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[page 17]
1915
the cause of the silence. By 0320 all the remaining garrison were in Maori Sap running for the beach with socks pulled over their boots to muffle the sound. While they were in Maori Sap, Walker's Ridge mine was blown up, whereupon the enemy commenced a tremendous fire on our front line and communication trenches which was kept up long after the party was well out to sea. Parts of the machine guns were carried down to the lighter by our men; the enemy got a certain amount of small arms ammunition and bombs, but most of the surplus and reserve stocks were blown up in Walker's Ridge mine or buried. The fact that the Turks were short of shells and had no trench mortars, etc., for use at close quarters had a lot to do with the success of the evacuation of the Peninsula.
After the long vigil on the Peninsula, finishing with the tension of the evacuation, the Regiment did not look much like the smart 1st Light Horse of Egypt when it landed at Mudros. Each man carried some small article of kit in addition to his arms, and the socks which had been pulled over the footwear to deaden the sounds in the saps were still being worn by many. Scottish bandsmen played the Regiment into camp and many army sisters cheered the rearguard as they arrived marching in the rain.
On the morning of December 23 we embarked again for Egypt, H.M.T.S. 'Honorata' taking 4 officers and 297 other ranks, and H.M.T.S. 'Ionian' the remaining 15 officers and 50 other ranks. Christmas day was spent on board and the skippers and crews did their best to make the day a good one. Next day we landed at Alexandria and transformed to troop trains which took us back to the old Aerodrome camp in Heliopolis. Orders were immediately issued to re-equip and get ready for mounted work on the western front of Egypt against the Senussi. The saddlery was found to be in good order but the horses' manners had not improved under the rough treatment of the syces. Shoeing was pushed on with and clothing issued, and the Gallipoli stoop of the men changed into the old swing of the cavalryman.