Diary of Trooper Ion Llewellyn Idriess-1915-1916-Part 5

a bomb on it and putting

it out of action. The Tommies

swear by the aeroplane

which came to their aid

when they were nearly done.

To use her machine gun

she had to fly so low

that the men in the redoubt

could hear the Turks bullets

go "Smack" "smack" "smack",

through her canvas wings.

The plane was badly

damaged. The Turks drew

their field gun by mules.

The Tommies shot some

mules with ammunition 

packed in splendid

iron boxes, eight to a 

box, each shell fitting

into a well made

groove. The shells were

very prettily made. 26^th

We found ten more

dead Turks out in the 

desert, dressed in a yellow

uniform with a red

sash. This makes their

own dead up to 70. No

doubt the Tommies did

marvellous work in

holding their tiny, ill

protected little sand

redoubt. There was a patrol

of Worcestershire Yeomanry

with them, I was on 

patrol again yesterday

We found one of 

the Yeomanry lost in

the desert, with a lot

of camel drivers. He was

one of the men who had

got away from Quatia.

' ' '  We were sapping

from four O' Clock this

morning, digging a

communication trench from

the oasis up to the Tommies

redoubt, Snipers got

some of the Tommies A.M.C

men as they ran from the

oasis to the redoubt for

wounded. 11.30^am Big

guns are booming in the

distance. It is very hot.

' ' '  The horses are at last 

earning their feed. They

stand the heavy patrol

work out in the desert

splendidly. It is well they

have had such a training,

27^th Ai Now that things are

beginning to be understood

a little, I am going to write

of something I was ashamed to

write of before, and which

has sent a feeling of utter

disgust throughout the regiment.

We were originally intended

to go to Quatia, where the

yeomanry have been smashed

up. But while just preparing to

to leave Cantara, a message

came through of the desperate

position of the Tommies out

here, and calling for help.

C Squadron was immediately

ordered off to their help,

while the rest of the regiment

hurriedly loaded up and 

started off. When we reached

hill 70, we had to protect

a company of Tommies

who were hurriedly marching

across the desert to help in

the relief of this place. We

spread out on their left

and flanks, and advanced

as quickly as possible. We

took a few prisoners, and

an hour later he got a

message that C squadron

was in action. As we

neared the oasis we

heard the last few 

shots of the snipers whom

the Turks had left behind

to keep the Tommies in their

redoubt. When we got there

we were told the Turks

had got a three quarter

hour start. Colonel Wilson

immediately gave the order

and we galloped for

miles in pursuit. But it

was too late. Meanwhile

C Squadron had pressed

their horses, and arrived

here long before us. They 

dismounted, and sat 

down under these trees,

for over an hour, 

while heavy firing was

going on only three

hundred yards away.

Major Cameron, in charge

of C. Squadron, immediately

placed himself under the

command of the English

officer who commanded

this post, and three times

asked to be allowed to

lead his men to the rear

of the Turks and cut off

their retreat. His request

was refused, and only

granted when the Turks

had rapidly retired,

on observing the dust 

of our advancing 

squadrons. Then it was

too late. Their rapid

camels and horses took

them quickly out of 

danger through the desert,

where our already 

tired horses could not

tal overtake them. A

few of their footmen

were captured. Now the

reason why Major

Cameron was not

allowed to engage the

Turks is said to be because

the English officer here

wanted the sole credit of

beating off such a big

lot of men with his 

few men. Well the 

officer and his men 

have earned the greatest

praise for their desperate 
resistance, but if

he had let our early 

squadron cut off the

Turks retreat, then

six hundred of the Turks

would have been

killed or captured, the

English officer would 

have got all his credit 

for his mens gallant 

defence of their toy, redoubt,

and the Turks would 

have been completely 

annihilated. Instead of

that the band got 

clean away, and straight

away helped to cut

up the British army yeomanry at

Quatia. The British

army is saturated with

this rotten kind of thing.

28^th. Was on outpost duty

again last night. It is a 

tedious duty, gazing through

the night out on the desert.

It is painful trying to keep

awake. If a man could 

only move about, instead

of standing completely still,

he could keep awake with

ease. It is interesting to 

watch how things are going.

On a big sand hill about

three miles away, hill 383,

we have our signalling

station, which connects

by helio with the railhead, 
Quatia (which the

6^th & 7^th L. Horse patrols

11^th Dec. In the early morning

hours there was a 

persistent tapping at that

window. Now if that girl

thinks I'm going to climb 

up a forty foot wall to a

shuttered window, she's 

made a jolly big mistake.

3^rd Jan. Ras-el-Jin Convalescent

Home 1916. Going to rejoin

unit at Maadi tomorrow.

Doctor says I'm not fit for

firing line again, but that

remains to be seen. 5^th Jan

Cairo again! Gezira Overseas

Base. B From here they

draft all their convalescents 
to their separate 

units. Same blooming

old camp tucker again.

It is great being among

big lots of men again,

who may at any time be

once more in the firing

line. Last night a regiment

of mounted yeomanry, fully

accoutred, passed us on the

big English bridge over

the Nile. It was great to 

hear the rattling hoofs, to

smell the horses in the

cold night air, as the

silent English regiment

passed to their unknown

destination. 6^th Jan. I

went out to the old regiment

yesterday to day. It was

very strange and

unlovely, to be 

wandering among the

old familiar lines, looking 
for old familiar

faces, and the sadness

of finding them not there,

The regiment is filled

up of reinforcements. There

is only an old hand to

be seen here and there. 

In my own troop there

are only four old hands, 

and two of them are first

reinforcements, who

came over to the front

with us at the start.

7^th Jan. Maadi. In With 

the old troop again. 

Routine is the old, old

"finger pressing" and

slope arms. To the old

hands it is like grown

men going back to

school with school

boys again. All the

same the reinforcements

want every bit of drill

that can be shoved

into them, and want it

badly. ' ' ' ' '  I wish the 

damned war was

over. What price dear

old Australia again.

8^th Jan. The days and nights 

are very cold with rain.

9^th Picquet last night. One of my

issue blankets is a bag, dyed.

The holes in it are far larger

than ordinary pins heads, and

the wind blows through

them like the hoary breath of

a damned icicle. 10^th Jan. Up

before the Colonel to-day

for breaking leave. Mr

M^cLaughlin spoked up for

me and I was admonished.

11^th Mounted drill. Nix back.

15^th Jan Regimental drill.

We are all enjoying the 

mounted drill, though we

are anxious enough for

active service again. But

not with the same feverish

anxiety as nine months

ago. Sunday. Got leave

to-day, after sitting on

my dignity with the 

troop sergeant. I was

fined five bob on pay

day for clearing out last

Sunday. ' ' '  We expect to

leave in a few days for

the front now. 27 Jan.

We are leaving tomorrow

morning at 4 O'clock. I have

to do some demolition work

for the future, hope it

does not interfere with

my section. ' ' '  2 hours

later. Our departure is put

off indefinitely. The military

all over. The excuse is

that there is no water on

the track. It seems to me

impossible, that a brigade

of men should be marching

through the desert, in

hostile country, and

yet to the last hour it

was unknown that there

was no water for the 

many horses. ' ' '  The idea

is now to leave shortly

by another route, on 

which there are a 

couple of stages of 40

miles. I wonder how 

the horses will stand 

it. My leg gives me

trouble occasionally.

It would be the height

of bad luck if it were

to go wrong. 4^th Feb

An Outpost. is a small

body of troops sent out

to protect a larger

body. The duties of an

outpost are: 1 To guard

the main body against

surprise. 2 To prevent

any of the enemy from 

sneaking through the

lines and obtaining

information about our

main body. 3 To put 

up a stiff enough resistance 

to enable our

main body to take up

its line of battle. An 

outpost should be 

far enough out from

the main body to carry

out its duties effectively.

The distance varies

with the nature of

the country. An 

outpost might be a 

squadron or regiment

told off to guard a certain

section of the picket line.

If a squadron, it could 

be told off as follows.

A & B Troops 1^st & 2^nd Picquet

C & D      "  Supports.

The supports should

be near enough to the

picquets to move to 

their assistance readily.

The supports should

supply a sentry. Each

picquet supplies two 

Cossack Posts, if necessary, 
a third. It also

supplies its own sentry,

picquet, and if necessary

fatigue man. The 

picquet line is where

the fight is going to be 

and should be roughly

fortified with all speed.

A picquet is usually a

troop sent out in front

of outpost. A Cossack

Post is a section sent 

out by picquet.

Sentry or Vidette is sent

out by Cossack Post.

Reconnoitring Patrol. One

or more men sent out in

front of outpost line to

make special observations. 
Standing Patrol 

is two or more men