SOLDIERS IN EGYPT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 269, 23 April 1915, Page 6

SOLDIERS IN EGYPT.

looking for the turks, new Plymouth men active. played by New Zoalanders in the recent action with the Turks near tlif Sura Canal is described in the follow ing interesting letter written by Private Athol Mc Isaacs, of Now Plymouth: On the 2(ith of January we shifted <.;-.:• (ruts and cleaned up the camp site. E'.erything was in a*»state of disorder :i>:d" at ton time we had just got things ;i little bit square. Soldon and I wen) .s'tt'd'-g down to tea when we heard a chri'r outside, and on going out found out that we had received orders to pro-c-jc-a to the Suez Canal to repel the invas: >n of Turks. Excitement? It's only a shame. Everybody was singing and] f """'..(?' an| l band ß - playing at the lyime Hi::?. We had a very busy time that night, seeing that everybody was fully equipped and packing our kits, etc. It was 4 o'clock when I "got to bed. As si'on as the bugle sounded in the morning everybody was up and wo were' ic.dv to leave hours before time. We lift Zcitoun at 9 and marched to Pont dt Koubbeh, singing all the way. On ".rrival there we had to leave our kits oh* and load the train. No one seemed ;'o mind the hot day or that the stuff was heavy. We got away about 11 and th',roughly enjoyed the journey of six lii.iir* through typical Egyptian scenery. W-' arrived there early in the evening and bivouacked by the side of the railway tint night. [■

"BULLETS OVER MY HEAD." • I At about four in the morning we were awakened by the sound of rifle fire, but as it was some distance away we did net get up. We found out in the morning that the Turks had attacked Fort Kubri, but were repelled by the Gurkhas, who killed one officer and captured fourteen men. We left early for the CanaL and arrived there about twelve. It had started to rain and blow and the day was altogether the most unpleasant we have experienced since we left New Zealand. The remainder of that day and all the next were spent in entrenching ourselves. On the 20th we were aroused at 4 a.m., and marched about a .mile in expectation of an attack, but there was nothing doing and we returned disappointed. Days passed uneventfully until the night of the 2nd, and on that night we were awakened by rifle fire at 11 p.m. I got out of my dug-out and could hear the bullets singing over the Canal banks. I got up in my trench and could see the rifle flashes quite plainly and it was dead interesting to hear the noise of the bullet whistling over my head. We had orders not to fire, so all that we could do was to listen to them firing. They retired at about 3 a.m. after slightly wounding an English officer, so we went back to bed.

SEEKING THE ENEMY. On the 3rd we established ourselves in Fort Kubri, on the Sinai Peninsula. Nothing happened there until the sth, when two platoons of Taranaki Company (120), two platoons of Gurkhas, one squadron of Hyderabad Lancers, four guns of the East Lancashire Artillery, and a Medical Corps left the Fort at 11 a.m. to proceed in the direction 'if the enemy's position and find out anything they could about tlienj. We'came in contact with their outposts about I p.m., and the artillery shelled their force for a little while, and, after firing a few random shots at us, they retired in disorder. A stray shot from one of their rifles struck a lancer in the head, killing him instantly. This was our only casualty. I was on patrol for seven hours that night, but, except for a few desert dogs, saw nothing. There have been hundreds of humorous incidents. This is one: One dark night our patrol (six men) were out listening for Turks. One of them saw a man standing in the middle of the desert, and immediately warned the others. They all lay on their stomachs and crawled towards him without making a sound. After they had crawled about a quarter of a'miie and were quite close to him, one of the boys stood up and challenged him. There was no answer, so he Walked up to him with fixed bayonet, and discovered that, instead of a Turk, it was a piece of wood.

THE GURKHAS. The Gurkhas, who -••;; with us at the Fort, are the finest little fellows going. They arc like Japs, to look at, and are ;•« happy and active as Suez flies. They are also wonderfully good soldiers. Besides their rifle, etc., they carry a knife called a "kukri," and it's some knife. One night a party of them went up to the enemy's position up the coast and fell across a Turkish transport corps. Two of the Gurkhas were sent forward to reconnoitre; one was shot dead and the other was wounded. The wounded one threw away his rifle and rushed at the nearest Turk and cut his head and one shoulder right off with his kukri. They killed a few and captured the rest. Days passed uneventfully, and on the 15th we received instructions that we were to go further up the river (canal), so we decided to give a concert as farewell to the Gurkhas. There were several good items. The "star" wasahakabya lot of the boys, who tattooed themselves and did it as Well as the Maoris could have done. It greatly pleased both the Indians and their English officers. Carbines and I had a chorus party who contributed two or three items. It was one good sight to see the Gurkhas and New Zealanders round a big bonfire that we had built and the searchlight from the patrol boat playing on the performers, and it will be fairly hard to forget.

ON THE MARCH AGAIN. Next morning we split our company in two and half stayed near Fort Kubri, and the other half, which I accompanied as quartermaster, went up the Canal about ten miles to Fort No. 5. Our first view of the fort did not impress us very much. It was a perfectly still day when we left Kubri, but when we arrived at No. o it was blowing great guns, and the earth which grows in that district was blowing also, making it fairly unpleasant. The fort itself was a scries of hills and valleys, and didn't look as if we could make the home out of it that we had made of Kubri. After we had got settled down and began to get used to it we didn't mind no much, and altogether had a good time there. There were two others besides myself in our tent, Sergt.-Major McGlade and Seldom the paymaster, and we were bosom friends.

SPORT BY THE CANAL. Our days were spout in glorious idlcnoss.,, Usually we would go down to the Canal after breakfast and strip oil". We had a fishing line, and, as I was the best swimmer, I had to go out into the middle of the Canal and Bet the line. Then we would lie about in tfie sun and swim a little and watcli the fishing line. We saw hundreds of fish, but never caught one. After dinner we went through the same programme. Tea over,

we would watch the Indians and our own boys driil before going to their various stations for the night, and then to bed, usually about 7,30. The only excitement wan the passing steamers. I lur.e had tons of swimming since we came to the Canal and it ha i been \cry useful, Wiicn the steamers are passing ilia pa.-.::'ng, i-'b, who realise .hat v. are heroes f'7 iking the:'?, and dim'l ui:di-:'sland. t|iaf, roally w<; are having a better time than t|icy are, throw boxet of cigarettes, cigars, anil finned fish, etc., over to us, and the tot ill gets thcrn. It is rather a unique sight to see a big steamer with a searchlight on the peak and brilliantly lit up glide past the fort. Of course, they cheer ns, and we have to cheer in return. Ga 'A: 24th we received instruction that we were to return to Cairo, and came down to headquarters near Kubri on that day. We spent two days there, and on the °Mh entrained for Zeitonn, wnere we liow are.