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Enemy plane over about seven thirty this morning. The mountain battery did some pretty shooting but their guns weren’t made for anti-aircraft. They have left for Salonika today and they are going to send us some proper “archies ” up here, so we may bring one of those Fokkers down before long.

Got the detail out for the whole mobile column today; we shall be going out with the 156 Brigade when the stunt comes off. At present I am in charge of the right section but am very much afraid I shan’t take them into action as Franklyn will have in all probability got over his indisposition by the time our strafe comes off. But still, you never know your luck.

Situation unchanged today. I am in charge of the telephone communication between the battery and F.O.O. tonight.

Our first excitement this morning was when a machine gun section of the 156 Brigade thought it would do a little practice into the bottom of the hill on top of which our camp is pitched, but when the bullets began to whistle round the mess tent, the major thought it was time to send down and stop the practice.

I went out on a reconnaissance this morning to Hill 110, which is south of Lake Bardawil and northwest of Ogratina. We heard an Anzac patrol having a slight difference of opinion with a Turkish one away to our east.

We saw a section of the Ayrshire RHA going out for a strafe as we got back. The major went out for a reconnaissance for positions for us and went up into the Ayrshire F.O.O. station, and said they were shooting hopelessly and we shall knock spots off them when we go out. We heard them shooting from here.

Franklin went sick this morning and had to be removed in an ambulance sand cart, but I don’t think there is much wrong with him. Brigade Headquarters are moving their camp up near ours, so they’ve all been in to mess with us tonight. A topping mail in from home tonight.

From what the general said this morning, we are shortly going out on a mobile stunt and shall try and give Johnny Turk something for himself.

No Boche planes over today; perhaps they’ve been busy overhauling their machines for a good bombing strafe tomorrow. The latest report is that the Turks have advanced their positions a little west of Ogratina and are strongly entrenched from there down to Mageibra.

Kept in communication with the battery during the night. I don’t think the Turks will try a frontal attack now, we are getting too strong. Another troop train in this morning early.

About seven thirty an enemy plane came over, followed by a second at about eight o’clock. The mountain battery and several machine guns opened on them but without result. About ten o’clock a third Turkish plane came over, and was greeted with the customary ineffective fusillade. She dropped a message with long red, white and blue streamers attached to it, saying that they found it hard to distinguish our hospital tents and would they be more clearly marked in the future. They evidently mean to have a bombing strafe. The old Turk is quite a gentleman.

Another troop train this evening. We’ve sent back about twenty of our poorest horses to Kantara and have got mules up from the brigade ammunition column to take their place – great whackers, some of them seventeen hands.

I slept at the guns last night. Had great trouble with the Indian camel transport, who tried to bivouac all round the guns. Saw the communications were all right at three o’clock, and took the horses out for exercise at five. Dug another well this morning, about 100 yards from our other one; the water is not nearly so salty and the horses drink it much better.

There is no change in the situation tonight. The Anzac patrols had a few casualties. The Ayrshire Horse Battery who are attached to the Anzac Mounted Division, went out with the 7th Light Horse and shelled the enemy trenches at Ogratina, lucky devils; I hope they send us out on mobile column soon.

Another troop train came up this evening. Up in the F.O.O. tonight.

Stood by at the guns at 3:30. About eight o’clock an enemy plane came over; a hot fire was opened by the mountain battery but it was not effective. Our battleplane went up and both planes got so high up we couldn’t see them owing to the bright glare, but we heard their machine guns going and the enemy plane was eventually driven off.

Another eighteen pounder battery, also a sixty pounder battery, came up from Kantara this morning.

The report in this morning said the situation is unchanged. The Turk has firmly entrenched himself at Ogratina, also at Mageibra , and evidently means to wait for us to come out at him, so we are hoping a mobile column will be sent out in a day or so.

We have dug a new well behind our camp. The water is pretty brackish but the horses know by now it is that or nothing, so drink it fairly well. We moved the horse lines up near the new well this afternoon.

The officers from the 60 pounder battery came in to mess tonight.

A convoy of eight hundred Indian transport camels came up tonight, so it looks as if we may be contemplating a mobile stunt. The administrative commandant told Elliott tonight that we have now got eighteen thousand troops up here and only three fantasses of fresh water, so if the Turks cut our communications there will be another Kut here.

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.

We heard late during the night that the Turkish outposts were in Katia. We stood by at the guns at three, but there was no attack. An aerial reconnaissance out towards Ogratina at dawn this morning reported 12 battalions of Turks with seven mountain guns leaving and marching southwards. It looks as if they mean to try and work round behind us and cut the line between us and Kantara. Three Turks was caught in the Gippy Labour Corps lines last night, and they said that their main force of about thirty thousand was advancing to Ogratina.

Finished getting the camp straight this morning and then altered the position of the guns, so we can shoot South and West as well as East, so can protect our flanks to a certain degree.

Two enemy planes made a reconnaissance over us about five o’clock this evening, our battleplane at once went up after them but they had too much start. The Ross Mountain Battery got some shells bursting pretty close to them.

Troops and stores are still pouring up here. The 156th Bde. which was resting at Sidi Bish Camp in Alexandria, have been recalled and arrived here this evening. They packed off another big train of Labour Corps natives to Kantara this evening, and by the row they were making, they seemed to be glad to be out of it.

I am the F.O.O. tonight, so am just off there. The staff warn us that they expect the attack by the Turkish main body within the next 48 hrs.

I went up to the O.Pip at two thirty this morning to give the Ayrshire observing officer any help he could have wanted with regard to the zone. I was up there till five but there was no attack. At six o’clock we had 35 camels, struck our camp, and sent it onto Romani and followed on with the guns; we’ve come into action in the open here, behind the first line redoubts. They sent up three more battalions from the 42nd Division tonight.

From our reconnaissance today the old Turk at last means serious business. One of the Anzac patrols went out to Ogratina  this morning but found it held by an advance guard of two hundred Turks who drove them back, though luckily with only a few casualties. This afternoon an Anzac patrol to Katia captured a patrol of these Turks.

Our last aeroplane to reconnoitre tonight has come in with the news that the Turks have now got eight thousand men and six guns at Ogratina (12 miles away) and are digging themselves in there. Their main body is at Bin el Abd.

Divisional headquarters have warned us that the attack is very imminent, and will in all possibility be tonight. If the chance offers, we are to go out on mobile column, but otherwise shall fire from our positions here.

We’ve got about ten thousand men in all here, including the Anzacs and the 157th Brigade at Mahamdiya so ought to be able to hold them; but the worst of it is they attack at night always and not by day.

One of our gravest problems here is the native labour corps. There are about eight thousand of them, and three time during this evening they have tried to break through the front line. They know what’s on just as well as we do, and there is no shadow of doubt that half of them are in the pay of the Turks, but the infantry have now rounded them all up and marshalled them back about three miles down the line.

It is very much a case of sleeping with one eye open tonight.

Busy filling up wagons and Limbers with ammunition before breakfast. Bathed later this morning. The Ayrshire Battery arrived tonight and took over our emplacements.

One of our aeroplanes came back from a reconnaissance this evening, and we’ve just had her report in. 3500 Turks and Germans, with seven thousand trotting camels are at Bir El Abd , which has for the last month or so been clear of the enemy. Five thousand more Turks are in an oasis a mile or so behind it, about twenty two miles from us. An attack is expected tonight, and the Ayrshire Battery are in our emplacements. We’ve got to get ready to move out on mobile column at a minute’s notice. It looks as if our long wishes for a chance is now an absolute certainty.

If we are not attacked tonight we are going down to Romani at six o’clock tomorrow morning and shall advance from there when things begin to move.

Stood by at 3 o’clock and dismissed at five, nothing doing. Bathed this morning, water a bit cooler. Small mail in this morning; heard from Mrs Pellatt .

One of the officers of the Ayrshire Battery of the 1/2nd Bde. came here tonight to see our positions, as the Essex are still in quarantine . They are going to come up here temporarily to take over till the Essex are fit, and we are moving to Romani the day after tomorrow, preparatory to pushing out further, probably to El Rabah.