Volume 2: Letters written on active service, M-W, 1914-1919 - Page 21

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[Page 21]

we saw the damage they had done.
At four o'clock we (the Regt) moved away to the west & rode till dark. Then took a line of outposts for the night. The big gun fire slackened off towards night.
The Manchesters came up & continued the line on our right. These men had been rushed up from the canal by train, landed further back pushed up on the high ground & had done good work.
We slept in the support. Most of us only had a shirt & pair of shorts on & fell asleep holding our horses. The horses had one drink & two small feeds for the day. The men had fared tolerably well for water & had carried their breakfast with them.
Well this ended the first days battle of Romani. Looking back one could not help marvelling at the wonderful organization they must have had to bring up the guns, ammunition etc etc & push an attack such as they did.
We were always inclined to believe the long sandy waste of desert would prevent them from bringing up any heavy artillery. They appeared to be well off for mountain guns & had some six inch & I heard some 9.4's. I only wished for Australian Infantry, but we had the next best I know of – the Scotties. In their trenches & redoubts they suffered but not as much as the enemy on their front.

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