Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/39/1 - February 1916 - Part 4

43
M. Matruh
15       44 
All stns on rly were fortified.
Natives were cleared out 
of Daba town. Refugee
Arabs came in.
Composite Regt of Engl Yeomanry
& A.L.H., Detachment of
armoured cars. Patrolled
road. All troops exc. No 1
Coy Aust Div Train went 
thro. (Other 3 - transport 
personel only - went thro).
No 1 Coy were warned that 
at Bergush tt 500 
Senuissi were waiting for
them in cliffs & caves beyond
Bergush - This ws abt Dec
15 - Coy turned back & 
covered 57½ miles to get

45
M. Matruh
15     46
there & back 26½ hrs going.
Horses were 8 without
water exc. ^from 8 gallon tanks.
From then rd ws closed
for long time.
Matruh ws mostly 
Gk & Arab - 1500 or 1600
inhabts w natural 
rock-locked harbour
2 or 3 rds lead from interior
to it.
Xmas day there was one 
big fight abt 21 miles out.
Aeroplane reconnaissances
were made from Matruh
& as soon as they

47
Diagram -  see original document
M  M
15     48
saw a concentration
a punitive expedn
wd be sent away to them.
About 5 fights.
2 specially built
minelayers Magnolia
& Clematis - minelayers
w 6 in guns, looked big
Dread warships - very
shallow draught. They
were operating as warships.
They were also patrolling
for submarines.
Senussi had proper
m.gs & field pieces & some 
german & Turk officers & 
their equipment must have
bn carried in to port

49
M. Matruh
15      50
of Sollum (near Tripoli
border) - This at present
really belongs to Senussi.
Atmosphere is very clear.
During Bir Saka march for
example an aeroplane ws
overhead guiding us all /
time. Earl of Lucan ws
in command w 1 Regt
of Sikhs, 2 Engl. Infantry,
comp. Light Horse Yeomanry Regt. & N.Z.
Infantry (Engl. regts were
by this time on L of C.)
Tents, fodder, 90 camels 
were taken.
It ws rainy season
& once camp at Matruh

51
M. Matruh
Diagram- see original document
Matruh
Snipers used
to come up
every night.
15      52
ws flooded for 7 days.
Guns. We had H.A.C. and Notts arty.,
and fort had new 4.2 in
guns. Divl Train had to do
very hard work. for abt
mile below ships in port &
camp.
In Desert the train never
had less than 4 horse teams
& at a push outspanned
& doubled teams.
We had Abt 5000 troops. 
(had a civilian canteen)
At Birani Enemy had abt 8000
On Jan 22 troops moved out
(covering lot went out night 
before). Last moved out 
2p.m. Jan 22. That night

53
M. Matruh
15      54
they moved out 18 miles
W S W of Matruh on
Khedivial Road. It rained 
in torrents.
On 23, word came back
tt ^our casualties were abt 200
(abt 40 killed). The Divl Train
sent out escort (on heavy 
horses) to its own convoy,
& sent out motor waggons
for wounded.
We picked up one dead
Turkish officer & two dead
Germans (civilians). Senussi
carried away their own 
dead. Expedn came back 
on 25^th. Sikhs suffered
heavily - we lost 300 k & w.
South Africans had just 

55
M. Matruh
15    56
arrived (unmounted) ^day before
- mostly had bn in S.W African 
campaign.
Camel transpt ws
at this time being formed
wh replaced Aust. Divl Train
wh ws brought back on
Jan 30^th. Coveert given to
them / night before - 
Mail caught them up from 
Matruh in 2 motor cars.
All captured camels were
used in desert betw Bergush
and Jerawala and were so 
slow tt all were "lost" in / night.
3rd stage Bergush to El Fuka
where infantry pro were guarding,
next stop Bir Shika. Wed 2nd. 

57
M. Matruh
15      58
On beach on this last
stop some men, hearing there
were evidences of wrecks
of Persia and Middleton on
beach, got leave to go down
there and found body of one
of Persia's stewards with
cabin chits in his pockets,
woman's body ws also
lying there. Also. life bury
w name Middleton.
Thurs 3 Feb - reached El
Daba, & then a Alex 
Zeitoun.
Supply portion section of
each Coy ws at Gallipoli
-- Transpt Sectn at Mersa,

59
M. Matruh
15     60
The Aust. L. Horse at M. Matruh
ws under Capt Hudson (or at least
he wd be / best source
for details of fighting).
(?3 LH Bde)
Austin re Hore
Selby.
Glasgow re Maxwells
Griffiths 
Lt Donelly will be
down to Ismailia
on Sat evg.
Geoff & Bristowe

61
March 1 - 9
this week has been spent
by C.O.s ^in running abt looking
for officers for their new command.
Glasgow in Birdwds H.Q.
Glasfurd there too.
White up to Cairo.
(abt officers in convalescent
homes)
Stuart in train looking
for old 5th - only 1610
left - 50 in old Battn, 60 in
new Bn
Told me tt night: "12 - not bad."
Johnson hurrying round
Sergt Major saw me
abt Sydes. (59^th)
Two Maxwells seized on.
15     62
Lorenzo, in train told me he
ws getting them from Light Horse
Birdwoods system of
cutting bns in half &
letting new C.O.
choose wh half he
will have.
1 & 2 Divns to move at once.
I cant write my
diary bec my
eyes went back on
me after riding back
agst a ^half sandstorm
in / desert. First the right
eye went - then left.