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[Page 123]
April 1916
[Note in margin:] Saty
29th – by forming a ring of camels ten being minimum nr. Learnt of recent happenings from Rev. M. Woods & also the other Wowser Cong. Parson. Reports conflicting on certain points. Appears that last Saty (22nd) & Sunday, a well armed managed equipped force of Turks made a swoop on the British (Gloucester) Yeomanry. Yeomanry Patrols had evidently been slack & they were taken by surprise & practically wiped out. 1350 killed wounded & missing. Circumstances & indications point to the Turks having made a swoop down on Gloucesters surrounding them. Yeomanry evidently made splendid fight (all reports agree on that) but were vastly outnumbered & probably out officered & at Quatia Lord Elcoate being surrounded, told his men that he intended to surrender & if any of them wanted to make a bid to escape they were at liberty to do so. 18 tried, 13 got through 5 killed. At Duidar 70 dead Turks & 20 dead Tommies were
[Note in margin:] Saty
29th – buried. 5th just missed Duidar by an hour. They captured a number of stragglers & also parts of an M.G. They pursued Turks for about 6 m. Some reports say that Turks are only 12 m away & others say they are back at Elarish or Elharisch or some such name which is their base. No of Bedouins being rounded up daily & as prisoners of war are being sent to Kantara. Turks evidently had made reconnaissances & knew all detail as simultaneous attacks made at several points. At Bir-el-Duidar, R.S.M Randall (Camel T'port Corps) said, Turks got to within 12 yards of Tommies surrounding them, 800 Turks to 104 Tommies. Also Worcesters annihilated. Congregational padre said he heard that some* of the Gloucesters were sent for, message saying "we are hard pressed" & some patrol came said came in
* (Later heard only 26)