Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 73
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[Page 73]
Thursday 18 February 1915
The battalion returned from its first bivouac this morning at 11 o'clock. My information as to the proceedings of the battalion I am obtaining from what I judge to be a quite reliable source. It appeared that the 13th took up a fairly strong position on a rising, some distance out of Heliopolis. After entrenching at various points, they settled down to wait for the expected attack on the part of their opponents, the 14th (Victorian) battalion.
Throughout the night, a keen look-out was kept for the enemy by the numerous sentries. But until just before dawn (the stereotyped conventional hour for making an attack) their watch was in vain. Then the enemy appeared and vigorously attacked the half-asleep men in the trenches. What happened after, no one is certain. The 14th got the decision, but to all my interrogations, I merely got the reply, "They didn't win at my point". And as I asked a man at each of the various points in the line, and got the same answer, the decision appeared to be rather erratic. But the men forget that half of them would probably have not lived to tell the tale. Hence the explanation. After breakfast (supplied from the field kitchens) the start on the return journey was made, the battalions reaching camp at a little after ten.