22 July 1916

Got into communication with the battery once every quarter of an hour during the night. The moon was very late getting up so it was lucky really there was no attack as I couldn’t have observed at all, and it would have had to be guesswork.

Two large train loads of natives were sent back to Kantara early this morning and two battalions of infantry from the 53rd Division came up later on the morning. About eight o’clock this morning an enemy plane came over; the mountain battery at once opened fire, but all the shells burst a bit too low.

Our aerial reconnaissance this morning has located the Turkish force which left Ogratina yesterday at Mageibra (supposed to be Joseph’s well) which is south of us. They also saw two thousand more Turks dug in at Ogratina, and their main body at and near Bir El Abd and Hod el Bayud.

Two more big troop trains packed with infantry came up from Kantara this evening. Our outposts have had a skirmish with Turkish patrols this evening, as some Anzac wounded have been brought in, also nine Turkish prisoners, including one officer. They don’t think it so likely that there will be an attack tonight, as the old Turk evidently doesn’t mean to be hurried, and is going to wait until he is quite ready.

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