Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 167]
Jany 1917
4th/14 – Put in time at Hassaniya Varied rumours re shifting & tents coming out. Had tooth filled at N.Z. dental unit Bir El Abs on 8th 1st & 3rd L.H. Bdes & Yeom. moved out from El Arish & attacked a Turkish post near Rafa 30 miles distant. Fighting all day 9th & at 5pm position was rushed & Turks & Germans surrendered, about 1700 in all including about 250 Germans (?) About 600 Turks killed & wounded & our casualties about 500, 100 (?) being killed. Sgts Cowley & Barnes 2nd L.H.R. killed Knew Barnes fairly well. Was with Scott on Gallipoli & was unwounded. Stiff luck for him. Cowley at School of instn recently held in Cairo. Travelling beyond El Arish much improvement on desert. When at Abd saw one train load of wounded go through. Lads said the N.Zs again did good work & Yeom fought this time
4/14th – German officers when captured very proud & tried to be domineering. One got a devil of a shock. When the led horses or held horses were brought up he said "Oh this is my horse" & proceeded to put his foot in the stirrup when the owner of the horse placed such a hefty kick on his behind that he wondered what had struck him. They were also very indignant when their wounded officers had to travel with their men. Of course they got a lot of satisfaction, they always do. Played the usual game, fired on our men till they were only ten yards off & then threw up their hands & would not face the steel. The men say, that next time, there "aint going to be no throwing up of hands" but the bayonet will be used. About 4000 Turks were coming came to the relief of the others when two sqdns of the 8th