Diary of Trooper Ion Llewellyn Idriess-1917- Part 8

to make a demonstration against
Beersheeba and keep the Turks occupied
there while the demolition work was
in progress. The whole affair was well
managed and very successful. The troops
who had the Beersheeba affair on hand
got within two miles of the town, and
our artillery, within five miles of the
town, shelled the redoubts and smashed
a big bridge in the town itself. At
the same time the force blowing up
the railway line brushed away the
slight resistance that was offered, blew
up the twelve miles of line and a good
number of bridges by ten O'Clock in
the morning. Meanwhile the Camel Corps
had found an additional six miles of
line and a large quantity of stores
and completely blew it all up by late
in the afternoon. The whole force then
retired, and travelling fast reached
our Waddy about 12 O'Clock at night.
But all through the day we ourselves
just watched the flank for a probable
attack by the Turkish cavalry, and listened
to the distant guns, the odd crackle of
rifles, and the continuous booming of

the explosions. We were much disappointed
at being out of the interesting work. General
Chayter is a game old beggar. W He was
suffering badly from gastritis, but insisted
on being carried out all that long
distance in a sand cart, and watched
operations from bed X 23^rd A man in
the Light horse got a parcel addressed to
a lonely soldier, and enclosed was a note
from the lady with the pious wish "that a
brave soldier in France get the parcel
and not a cold footed squib in Egypt." The
chap who got the parcel sent the lady
photos of a great many of our desert graves
with t compliments from the cold footed
squibs in Egypt. 24^th Had a very amusing
little ride this morning. These rides are
very common but as we happened to be
on the peaceful task of collecting wood to
boil our daily stew, I'll put in time by
describing it. There is no wood in this
treeless country, so we have to depend on
the beams that support the mud and
stone houses of the Bedouins for wood
to cook our daily stews. Now the scattered
houses around the waddy are well cleared
of every chip of wood, so now we have to

go right up to the Turkish lines for it. This
morning seven of us went out, f with four
pack horses. Every house we visited had
the roof pulled down. Norry and I
were riding some hundreds of yards
ahead of the others to keep a good look
out, so as not to bring the slower moving
pack horses under rifle fire if possible.
After getting about four miles out, we
noticed a small outpost on a low
hill to our left, and just within rifle
range of the hill was a house, right in
front of us two. Presently we noticed our
chaps turn away, and go for the hill
where the outpost was. We found out
afterwards that the outpost, New Zealanders
had sent them word that early in the
morning they had tried to reach the
house, but concealed Turkish riflemen
on the hills around had driven them
away very lively. Norry and I took a
tumble straight away as to what was
the matter, but wood was very scarce
and we were determined to have a look
at the house. We broke into a canter
so as to make as awkward a mark
as possible should we be fired at. As
Norry said "F ––––" 'em" If the B–––––s fire at

us we'll turn round and come home." I
grinned. It would be the obvious thing
to do, providing we weren't hit. We were
now drawing very close to the house, which
had a hedge of prickly pear around it.
I got a bit uneasy. If there were Turks
behind the hedge, they would let us
get up to within point blank range,
and then tumble us out of the saddles
like two shot rabbits. Then in a second,
spurts of dust jumped from the ground
ten yards to our right. Instantly we
wheeled to the left, put in the spurs and
straight made straight for our
outpost on the hill to the left. The
ground was deeply cut by deep ruts and
for many yards the horses went at a
plunging gallop. "Whiz" "Whiz" Whiz" "Whiz"
"Whiz "Whiz", bullets whistled close by us
at the tearing whistle that bullets have
at close range. We passed the bad
ground, and at a furious gallop covered
the hard flat country beyond. We could
see the New Zealand outpost and our
own mates lining the little hill and knew
how they must be laughing as they
watched the show, I looked at Norry

and laughed. That hard old dial of his
broke into a great grin. I took off my
hat and waved it derisively at the
Turks. But well I thanked my lucky
stars that I had my splendid little
mare to take me clear of those searching
bullets. Then suddenly the firing ceased.
We thought we were out of range. We
pulled up into a canter, but had we
known it we had only ridden into
a hollow momentarily out of sight
of the Turks. We rode up the opposite
bank. "Whizz Whizz Whizz Whizz" Again into
a mad gallop. A bullet screeched by my
ear and left its xxx breath on my cheek.
Others passed between the two horses and
stung the ground just ahead. "What
splendid range they keep," I thought. Then
we were near the little outpost hill
and just out of range of the Turks. We
rode up the hill, and there were the New
Zealanders and our chaps, just putting
their field glasses away. They had quite
enjoyed the fun. They asked us if
there was any wood in the house, The
New Zealanders had an ambulance cart
with them. They came mighty close to

using it, I thought to myself. We got some
wood later on, just managed to get enough
to load the horses. 25^th It's strange that
we know for days before hand when a
big move is to take place. We knew a
week beforehand about the stunt to
blow up the Railway line. I wonder where
the leakage comes from. . . . . Why the deuce
is it that the Turks have got superior rifles
to us. In one of our little patrol scraps,
the Turkish bullets were hitting all around
us, while we had to lie there and take it
all because our rifles would not reach
to the Turks. The range was too great. And
yet the Turks were supposed to be obsolete
. . . . Our Major Bolingbroke has got a
D.S.O. and also Major Cameron, Bolingbroke
our Squadron Major, and we all like the
old beggar very much. He is the best
major of the lot. 26^th May. We have got a
great surprise. The Brigade is to go a few
miles back on the beach for a "Spell." We
are all very suspicious instantly we
hear the word spell. We know too well
what it means. The truth of the matter is
that the I men are all breaking out
with septic sores, and the doctors have

had to take a serious view of the matter at
last. We have been in the desert too long, lost
too much sleep, and eaten too much bully
beef. 30^th May. We are camped on the old
sea beach a few miles below Khan Yunus.
A rumor has gone round that one of
the black tailed taubes dropped a message
yesterday challenging any three of our
'planes to fight her, our aviators to pick
their own country for the fight.  30^th May.
When I'm off duty I generally go for a walk
along the beach at sundown. The wet sand is
firm to walk on, everything is very still, and for
a couple of hours at least a man can almost
forget the army, and xx imagine his soul his
own. About a mile-down the beach, three
hundred yards from the srx xx waters edge, is a
small date palm oasis, and camped here
about forty Bedouins. Every evening at sun
down the ragged men come on the beach,
spread their bag prayer mats, and turning their
backs to the setting sun and the sea, offer their
prayers to their god with a faith and earnestness
that is equalled by very, very few Christians
One night as I passed a few yards behind them
one black bearded chaps eyes lit on me for a
second as he stood muttering his prayers, but I'm
doubtful if at the moment the Christian dog

existed to him. As he bent down and bowed
his forehead to the ground, I thought that if these
people were educated they would make a great
power in the world, if they could put such an
intensity of mind and life to other things beside
their religion. We are going out in the dust again
shortly, and I shall very much miss these little
walks where a man can almost forget the war.
1^st June. The authorities are actually getting
us leave. This is how they are doing it. One
man out of every thirty can go to Cairo for
five days, over one day of which is spent
getting there, and over one day in returning.
We have figured it up that if the regiment
stops here for two years, every man will
have had leave. As we are only here for
nine days, I guess we are all going to miss
June 2^nd We have been issued with brand new
rifles We'll be of able to meet Jacko on more
like equal terms now. They are American
make, and appear to be roughly finished. 1st June
One of our planes was brought down a day or so
ago, by Turkish gunfire. The two aviators Australian
were buried at E L Arish. It is a lonely sleeping
place for the poor chaps. . . . . They have us polishing
up our stirrup irons and bits again. When
will this wretched war end. . . . . To day a
few of us are on guard on ammunition in an

orchard in Khan Yunus. It is beautifully cool and
peaceful under these fruit trees. Just overhead
a couple of taubes are circling, their path of
flight marked by a line of shrapnel puffs
from our anti air craft guns. Out towards
Gaza. Out towards Gaza some big guns are
speaking with a steady, rolling roar. In
the trees about there are even some small
birds twittering. Over the sand hills from the
sea a beautiful breeze is blowing. . . . The moon
light nights are on again. Last night, down from
the bright sky came the ominous buzz of taubes,
the ominous sound at night that is the forerunner
of death, sudden, unexpected, a bolt from the
blue. Instantly all lights f were put out, and
we just waited, taking our chance. But the
humming passed steadily overhead, and we were
not bombed. Perhaps to morrow night. One
night raid at Belah, a taube flying very close
to the ground dropped three bombs which
caused eighty casualties to the men of the
53^rd Division. Eighty men outed in three seconds
half of them in Paradise in fifteen. These
little things "put the wind" up a man
(Eight or nine pages written in Cairo) 24 June, Back from
Cairo over a week now. The Colonel wanted to
see a working model of the rifle, so a New

Zealand armorer sergeant and I are trying to fix one
up at the N.Z. Ordance work shop in Khan
Yunus. But owing to the affair having to be first
arranged between the two brigades, many days are
being wasted until negotiations are completed.
. . . . A few days ago two of our 'planes brought
down a taube. We have a few fast 'planes
here now. Things are just the same. Artillery
duels and rifle fire. About a week after
Our planes brought down a taube a day or two
ago. The taubes have a lively time when they
fly over our lines now. Nine of our 'planes
flew to Jerusalem on a bombing xpedition
lately. Four came back . . . . A chap in
the 9^th Light Horse had hard luck yesterday.
A patrol of theirs were out reconnoitring,
when suddenly some hidden Turks
opened fire on them. Our fellows turned
and galloped away, but one man's
horse wt was shot. His mate turned
around and galloped back, and the
man tried to mount up behind. But
the horse, fright maddened, reared and
wouldn't allow the double bank. So the
man caught hold of his mates stirrup iron,
and they galloped off. But they had