Diary of Trooper Ion Llewellyn Idriess-1916-Part 4

coming, coming. ....

Our planes are very

busy. We have

just had a taube

alarm, 22 July 3 p.m.

Stand to at 2 a.m

this morning. Our

Squadron moved out

to Hill 383 until

11 a.m. the The outposts

were placed, and the

rest of us, dead tired,

stretched out, and

went straight to sleep

on the sand. We

were rudely awakened

by the alarm whistles

frantic blowing,

cries of Taube Taube

Then was the usual

scatter, while the 

white taube flying

high directly overhead,

kept serenely on.

O I'm damned if we

haven't been issued

with biscuits, just

at the time we
been spending ^their money in
buying canteen food-stuffs,
and they have got no money
to go into town now. It
must have broken the
military authorities hearts to
grant the men a few hours
leave from the cursed desert,
"Poor old Stan is in trouble,
A cold footed, lying bastard
of a corporal is the cause.
May he die alone in the desert,
14^th The bombing party is
formed up again, under
M^r Stanfield. We started
training in the Redoubt
Communication trench
this morning. I don't think
any of the bombers will
ever see Australia again
if we get into any more
trench fighting. It is
hardly possible for the
bombing party to live through
a big attack. 17^th Fair
weather but hot, tucker
good, not too many duties
considering. So if things

want good food

most of all. We

are all dead tired

and sleepy, and am 

afraid we will be

dead beat before 

the Turks attack.

24 Yesterday we were

out at Sumara Oasis very 

early. About 8 a.m. in the

distance to the east we

heard rifle fire, then 

the r-r-rrr-rut-tut-tut of

machine guns. Then

the boom of field guns.

And later on, in the

clear air we saw the 

shrapnel bursts and

knew that aeroplanes

were taking part in 

the fight. We were 

all eager for the 

fight to come our way,

but as the morning

wore on the firing

died away. ....The 

section is on 383

now. We have heard
were not so sickeningly
monotonous, it would
not be too bad. 17^th talking
about bombs this morning,
revived old memories of
the Peninsula. We used
to make all kinds of old
tin slush lamps, which
looked quite similar to
the jam tin bomb. Some
Egyptian workmen came
over there and Egyptian
workmen being the biggest
thieves in the world, one
of the first things they stole
was a great healthy jam
tin bomb the Gypos taking
it for a slush lamp. That
night they sat all round
the lamp in their dugout
and lit the wick, which
was in reality the fuse of
the bomb. Five seconds
later and the Gypos were
in hell. What they could
pick up of seven of them
were for burial in
the morning. The Turks

a few scattered shots

in the direction of

Romani. 25^th July 8.a.m. We

have just had three taube

alarms in half an hour, those

of us who are left in camp.

The Taube sailed right

over the oasis, and off to

Kantara, and now back

again towards Romani. She

did not drop any bombs.

... Boom But  Boom-Boom

We can hear the distant

dropping of bombs at

Romani. .... One of our 

planes was brought 

down yesterday, within

two miles of Romani.

.... Last night I went to 

the old Colonel with the

same old question that

the four of us badly

wanted to go scouting

in the enemys country.

But the colonel turned

us down again. After

listening patiently and

explaining things, he
were shrewd cows but
they were not always' shrewd
enough. The bombs they 
threw over first had long
fuses and they would fall
and like in our trench
two and three seconds
before they would go off
Our fellows would get for
the lick of their lives, and
came back after the explosion.
But they got used to waiting
for the explosion, and 
started to sling the lighted
back into the enemys
trench, with the result
that the bombs burst just
as they got into his trench
So for a good while old
Jacks was supplying us
with bombs and lighting
them for us as well. But
he took a tumble to us,
and one day sent over
bombs with the fuses cut
short. Result our fellows
bent over the bombs to
pick them up and were

said that he was not

going to risk the lives of

four of his white men

when the only advantage

we might get would 

be the bringing in of

a few lousy niggers

and perhaps camels.

There was nothing in

sight we could gain,

and he thought a lot of

the lives of his men.

So I went away. About

an hour after Mr Stanfield

woke me up, and

said, "Idriess I'm off on

a long stunt. Are you

on ? "My xxxxxxx

blooming oath," I said

"That'll just do me."

Mr Stanfield then

explained that a troop

of picked men were

going out to an oasis

about 20 miles out

and forming a sort of

base with tucker for

the men and horses,
blown to pieces. Then
another trick Jacks got up
to was to send bombs over
with a fuse attached
which had gone out, or
appeared to have gone
out when it landed in
our trench. Our fellows
used to light the fuses
again and sling them
back to the Turks, where
they exploded alright,
Now there are different kinds

of fuses, tow of them being
a slow fuse and an
instantaneous fuse. An
instantaneous fuse is usuall
A time or slow fuse is
put into a bomb, and
time to go off in four
seconds. An instantaneous
fuse goes off immediately a
match is put to it, even if 
the charge was a mine a
hundred yards away. Now
an instantaneous fuse is
colored red, the slow
fuse black. These bombs, 

From there four men

and an officer were

going out towards Bir-el-ma

[[?]] to stop on a

high sand-hill, and

look right down into

an oasis, around

which 2000 Turks are

strongly entrenching

themselves. The four

men have got to watch

the movements of those

Turks because it is

thought probable that

they may make a

dash between us and

Romani, attack Romani,

in the rear, or blow

up the railway line.

In case they move, it

means a gallop for

us back to camp, even

should we kill our

horses. It is probable

that the men who are

to watch the Turkish

camp will be discovered

and never come back.
whose wicks had appeared
to go out, were black
and the genuine slow fuse
But one day the bombs
came in but immediately
our fellows put a match
to the fuse it exploded
blowing our fellows to
pieces. The Turks had
put instantaneous fuse
into the bombs colored
the fuse black, blacked
the end of the fuse as it it
had been lit and gone
out and then thrown the
bombs over to us, I can
tell you we were always
very careful of Jackos
bombs. 18^th Seven of us were
on standing patrol last
night, about two miles out in
the desert. During my watch
I was holding the seven
horses. They were very sleepy.
Standing quite still one
old bay horses eyes closed
slowly closed, his head
lowered, his knees bent, and

Then I did my hardest

to get Mr. Stanfield to

take Morry and Stan

and Bert, but he said

the men were already

picked, and to take too

many from the one troop

would only cause 

jealousy among the

other troops, But there 

are three men picked 

from our troop who

have not seen a shot

fired, and I do not

call that a fair go.

Us four have continually

volunteered for

this sort of job, and

it is not right we

should be left out

when such a job

does turn up. 31st July.

I've had the most exciting

time of my life this trip,

and to write and describe

it as things actually happened

is impossible. If I had

read the same thing in a 
if I had not jerked the
reins, he would have
lay down. A pretty
little brown horse kept
stir staring at me with
big black eyes that slowly
closed in the moonlight,
but I would not let
him lay down. The other
horses head all drooped
one snored most horribly
two others breathed great
horse sighs. The old bay
horses head slowly, slowly
sank, until at last
his his nostrils rested
on the sand. Then one
neddy too utterly sleepy,
flopped straight on 
the ground, fair asleep,
I did not jerk him to his
feet, not having the heart.
A baldy faced old
chestnut watched things
for two minutes with
only one eye half open,
then seeing that nothing
happened, flopped down

romance I would have

grinned and called the

author an awful liar. When

we filed out of camp, the

men, having an inkling that

they were going on a dangerous

mission, collected in

little groups, laughing

and calling out to us as to

what parcels we wanted

sent when we arrived at

Constantinople, etc. One

chap wanted to know if 

we were going to link

up with Towhnsend. Then

out towards Romani in

the dark a very silent

troop. In a couple of

hours we came to the oasis

Bir-ed-Dhaba, and left the desert

road to for the open

desert, steering by the

stars to reach the oasis

[[?]] Nagid, which we rode

right on top of sometime

after 12 O'clock. This oasis

was to be the base of the

little party, where we
beside his mate. And
the rough maned little
brown horse, sighing
heavily, sank to his 
knees. And they were all
asleep, except me, who
was nearly so, but
daren't, and intensely
envying the animals
their irresponsibility,
and old Morry who
was doing sentry duty
a few yards away,
silhouettled cl on
a little ridge, plain
in the clear moonlight.
And the coyote dogs
were not asleep. They
came howling very
close to us last night.
12 [[?]] of our 'planes flew
overhead to El Drish
this morning, to drop some
more bombs on Jacko
again, I supposed. I bet
Jacko will hit back
again, quick and lively,
and hard. One plane

were to store our rations

and horse fodder. A

similar party of New

Zealanders were camped

somewhere about the

oasis, which we entered

very quietly, until Mr

Stanfields horse tangled

up in a field telephone wire

and down he came. We

found a tiny well in the

oasis, then watered the

horses, then caught hold of

the telephone wire and

followed it up until we

came to the New Zealanders,

in a little donga, not

far from the camp. Our

section was put on outpost

duty , near a small ridge,

until daylight, when we

took over from the New

Zealanders who went

back to Hill 70 shortly

after breakfast. That

morning Mr Stanfield

and a section went

out to watch the Turks,
was a big war-plane, carrying
an anti aircraft gun. The
old Brigadier said goodbye
for six weeks this afternoon,
he's off to England on some
damn parliamentary business.
20^th A report is going about
that the Turks got one of our
aeroplanes, and damaged
two others. Our aeroplanes are said 
to have got seven of
the Turks. 21st Yesterday
15 bags of mail came for
the fifth, representing
some thousands of letters
And out of the lot there
was not one solitary
letter, nor parcel, nor
even damned newspaper
for me. 22. Morry, Stan,
Bert and I are going
into Suez for 48 hours.
What a time we will
have. No night duty, no
fatigues, no stand to, no
cursed desert for nearly two
days and nights. What
great luck that we

while the rest of us formed

different reliefs, and

posted outposts on the 

sand hills around the

oasis, so as to command a

thorough view in a circle

a mile around the camp,

so as to give us timely

warning if the a Turkish

patrol attempted to surprise

the camp. Those of us who

were not on duty lay

about the camp, talking

and smoking, or boiling

the Jackshays for tea

and as the morning wore

on listening to the crackle

of rifle fire which suddenly

broke out a little way to

the north towards Quatia,

which told us that one

of the light Horse Brigades

and the big Turkish

patrols had met, and 

were exchanging their

mornings greetings. At

dinner time the firing

died down, as it did|
knocked off buying
canteen stuffs, and
saved our few piastres
instead! 23^rd Early morning
In Port Said, and just out
of a shower bath. The
world has not stopped,
after all. We rode into
Kantarah yesterday afternoon
arrived there, hot, thirsty,
horribly thirsty, hungry and
tired. About 8.30 the up
Cairo train came in, and
the relief boys from Cairo
took over our horses. Then
a rush across the pontoon
bridge, built by Australian
engineers. A hurry and a 
scurry over, under the
feet of great horses in
their Australian transport
waggons, and then up
along the other side of
the canal to the railway
station. What a change
from the desert. The
long canal, speckled 
with all its different

every day, to recommence

again next morning

when the big patrols

clashed again. At four

O'Clock that afternoon our

section of four left 

the oasis to join up with

Mr Stanfields section at

the well of Bir Wazet, three

miles away to the south.

The desert out there is

covered with mounds

of sand on which grow

thick stunted bushes,

affording excellent

cover, so that each side

had to advance with

the utmost caution.

When about a mile

away from the oasis,

we suddenly saw a

horseman, four hundred

yards ahead. We immediately

turned in his

direction but he quickly

disappeared among the

stunted bushes. We

stopped, also behind
colored lights, the chant
of Egyptians workmen,
but above all the
knowledge that we are
free for two whole days.
We got our tickets,
under the supervision of
English military police,
like so many good
conduct convicts being
taken to the sea side.
Then we were told the
old tale when the train
came in that only third
class carriages was open 
to soldiers. So we stool
and watched the train
come into the station, the
long, white furnitured
dining carriage dash by,
its' white linen tables
crowded with officers,
then the first class
carriages, then the second,
with a few officers
sprawled sleeping on
the seats. Then came
the third class carriages