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[Page 128]
May 1916[Note in margin:] Saty
6th – Only half ration of water today. Eighty fantasses to be stored up out of day's supply. Four Tommies & 2 extra Sand carts arrived & taken on strength. Turks reported to be at Oghratina.
7th – Early in morning rumour of move thro-out the day, & about 11 am orders received that Brigade would move out to attack Turks at Oghratina during course of p.m. We with about 20 camels, sleighs s-carts & bearers left at 1.30. Covering party with us. Main body did not leave till 5 pm. N.Z.MR. delayed it about an hour thro' non-arrival. We arrived at Qatia, 6 miles distant about 3.30 pm. Bde arrived 6.30. Had a look at Qatia battleground. All dead soldiers buried, dead horses & camels still unburied. Some of dead, half uncovered by wind blowing sand off, one Turk p't'clarly so. Saw some of 5th L.H. Lt Stanfield & a troop there, had about a dozen Bedouins, chiefly women rounded
7th – up. Had caught same at Qatia 5th supposed to stouch a few Turks at Haminish. Took snap of Tomb of Shiek-el-Muzzai part of ruins of Qatia. Qatia many hundred years B.C. was principal resting place of travellers from Jerusalem to Egypt. We likewise rested or waited for Bde to come up & it was 8 pm ere we moved off again. Few unexploded bombs etc lying about. Aeroplane visited us but did not drop any message. Understand B.H.Q got message from her before leaving Romani that no Turks within miles & all Turks gone from Oghratina. Bde left at 8pm & I shortly after leaving, distinguished myself by falling off a camel. Nothing serious happened, I was sitting side-ways on & must have fallen asleep as first I remembered was camel shying & half leap-half running fwd. Regained my balance from shy by leaning right back but the leap fwd set me rolling & I touched the ground at camels heels. Rather