Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 71
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[Page 71]
the station. A major Brigham of the 69th Punjabis conducted us over the defensive works on the Eastern side of the Canal at Kantara. They were very extensive and complete. From the roof of the Observation House we obtained a fine view of the Surrounding Country.
He also showed us where the Turks attacked but we had not time to go out to the position. General Knox is in Command of this Section, and greatly strengthened his position by inundating the surrounding country from the canal, thus making a very effective barrier. This position had been strongly fortified as it is the Commencement of one of the main caravan routes through the Sinai Peninsula; the other routes coming in at Tussum below Ismailia, and at Suez. We left Kantara at 1.5, journeyed by train to Ismailia, then took ferry down the Canal to Tussum. Ismailia is an exceedingly pretty spot, and has some magnificent avenues of trees and glorious purple and orange Bouganvillae [ea] in abundance. On the wharf we saw 18 large zinc boats about 20' x 5' which the Turks had somehow hauled across the desert and used in their attempted crossing of the Canal. On arrival at Tussum we were shown the fortification at the post and then proceeded along the banks of the canal to Serapeum, some 3 miles, and it was along this front the main fighting took place. I should have mentioned that just before reaching Tussum we saw some Sikhs dragging two dead Turks from the canal. They had evidently been shot while attempting to cross. About 350 prisoners were taken at this point and about 100 killed and wounded. The Turks force was estimated at 13,000 with 14000 camels. Special orders were given that our troops should act on the defensive only and take no offensive action, otherwise the whole show with its guns could have been captured.
Political or Mahommedan considerations governed the case. We saw the graves of many Turks, some with arms and legs protruding. They had taken up positions behind little sand mounds, and in each case here were to be seen numbers of empty cartridge cases. We saw some hundreds of boots tied in pairs which had evidently been discarded by the Turks in the expectation of having to swim the canal. We saw the grave of a German Officer, Major Von Hagen, marked with a cross. He deserved his fate for he showed a White Flag, and when our men ceased firing his rear lines still continued. His white flag appears to have been a regular part of his kit, for he had a little khaki case for it. This has been