[Somewhere in] Egypt/Middle East – August 28th, 1916 – (Letter #19) – “This is a cut out of the English Papers about our time in Egypt”

Just a few lines to let you know I am in the pink.

Hoping this will find you all the same.

Well things are very quiet here at the present.

I am sending this letter back to you again as it has done some travelling, so I will send it again.

This is a cut out of the English papers about our time in Egypt.

See what you think of it.

At sunset yesterday, the Turkish pretensions for the conquest of Egypt were irretrievably smashed.

. While the crescent moon faintly lighted up the desert and cast fantastic shadows over the broken sandy country,

we pursued the defeated Turkish troops vigorously

The Turks’ second attempt at the invasion of Egypt is beaten much more severely than that of February last year

r despite German leadership and [much] more scientific methods.

We have already counted more than two thousand prisoners, including Germans, and have captured a portion of the enemy’s artillery.

The brunt of the fighting was borne by Anzac mounted troops, consisting of Australian Light Horse and New Zealand Mounted Rifles.

These Colonial horsemen had been anxious to follow their comrades to France,

but were retained in Egypt because they were ideal troops for the work in front of our defences.

They acquitted themselves magnificently.

For more than a week, they had little rest, keeping touch with the enemy, pushing back patrols, reconnoitering in the country where the wily enemy outnumbered them.

Well led, the men themselves displayed a high degree of military intelligence and courage, and one of their attacks yesterday was quite irresistible.

Gallipoli Heroes

One officer described General Chauvel’s division as the cream of the Colonial troops.

After the trials of Gallipoli what praise could be higher.

Of the British troops, the Scottish and Lancaster Territorials and the Warwick and Gloucester Yeomanry fought spendidly and amply avenged the previous loss of their comrades, now prisoners at Damascus

by taking over three hundreds prisoners, two camel guns, and inflicting very heavy casualties.

As the yeomanry and infantry are pursuing the Turks, their bag may become heavier.

At midnight on Thursday, the Turks, a division strong, held a north and south line through the Katia oasis,

about seven miles long, with flanks thrown westward.

From a little south of Romani to the Mediterranean coast was Scottish infantry,

while the Anzacs in front of them from an hour before daylight fought with great steadiness and determination against the well-handled enemy in superior numbers,

yielding ground grudgingly, until Major-General the Hon. H.A. Lawrence could reinforce the line with more cavalry and infantry.

The situation at midday was that we securely held the line Mahamadiya - Romani - Kalib Gennit

The latter place is a sand dune, nearly three hundred feet high - an excellent observation post when the Turk’s howitzer fire was not turned against it.

Attack on Romani

From Gannit for a mile to the west is Wellington ridge, an elevated stretch of bright yellow sand, which the Turks made energetic attempts to reach.

Two miles due south in Mount Meredith, and here and at Mount Royston, three miles west-north-west

the enemy managed to get a footing in the afternoon.

They had chosen what appeared to the easiest path towards the canal - a broad undulating sandy plain, flanked by sand dunes.

About three o’clock the enemy made a fierce attack on Romani and Gannit but the Light Horse and the Scottish Territorials drove them back towards Abu Hamra with very considerable loss.

Meanwhile a Lancashire brigade was brought up by rail,

and as I saw them detrain the difference which two years’ training has made in this force seemed remarkable

From Territorials of average quality in peace times, they have improved into brigade veterans.

They left the railway at a place within sound of heavy machine gun fire and marched away to attack through ankle-deep sand, light-hearted and thoroughly proud that the time had come.

Heavy Enemy Losses

A little later from a different spot, I saw Warwick and Gloucester Yeomanry marching over flatter country with flankers advanced and rearguards and squadrons as well aligned as on parade.

. At five o’clock the infantry began the attack from north to south, while the yeomanry dismounted and moved over the sand dunes toward Mount Royston,

working in touch with the infantry.

Our guns belaboured the Turks, but a Turkish officer taken here told me that our rifle and machine gun fire cost the enemy massive casualties.

Nothing could withstand it

and the yeomanry and infantry drove the enemy off Mount Royston and the slopes of Wellington Ridge, and after a brief delay cleared Meredith

collecting a thousand prisoners during the advance and scattering the remainder of the force over the face of the desert.

What the Turkish casualties are I cannot say, but they must be large.

Since daylight this morning we have pursued the Turks, who, if the prisoners are a good sample of Von Kresses’ expeditionary force, are very weary.

Whether the Turks will try to hold the trenches dug by them remains to be seen,

but whatever happens Egypt is safer from invasion than anytime during the war.

No finer vindication of General Murray’s policy of making the Turk fight far from the Canal could be given

than the fact that traffic on the waterway was not stopped for one minute.

British troops in the wild unlovely desert secured a peaceful passage for the world’s commerce flowing between the seas of East and West

The turks fought hard, but the prisoners were delighted to be in British hands, receiving good food and abundant water.

The officer I have quoted said: “The captured Turks are glad to be British prisoners, for they knew they would be chivalrously treated.”

I can speak of the tender treatment the Turkish received and this made a deep impression on the unwounded prisoners.

Later

There has not yet been time to estimate the enemy’s losses, as we are pursuing them swiftly,

but a Turkish officer assured me that our mitrailleuse fire was terrible,

that it cut down men like reaping corn.

He marvelled that any escaped. He believes that the Turkish casualties are extremely heavy.

Anyhow, the enemy troops are scattered far and wide in the desert,

not in orderly columns, but in small parties, and many of these will doubtless be caught up, brought to action, and killed or captured.

The victory is already absolute, and the significance of General Murray’s untiring preparations east of the Canal will now be fully appreciated.

I never got a letter from home,

only one they registered to me.

I am not with the Battalion.

My address now is #3949 Private Lee G. Darrach, 125 Brigade, Machine Gun Co., #3 section, 42 Division, E.E. Force, ℅ G.P.O. London.

I suppose B is back by this time.

Glad to hear you have steady work, hope it will keep up.

Is Sam working all the time? I know [I] got steady [work] here.

Well, I have not news that would interest you, so will close for this time.

With love and [kisses] for the kiddies and all. From your brother, Lee