Caption: Anzac cove, 6-15 August 1915
About this talk: An inveterate gambler and an incorrigible womaniser, Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett CBE was an official English war correspondent during the Gallipoli Campaign. Supremely self-confident, a Boer War veteran, a barrister by training and a gifted writer, he was well-equipped for the job, with a keen eye for scoops. His reporting of the achievements of Birdwood’s Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) helped create the Anzac legend. Having needed money, Ashmead-Bartlett had filmed Gallipoli for a London theatrical impresario. The result was some of the most vivid surviving Great War combat footage, and the first to show a major amphibious landing. Later, Ashmead-Bartlett’s outspoken criticism of the campaign's conduct led to the dismissal of the British commander-in-chief, General Sir Ian Hamilton. Barred from reporting on British forces, Bartlett spent the rest of the war reporting on the French armies. This is the story of his reporting and filming of the Gallipoli Campaign.
About this speaker: Dr Christopher Pugsley is a freelance historian living at Waikanae Beach in New Zealand. He was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from 2000-2012. A former infantry Lieutenant Colonel in the New Zealand Army, he is one of New Zealand’s foremost authorities on New Zealanders at war. He has written and edited over 20 books. He is a Vice-President of the WFA and was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services as a military historian in 2015.
Caption: Storming ashore at Gallipoli
This online talk: opens at 19:20 for a 19:30 start, ending at about 20:30. Participating is quick and easy. The only equipment you need is a computer, or a tablet, or a smart phone. Simply email wfa.nwkent@gmail.com for your link and the passcode. We'll also automatically add you to the mailing list to keep you updated with future events.
Caption: Contemporary publicity for Ashmead-Bartlett's Dardanelles film
Caption: Lt-Col Chris Pugsley Ret'd DPhil ONZM