THE WAR IN EGYPT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 91, 23 March 1916, Page 2

THE WAR IN EGYPT.

ON THE WESTEftN PRGI,TIER. Private J). Corkill, writing to hi: people in Stratford under date January 2:), referring to the operations against the Senussi, says:— On the 22nd January we moved out 'i'ion) earcip. at 3 o'clock p.m. in a westerly direction. We were to march fifteen miles to a well, and there bivouac for the night. It was a long march and was estimated at 18 miles. We arrived at 0.20 p.m. We had tea and; got our blanket and overcoat off the transport built, a stone wall to protect us IVom the wind and enemy, and turned in at 11.80 p.m. No tires or ilights were allowed, ft rained during the night pretty heavily, hut I slept through it till the stand-to-arms time. Whilst in hostile country it is the military law to stand to arms an hour before daylight, because if the enemy intend attacking it is always in the uncertain light betwixt night and day. At six wc moved forward, the column now being divided into two units. Wc advanced on parallel lines, about three quarters of n ni '' e dividing us. At 7.30 we bad half an hour's halt, am' were able to snatch a little breakfast We bad the South Africans with in this time also, and they bad only just arrived a couple of days before we started. Owing to the .•■•trenuou.s- march of the night before, and the pace it> the morning wasn't slow, the African; began to fall out like flies. I counted 7lTin half an hour. My feet were giving me "jippo" and were so tender underneath I could hardly put then to' the ground, but I stuck it and hob hied along after a fashion. I wasn't the only hobhler hi our lot by a long chalk, and many of our men fell out i'ft win now blazing hot, and the couti* 'try we. were on was as level as a bil Hard table and as illimitable as the sea. One obtained an unobstructed view to the horizon. The ground it self was covered with stones and clumps of dried dwarfed desert shrubs, the roots of which formed little lump? aboul the size of a football; so it. ivaf rough walking, though no ascents or descents. At 9.10 the big guns tw<> miles ahead opened fire, and you should have seen us struggling along with weariness all over our faces, when— Boom! boom! There was an immediate transformation" a tighter grip »[ tbe rifle, up goes every head, and o(f we go. Tt would be necessary for n man"not used to marching to run ic keep up with us. Blow the sore tired feet and -bodies! There's a fight 'ii ahead! The pace was a cracker, and when we got to within balf a mile >i the big guns we were halted for a blow and the issue of another 80

rounds, making 200 in all. By this time the loth Sikhs and the cavalry were into the firing line and at ii fire was terrific-about 15,000 rifles, hammer and tongr? The amount ol any rmount of machine guns, and several large batteries. The enemy, were nnder cover of a couple of small ridges, and were dug in on the flat; and' when they let lead loose, owing to the flat nature of the country, their bullets Avrnt till they were expended. Several of our chaps and those of the South Africans were hit. We were all lying down, and a chap just behind mc in our platoon stopped one,.just ove the heart and through the lung. He went down with a gasp, and we thought he was a goner/but he survive] it, and I believe he is now doing alright'.' A South African officer just opposite got bowled clean off his horse. I. He got it through the left side of the Face and was immediately patched up. The'blood was pouring out, hut he lit up a cigarette and made hack to the ambulance for docking and further repairs We moved up and opened out ilVtn sectional Indian file. The line ot attack was Sikhs forming the tiring li,„. v.' h mounteds on either.flank to keen the enemy together. The AfriMfl's wero supports to the firing line. ~„•! w- were in the first line of reser- <;.,„. We were disappointed at being in reserve again, especially so as we wero under heavy shrapnel, machine gun, and rifle fire, and were not nble to return a shot. In reserve, under there conditions, is most trying. The enemy had two shrapnel guns, and any j.mount of machine guns, and. I tell yon we got it real hot, as the Jinng. lino could dig themselves in and blaze away; it gives one twice as much confidence to bo able to return shot for shot. Shrapnel is a great thing. It is in the form of a shell and is tunefused When it explodes overhead it looses about 200 bullets in a fan shape and covers an area of about 50 yards long and about twenty yards wide. Anything in that area is not safe, though nobody might get hit. Ihe enemy's shrapnel was not. of the best and a lot of their shells failed to burst. Several shells hurst over us during the dav end '/few of my mates were hit. fat-none seriously. It is wonderful bow close thev go and yet do not lut vnu On" shell burst directly overiioatl and the bullets came dashing down with terrific force, but beyond being covered with earth and sumL I was'alrigbt.This particular shell didn t burst properly, rt only .blew the head of the shell off and the shell dashed down wallop into the ground right alongside of me. I reached out and dug down in the hole a bit and recovered Ihe shell and put it in my belt to brine home, but during some rushes m the afternoon I dropped it and badn t time to stop tor it, but I will get plenty more. You might think by some' of my statements that I was making a big song out of nothing, but I can give von my word that it is ail put down just as it happened. be LriOW escapes a man has are wonderful Bullets have the habit of doing a let of funny things: Our adjutant had a bullet through bis saddle and one through Ids trouser leg. but net-, thev drew blood. The tight was going

on furiously, and about tlio middle of ■the afternoon word came down that in Spite of all that was doing done by as the enemy" were advancing. This was ; received with a grim smile, because if they still kept advancing it would be a go to the death with the bayonet, but the enemy's gain was short-lived, and fin about an hour and a half we .bad fthom moving back by degrees. At about 3.30 p.m. word came up from the rear recalling half our company and tbe whole of another company. When we got back a bit, we were told that we had to get away back to the rear, as some of the enemy bad •worked round there and had some of but Cavalry on the retreat. So off >ve went almost at a double. We got to within 1350 yards of the enemy and then they opened fire and they bad lithe range to a nicety. We were, of "course opened out by this time in three lines of attack. We moved, steadily forward, At 1200 yards wo' got down and opened fire', and after getting about 50 rounds per man "away, the enemy must have found it too hot for them, for they up and off belter skelter. We gave them a parting volley to help 'em along, and were just getting up fco go in pursuit when we were recalled. The fight was over, only a few odd shots from the main body being heard. When we got buck the General sent word to us per our major thanking us warmly for what we bad done and the saving of a critical situation. Just as Ave reached our bivouac for tbe night, it started to rain, and we all got pretty wet. The .morning of the fight we wove issued half a bottle of water, and it ivas supposed to last us 24 hours, but, owing to tbe hot clay and the excitement" by dark we had finished .tne water. Our transport couldn't get through from the previous bivouac, so we were without water that night. Owing to our transport not getting through we bad no blankets or overcoats, and it rained intermittently all night and was as cold as charity; oven the wounded were without blankets, but they put horse rugs over them. At 8 o'clock next morning we started back, and we bad a drink of muddy water by tbe wayside., but this -was soon stopped by tbe doctor, and oh! hang! weren't we dry! At about 10.:)0 we met our water waggons and there was great rejoicing at the prospect of getting a drink, but there's many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip, and the bead of our column wasj just being issued with water when the colonel came along, stopped the issue, and ordered a move on. We got such ft shock, and be must ~ilvo sco " ' l m our faces, for he said he was sorry, but it bad to be done, as tbe rearguard scouts About two miles back sent word forward that the enemy were alter us. So on we went, tongues hanging out like big 'logs. I should have said that we are in telephonic communication with the camp all the time. Tbe wire is run out as we move along bv the signalling corps. Mules carry/ the wirS on their backs on spools. Well when the word came up about the enemv advancing, tbe camp was run- up and our aeroplane's presence was"required. In about ten minutes , h. P came floating along, passed over us to the rear, and was away for half an hour reconnoitring. Back he came and spiralled down to within about 100 feet of tbe ground and dropped bis written- report of what be bad see), to which was attached a couple ol yards Of white ribbon for finding erfsilv Then up he mounts again, and () ; Mu)mP . Wonderful! not arfl Wish T were an aeroplane! Would save sore foot! ft makes one a bit riled to see nB aeroplane covering in a few minutes „.;,!, ease a distance winch takes us beetle-crushers hours and hours .it hard marching to do. The report of the airman must have boon favorable as shortly afterwards we were halted for dinner and at last got our much needed water. We reached the we Is j„st at dark and bivouacked for the nio-ht We started in and got drunk on water which we surely would have been if it had been the least intoxicate ;.,„ We got an issue of rations, two biscuits ami half a tin of bully beef UK fin of jam between 25 men. find n little dry ten, and were told tins bad to last us'till we got home. Famine! \nvhow it didn't matter. It was Int-t-oriy eold and wet, but we had our blankets and overcoats and managed to keep, warm and got some Bleep. Next morning after breakfast, they gave us as many biscuits, as much . meat and jam and cheese as would, have lasted a wook-a least Great

joy! They did'this to lighten the loads of the horses on the way home. A train (horse train) of provisions, had arrived during the night. We left at S o'clock and reached camp here at 5 o'clock p.m. A mail had arrived whilst we were out. and just as I was getting into bed a mate of mine brought me my mail to my tent. Since we have been here we have seen two aeroplane accidents: One fell about 40 feet into the harbor. The pilot and observer were both injured, and it was funny to see them being brought ashore. The observer, who holds the rank of major, is ajjratller flash coon, and was heard to remark: "Byah jove! we did it that time alright!" ■ Last Thursday the aeroplane was coming-in from' observations and was just on ; the point of landing when bis engine backfired and tilted over and fell about 40 feet. The framework was well smashed, but the engine was intact. The pilot got his nose broken, so wasn't so 'bad. We witnessed a perfect bit of aeroplane iinese yesterday. ft was "a lovely clear afternoon, and t'bc aeroplane was coming back. She must' have been almost 10,001) foeUiigh. She remained so till over the camp, and then started to spiral downwards in a circle of about 30 yards. It was a fine sight, with his planes'flashing in the sun and his machine all the time canted at about 45 degrees. We received word last Thursday that we wore under orders back to Alexandria, but this was cancelled, at the last moment, and the Sikhs went instead. The rest of the camp gave them a ripping send-off, and they deserved..it; even the Genera! was there waving lii.s hat to them till they were- wtd [ -jvgw i. their way. They have made a name for themselves here that won't -easily be forgotten. The Sikhs arc born gentlemen, though they are dark-skinned, and are soldiers of the best. They are an immaculately clean people, and eat no-food other than what is killed and cooked with their own individual hands. They won't stand you going near thom whilst they are cooking tlieir food, but as soon as it is cooked thoy.i.wili call you and give you the best ! they have. They have a lot of tiino foil the New Zoalanders, whom they call "Johnny," and we have a lot of time for them; in fact, they are greatly in love with all the Colonials. We are still under orders to go at any time, and f think it will be in the course of a day or two, but we do not know for sure when. The General sent us a nice message when no heard we wore being recalled. He said tliat be was \evy sorry to lose the fine comradeship of the' New Zoalanders, and that we wove soldiers of whom the Mother Country might well be proud. When we leave here we will relit at Alexandria and then go to the Canal at ishmallia, where a big attack is expected from the Turks ami Germans, v.o I suppose we will have some trench fighting lo do. It will be a bit of a change from tbe long marches.