independent (Bendigo, Vic.), 8 June 1915, p. 5
The Brisbane Courier (Brisbane, Qld.), 8 June 1915, p. 7
Geelong Advertiser (Geelong, Vic.), 8 June 1915, p. 3
The Leader (Orange, NSW), 8 June 1915, p. 2
The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.), 8 June 1915, p. 5
The Mildura Telegraph and Darling and Lower Murray Advocate (Mildura, Vic.), 8 June 1915, p. 2
The West Australian (Perth, WA), 8 June 1915, p. 7

Editor’s notes:
enfilade = sweeping gunfire directed along the length of a target (may also refer to a position subject to such gunfire)

Sari Bahr = the Sari Bahr ridge, or Sari Bahr range, the high ground that dominated the middle of the Gallipoli peninsula, where a major battle was fought in 1915 (also spelt “Sari Bair”)

[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]