Category: Uncategorised

7 June 1916

At work at the guns this morning; bathed about midday. At two thirty General Koe, the brigade major, and Major Jeans, Franklyn, and myself, rode out on a reconnaissance. We were escorted by a troop of the Glasgow Yeomanry. We were reconnoitring the ground for the flying column; I only hope we get the chance of being able to use one. We rode about five miles due East of this position, a great deal of it through big dry gypsum lakes, then we turned and went into Bir Abu Haura from the northeast and then back here by way of Blair’s Post.
This morning a large flock of fifty goats was captured by a yeomanry patrol on the shore about half a mile in front of our entanglements, but they could find no sign of anyone with them. They brought the flock in, and the general thinks it is the forerunner of the Turks’ attack, as they send on large flocks for supplies under the care of would-be shepherds who are really spies, having the excuse that they are shepherds if they are found. I only wish the patrol had got hold of those with this flock; they are probably back in El Arish with a good deal too much information about our position.
A very cheering official report has come in tonight, if it is true, that the Russians have captured thirty thousand Turks and are within six miles of Baghdad.

6 June 1916

A very strong wind got up during the night, which of course brought on a sandstorm. I was sleeping just outside the dugout and got nearly buried alive. I stood by at three am and dismissed the detachments about five. When I got back to camp, I found several tents flattened out, including my own, and the contents buried in sand.
Working out ranges and switches on the right section most of the morning. Bathed about midday. It was about the roughest sea we’ve had here so far; really big waves that knocked us flat.
Began digging an alternative O.Pip for the left section this evening. An interesting intelligence bulletin in this evening which contained a report by one of our agents who has just been to El Arish. He said he heard it said there that the Turks mean to attack us on or about the sixth of June, with a large force including six hundred Germans. Being June 6th this evening we may expect some liveliness. The report also said that the Turks expect a big force of Bulgarians to join them at El Arish shortly. They seem to be getting a very motley crowd together.

5 June 1916

The colonel and about six others of the 2nd Scottish Horse, with Major Daniell, Major Jeans, and myself, started off soon after five this morning on a reconnaissance for the mobile column we shall form if the chance comes when the Turks come along. We had a troop of the Glasgow Yeomanry as escort, but didn’t see anything.
We went to reconnoitre the ground from Blair’s Post towards Katia. We found the going over Saklet El Romani very treacherous and boggy, in some places the horses went in right up to their bellies, certainly not suitable for guns, but we found a very good camel track round the edge. We went on though Hod El Sofiyia and Ghazlan, till we came to Bir Abu Haura, just a date palm grove, with a brackish well and a good many Bedouin huts made of palm branches and scrub. There were no Bedouins there, most of the are fighting with the Turks. The date palms were covered with big clusters of dates, but they were very small and green. They aren’t ripe here till September I believe.
We went on beyond Bir Abu Haura to the top of a small rise from which we had a good view of the Katia oasis, but we didn’t go down into it as it isn’t a very healthy spot just at present as all the horses of the Worcester and Gloucester Yeomanry killed on Easter Sunday are still above ground.
We came back by the Romani wells and past Railhead and followed the line to Mahamdiya. They are getting on a tremendous pace with it and it won’t be many more days before it reaches us here. The one that is being run out along the coast from Port Said is also coming along very quickly and is only about five miles off now.
Bathed this afternoon. Quite a rough sea. Digging on the gun emplacement this evening. We haven’t heard anything official about the naval fight in the North Sea yet, but there are a lot of rumours going round.
Mail this evening. Some topping snapshots from home of the horses.
I am on duty at the O.Pip tonight.

4 June 1916

Service in our mess tent this morning. I think we are the only Church of England unit in the 156th Brigade. I spent nearly all the rest of the morning bathing and basking. A very quiet day.
Poulteney arrived here this morning with fifteen men from the Ammunition Column to take over the ammunition dump here.
An official report in tonight that there has been a big naval action in the North Sea and that each side has lost fifteen ships.

3 June 1916

Stood by before dawn and dismissed about five o’clock. After breakfast, I was very busy putting some 2 hundred rounds of ammunition, which came last night, into the gun Limbers and 1st line wagons, which we had empted into the ammunition dugouts at the gun emplacements.
Bathed about midday – quite rough this morning, so had good fun with the breakers.
Finding mangos with the one man range finder most of the evening.
Intelligence bulletin tonight reports Turkish, German, and Austrian troops concentrating at El Arish. The 155th Infantry Brigade began arriving at Romani tonight, I think they mean to have one or two divisions out here eventually.

2 June 1916

Improving the emplacements in the morning. Major Daniell O.P. Essex RHA came this afternoon for a three day stay.
An interesting intelligence report in this evening: a Turkish and a German general are reported to have arrived at El Arish.
On duty at the O.Pip this evening.

1 June 1916

Although I forgot to say ‘rabbits’ we had a surprise packet quite early in the day. About seven o’clock this morning the machine guns down at Railhead began blazing away and the next thing we heard was bombs dropping. We soon made out an aeroplane, which by her cut was clearly a Boche, making straight for our camp flying at a great height. She came straight over our mess tent and then shut her engines. We could clearly see the black crosses painted on her wings. By a great stroke of luck she had tossed off all her bombs at Railhead so had none left for us, though when she shut off her engines we thought something was coming. Our machine guns at once opened fire, but they might just as well have been shooting at the moon. She cleared off after having a look round, I only hope she didn’t spot the guns, they are well concealed.
Busy digging again this morning, a lovely bathe about midday, and digging again this evening. Kenning came up with the news from Railhead this evening. The plane devoted all its attention to the camp of the Australian Light Horse and dropped six very heavy bombs, killed an officer and nine men, wounded a great many more, and killed 40 horses and a few camels. Most of the Anzacs managed to cut their horses loose, and at the first bout there was a wild stampede, horses and camels running neck and neck in all directions, all thoughts of shying gone to the winds.
The Anzac reconnaissance report tonight says that the Germans have brought five more aeroplanes from Beersheba to El Arish, so they evidently mean to have a strafe here.

31 May 1916

At 3:30 am I warned the detachments to stand by and dismissed then at 6:30 as all was well, and came back to camp for breakfast.

At seven o’clock the major, Franklyn, and I rode off on a reconnaissance. We started off along the edge of Lake Bardawil. The bed of the lake is quite dry, it is like gypsum; it looks just like a glacier and is as hard as a rock. We reconnoitred all the ground very carefully to find the best going for the guns if a section has to go out. We rode on past Blair’s Post and up onto Hill 100 where we had a good view of all the country round El So– and Bir Abu Ha– two small oasises on the edge of Sabkhet El Romani, and away to Katia in the distance. We never saw a sign of a Turk or a Bedouin all the time. We saw several jackal tracks, and some large ones which were probably hyenas as there are said to be plenty of them round this district.

At work on the gun emplacements into this evening.

30 May 1916

We had half a dozen camels working most of the morning and moved our camp up closer to the guns. I had a bathe this afternoon, there were some splendid breakers today.

This evening I rode out with the major on a small reconnaissance in front of the barb wire entanglements. We were looking for the best going to take the mobile section out, as one section has got to go out if Railhead is attacked, and get in rear of the Turks.

The Anzac division went out on a big reconnaissance today, they took the mountain battery with them and one subsection of the Ayrshire Horse Battery which is attached to them, also eleven hundred camels with forage and rations. They expect to be out about three days, and hope to get some way beyond Bin El Abd.

Just off to the O.Pip as I am on duty there tonight.

29 May 1916

Working on the emplacements from six till ten this morning, then went and had a bathe. The colonel went down to Railhead this morning to have lunch with Elliott and Kenning at the wagon line and left for Kantara about four.

This evening, the major has refused to let Kitty leave the battery, so the colonel is baulked for the present, though he offered any horse in brigade headquarters in exchange, though none of them came up to the mare.

Digging hard again from five this evening till eight. A mail came in this evening – I had a good budget of letters from home.