Item 01: Thomas Goodwin war diary, 25 April 1915-22 July 1916 - Page 11
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[Page 11]
3-5-1915
a few minutes later I was told not to go, and again I was told to go, never saw such messing about in all my life, While the orders were coming to me I was busy slinging horses and had no gear packed up. So you see I had to hurry up, I was the last to scramble over the side of vessel. We had 67 horses on the pontoon towed ashore by a paddle boat. A middy, I should say about 18 years old was in charge of the tow. When we got close to the shore, the paddle boat cast off and a steam pinnace, picked us up, with this middy that I just mentioned in charge. We were making for V beach Seddul Bahr fort, which is now the French base, All troops and supplies are landed there. The Steamer, River Clyde was run aground there with troops aboard After a lot of doging about we run along side. What news we heard 7 Frenchman and 15 horses killed half an hour before we landed. Just as we made fast a shot from Asia come screaching over, no damage done, a close call about 20 yards short. Another shot over, about 30 yards over, still a failure. We were unloading our horses, The 3rd Battery came alongside also, it was a terrible place to unload horses. On to a landing