A LETTER FROM CAIRO.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 43, 21 June 1915, Page 2

A LETTER FROM CAIRO.

Lance-Corporal Allan Maxwell writes from Zeitoun Camp, Cairo, under date 11th May, to his sister, as follows : Once more I.am able to address yon from the same old place, much against my will, and that of my fellow comrades. We have cursed, pleaded, and threatened by all manner pf means and ways, but without avail, and here we'll have to stay. Naturally you will ail be pleased to hear this, but yon cannot imagine the feeling we have, seeing our mates being brought in daily, to hospital, wounded and wretch-ed-looking, while we remain here inert, just far enough away from the guns, to be quite safe. Last Thursday 7, with other signallers, was out on the hills, and the day" being line and clear, Iwe could distinctly hear the boom of the big guns being fired on the canal. These small skirmishes with bands of two hundred and three hundred Turks are all too frequent, and I think 1 am safe in saying that the moment the Turks cross the canal, Egypt will ■be ablaze. \ A rather significant fact is the disarming of the Egyptian Infantry, owing to certain remarks overheard by our "heads." However, at the present moment the Dardanelles gain or claim our attention.

Some days ago a wounded Canterbury man came into our tent looking for an old pal. This chap, who happened to have been shot in the forehead with a ullet, gave us a graphic description of the whole battle. It appears the boys had to land in surf boats (like we did in Samoa) only unlike that landing, they were subjected to a merciless machine-gun fire. At the place of landing was a fort, which to all intents and purposes had been silenced by the devastating gun-fire from the Queen Elizabeth, but unfortunately for our men, immediately they entered the surf boats, the fort opened a withering fire from two disappearing guns, sinking the surfers, and killing our men as they pTeased. Without any apparent concern the surfers unhit, continued on to shore, and landed in barb wire entanglements hidden by the waves*. (They had been put clown of course at low tide). All this time the gnns were playing on them, and dead and wounded men were lying about, some in the water, some out. *" * * * From the shore the land sloped up to a hill, and as .soon as the boys got their feet, they fixed their bayonets, and yelling like maniacs, rushed for the hill, and this chap, who was in the third line,said they would no sooner get a little way up the rise, than they would roll down again like stones, i dead or wounded. Finally some reached the top, aiid on seeing them the Turks squealed like pigs, and retreated to the next hill, 50 or 60 yards away. They have no liking for the bayonet. After resting there, and being reinforced, the lads were asked if they would take a mile so that the landing of men could be continued, and strong trenches dug on the first hill. During the day they took five miles, all at the point of the bayonet, and, although, on two occasions the retreat was blown, they took no notice of it and kept steadily on, even though men were falling like chaff. On being asked about it afterwards they said: "It's no use blowing a retreat for us." It was a great battle, and I'll never cease to deplore the fact that I wasn't in it; still, they did no more than their duty to their King, their country, and themselves. As this war has hardly begun, our turn is bound to come, and I trust the mounteds won't be found wanting. The navy men in the Straits say they never saw such bravery as displayed by our men! Strange to say, you, by ,this time, will know all the names of those killed and wounded, whereas we 'do not know, and won't do so for some I days Yet the authorities throw sand in our eyes till it comes to the time! They don't"* study our curiosity a little bit. Colonel Malone, I believe, was conspicuous throughout the battle, land seeing he was well in front of his I men all the time, it is remarkable how he managed to escape. Another unpleasant thing was that the Turks .fired on the boats conveying the woun'ded back to the ships, and on some being sunk, wounded men were to be jseen struggling in the water. Before leaving the troopships to land, our men (were told that if they took any prisoners, they would have to share their rations with them, which to my mind iwas very suggestive. * * # * Here in Egypt, the Army Service Corps uses all mules, great big fat {things that would pull anything from a straw to a house. I have seen them 'right down on their knees straining jat their loads. Our big horses that cost, four limes as much as the mules 'won't p'll! half as much. This morning, while out on a march, f saw a s v ti- 11 vehWe just large enough to hold ope child, and in the shaft was a donkey about three feet high, on the back of which was seated a small boy. This was meant for. and was, a minatitre army transport wagon,

H for you know our transport horses £> are all ridden in.the harness by transw port riders. This afternoon our hoys y are playing cricket, but it is 'trop 1 cbaud' for mo, although at times I M take a bat just to lie in the swim. u To-night we are to go out mounted, £ from 7 till I a.m. lam training now | to fight an Australian, who weighs 11 I stone. I can't get any 10 stoners to | meet me, not oven Jimmy Haggerty, 1 no I'm going ilito the next weight. | From where I sit I can see our Major I at the wicket. Being a tall, lanky. || cadaverous-looking individual at the $ best of times, he now, with short | pants on, looks like a scarecrow in a I gust of wind; hut a man's heart isn't | shewn in Ids clothes or physique. 1 | haven't been into Cairo for a month g or more, but this week-end I'll go >" and buy another small camera.

To-morrow, wc leave for the Dar danelles. The boys are all mad with delight, and to-night promises to be a memorable one. We are all being [sent as infantry, and our horses will 'he sent to join us a« soon as we have 'some land scope. Lieutenant-Colonel Mn.lone was wounded in action.