Letters from Fred Leslie Biddle to his Family, 1914-1915 - Part 9 of 19
Mena Camp.
Cairo
5.4.15
Dear Mother,
At last we have received
orders to move.
We got them for certain today & tomorrow
we leave here & embark early on Wednesday
morning.
Our last day here has been fearful
as a the worst sandstorm we have had
came along in the night & has raged all day.
Everything is covered with dust & the
mat in the tent is completely covered over.
My eyes & ears are full of dust. In fact I
couldn't sleep last night for the sand blowing
in my face.
We might have had some pangs of regret
at leaving Egypt, but today has effectively
cured us.
We are bound for Turkey but do not
know where we shall land.
We have French. troops, Foreign Legion. British
Regulars from India including Heavy, Howitzer &
Mountain Guns, Indian Native Troops, New Zealanders
& our own sweet selves.
2
General Ian Hamilton is to command the lot.
We shall probably have to fight as soon
as we land.
In fact we will probably land under the
covering fire of the fleet.
So we expect a hot time. for a start.
For myself I am pleased at the prospect as
we have had enough of waiting.
If we can only wipe up the Turkey Job.,
we might have a chance of having a go at
the Huns later on.
Anyway we will have had some
experience to talk about before we finish
I am sending you a photo group of
the Officers of the Divisional Artillery.
It's a rottenly arranged group but it's
worth having as a record.
You will find me among the Victorian
fellows.
Please excuse the hurried note. I
am frightfully busy.
My fondest love to Father Hollis, Isabel
the boys, all the relatives & your own dear
self
Your affete son
Fred
29.5.14
Dear Mother
Just a few lines to let you know
that I am in splendid health & have so far not
stopped any bullets.
There is so much I could say which would
not pass the censor that I hardly know what
to write.
No doubt the account of our landing has
been published in Australia as Bean the official
correspondent has been "among us takin' notes'
We were the first battery ashore & our "A"
gun started immediately it got off the beach by
wiping out a 4 gun battery which had been
playing the deuce, with our fellows.
The next gun 'B' was placed about a mile
to the right of 'A' & did just as useful work.
It fired about 500 rounds during the day at ranges
from 300 yds to 1500 yds; mostly about 700.
So you see it was hot work
The next day was fairly quiet for us & we
eased off a bit, but the following day the
battery fired 1107 rounds which is "some going"
We did great execution & the men found their
feet at once.
2
We are still holding the line secured on the
first day but have had several attacks.
About a week ago it was very "willing" &
so were our boys.
The enemy came at us in successive
attacks from midnight until about 10 a.m.
& were allowed to come close & then were
let have it in great style.
The first estimate of their dead lying in
front of us was 2000 but after a couple of
days they asked for an armistice to bury the
dead & attend the wounded.
There were very few of the latter who were left out still
alive, as they had been out 2 nights & 3 blazing
hot days before they were attended to.
After the armistice was arranged & we
saw the number of bodies dragged out of
the low scrub we were satisfied they lost at
least 3000 killed alone.
Wounded of course would be much in excess
of that number so they paid pretty dearly.
We stayed in our trenches & our casualties were
light, about 500 killed & wounded.
New troops were brought against us on this
occasion to strengthen the attack.
Deserters tell us they numbered from 15000 to 20000
3
The dash & coolness of our fellows is simply
wonderful
Ever since the first few days I have
been on duty as "Forward observing officer" in the
fire trenches.
One would think seeing the men after the
first few days that they had been fighting
trench warfare all their lives.
The naval men call the Australians the
"White Gurkhas" & they earned the name on the
first day.
Now that we are just "squatting" on the
country waiting for our own time to advance
in accordance with the general scheme, their one
regret is that "Johnny Turk" won't come on &
face the bayonet.
In the last attack they were arguing about
places in the firing line.
When a men went out killed or wounded, there
was a rush to get his place & hundreds calmly
sat on the back parapet picking off their men
like rabbits.
They're great at "sniping" which is conducted
like a rifle match with observers & spotters for each
man & long arguments ensue as to who has the
best "scorer".
4
The T enemy have excellent snipers & they
score pretty well, but they are not numerous &
are evidently specially told off, as generally
speaking the back are poor shots.
It is quite the regular thing to see rifles
poked up in the air & fired continuously without
aim & our friend the enemy must have
wasted many millions of rounds in this way
At present both sides are digging all day
& all night.
In some places the trenches are 50 yds
apart. In fact at one point they are only
15 yds apart, but we have plenty of support
trenches & Johnny Turk knows he will get all
he wants if he tries to get in.
I cannot write much more as I am
due in the trenches.
It may interest you to know that that is
the safest place here.
The valleys behind & the beach get all the
'overs & are really "unhealthy" at times
All the fighting is done at night & for the last
few days scarcely a shot is fired during the
daytime.
I sleep peacefully through the din of shell
& rifle fire from 9 pm until 3.30 a.m. unless
5
there is something extra special doing
The work here for us is the most extraordinary
thing & quite unlike anything we have ever done.
No horses are used, the guns being hauled
about the hills with about 100 men to a gun &
they have to have frequent spells.
It is quite new to go within about 200 or
300 yds of the target & observe for the batteriyes
or perhaps the howitzers or mountain guns
& one gets used to taking everything as it comes.
I hope before long we will get to
some inhabited part of the country where I
will be able to sit down & write a decent
account of what we are doing but am not
able to settle down to it here
I trust you are keeping well now & also
all the family.
Fondest love to Father Hollis Isabel
the boys & all relations & friends & especially
to your own dear self
Your affete son
Fred
PS. Hope you got the brass-work long ago.
If not write the "Cairo Express Agency" about it.
Shirley B Goodun Fred
Received your letters of
April 20th also Father's
Isabel's & Hollis's.
Very glad to get them.
McCormack had to be taken
off the ship just before sailing
with appendicitis & has been
operated on. We expect him
with us in a day or two.
Wolfenden & Siddall, the other
subs, have both been killed
instantaneously.
Siddall has was hit by a shell
& smashed up very badly, but
could never have known what
hit him.
Wolfenden was killed a couple
of weeks earlier by a bullet in
the head.
Fred
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