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| 01/01/1916 |
Only a short trek today. Eight miles, KATATBAR. This place is the
junction of a line of light railway, 2' 6"gauge with the main line.
This line goes out to out destination. Our transport came on by rail and
are camped here. A.S. and I went into the village and brought bread,
tomatoes, eggs for the crowd, foraged for wood. Niggers with blind eyes.
Right on the extreme edge of the desert, better than stinking dust of
the Nile villages.
Woke up with an awful fright during the night - about 98 horses
stampeded into our lines.
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| 02/01/1916 |
Travelled through pebbly desert today, 12 miles along the railway
line. No sign of life barring an occasional small bird or small deer.
The only vegetation is a patch of stunted weed wherever the desert turns
to sand. The desert is practically lifeless.
Arrived at a siding called VICTORIA TANK. Here there is a windmill
pumping from a well to a big iron tank. There were three trucks of water
waiting here for our horses.
Was on left flank today with Leiut. BARNETT . Yesterday, same flank
guard with Lt. OBORN .
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| 03/01/1916 |
Arrived at Bir Hecker at about 4 p.m., 15 miles.
Found that QM had arrived ahead of us and mapped out a camping ground,
and it did not take long to get our lines down. Tents issued and
pitched. Ground is very fine sand with a good deal of chemical in it.
We have struck a chain of lakes running in a northerly direction for 50
to 70 miles.
159 Brigade English men are camped here. Egyptian cavalry and Indian
Camel Corps. On the edge of lake is a big chemical factory which makes
soda and salt.
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-WADI HABROON-
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| 09/01/1916 Sunday
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Swimming parade - mounted.
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| 10/01/1916 Monday |
Mounted signalling heliograph visited Cophic Monadtries.
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| 11/01/1916 Tuesday |
Long distance heliograph with 159th Bde Headquarters.
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| 12/01/1916 Wednesday |
C Squadron left for Light Horse Wells, established connection from B
Hocker.
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| 13/01/1916 Thursday |
Out on transmitting station between C Squadron at Wells and 159th Bde
at Bir Hooker. Adventures Bedouins.
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| 14/01/1916 Friday |
Left Bir Hooker at 9 a.m. and arrived at Light Horse Wells, by evening
we had our camp fixed up
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| 15/01/1916 Saturday |
| We have established an observation post about 3 miles out on a hill
over looking the wadi. I had charge of signal station at this end
keeping in touch. |
Colonel had every man fall in after tea then addressed us. First in
reference to men interfering at Bedouin camps - sheik complained of
conduct of some men and Colonel had to go to a lot of trouble with
explanations and apologies. The Sheik though his domicile is remarkable
unpretentious for a man of such authority, being only a barn like
construction of some age and no dimensions to talk of, controls a force
of 12,000 men extending Mena almost to the sea.
The Colonel promised that the culprits would be punished and gave him
his word of honour that is people and belongings would not be interfered
with again. The explanation that we were Bedouins also, Australian
Bedouins, owning land and camels in our country. Matters were patched up
and the old sheik sent out his runners over a radius of 100 miles to his
head men saying that we were friends and nothing was to be feared from
us. In a day or two he is to visit our camp, and men are warned against
any conduct likely to hurt feelings, for he is a very dignified and
courteous old gentleman. Gets himself up in great style, wearing a gold
sword, giant pistol holster and all the burnishings and colour that one
usually associates with an Arabs dignity's outfit.
The object of the men's visit to Bedouins tent was misconstrued by him
and as searching and possibly as attempt to interfere with women. Of
course it was only curiosity.
The Colonel was terribly disturbed by this happening because had the old
sheik cared he could have had the whole lot of us annihilated.
He is a very intelligent chap and asked the Colonel a lot of questions,
such as the reason of the branding our horses as they are. There are
about 30 of these Bedouin tents around his house and also an old mud
fort with domed roofs, some twenty or so separate domes. The sheik was
going to shoot the intruders and only failed to do so by restraint.
Bedouins have shot several British Officers already at other places. A
British Cavalry Officer tacted his troop and rode around a Bedouin tent
and the occupant shot him and made no bones about it saying that any man
that rode behind his back was his enemy. |
| We are getting our information. |
2nd Subject.
We are to be prepared for an attack at any moment, as when it comes it
will come quickly and with a rush. The advance guard of the approaching
force has reached a point (certain wells) 80 miles from here. The force
has German and Turkish officers, it consists of Senussi and carriers, 6
or 8 machine guns, battery of 18 pounders (it is supposed) and two
mountain batteries. The distance between that point and here is
waterless.
B Squadron arrived this morning.
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| 16/01/1916 Sunday |
Our patrols sighted a body this morning supposed to be enemy scouts.
Had charge of the same signalling station this morning. Two fine days
for helio work. We can communicate to Indian Bikaner Camel Corps piquet
situated at Paps, to our observation post to the northeast or to Bir
Hooker Bde HQ in the south. Bir Hooker is about 7 miles away the Paps
about 5 or 6 ahead of us and are two conical shaped hills rising
abruptly from the desert at the furthest end of the wadi.
The piquet goes out every morning and takes a Tommy telephone Officer
with it. A cable runs the whole distance from Bir Hooker. Leaving there
it runs along the line as far as the aerodrome (the aeroplane to occupy
it, is on its way though, ground is marked out with white lines and
brown canvas hanger is erected). Then it runs in and out among the reeds
until the camp is reached. Then across the camp area under the sand
until tents are reached, along the tops until it gets to orderly room,
the whole distance is on the ground.
Last night volunteer was wanted to run wire with CHERRY into Bir Hooker
to find break .
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Figure 1: "FIELD TELEPHONE, INCORPORATES A MORSE BUZZER, BROWN
LEATHER CASE"
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| LIGHT HORSE WELLS - LAKE BAIDA |
| 16/01/1916 cont.. |
Last communication was interrupted at same time and this morning the
line men found it cut in thickest part of reeds.
Beautiful moonlight night and enjoyed trip immensely. Nothing much
happened though we were on alert with rifles loaded and ready for
emergency.
A man mounted passed us after we had got a mile out galloping towards
Bir Hooker, and caused a bit of speculation. We found out after it was
Bill HOPE going in with daily
statement. We found a break about a mile and half from Bir Hooker, just
recently repaired. This break was in the thickest part of the reeds and
had been repaired about an hour or so previously. The Tommies having
been after it too. Beside the Bedouin camp there is a nigger village
alongside the railway. It seems pretty certain the breaks were cut
intentionally though one can easily be over suspicious.
A Squadron joined us today. |
| 17/01/1916 Monday |
Horses are being watered twice a day at both the wells and at pools
dug along side the fresh water lagoons. To get these latter we take the
horses over a track cut through the reeds which are dense and 9 feet
high in places. We are about half a mile from the rail-head and have
acquired a dozen camels to do transport duty between there and camp. The
wells are about 15 feet to 20 feet deep and are fitted with whips and
watering troughs
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| 18/01/1916 Tuesday |
Sussenni patrol been sighted.
Caught galloping our horses out on the swamps by Capt. LEWIS. Cherry and
I were having a race. Seoit setanter, Douglas Jude LEWIS approached from
out of the reeds and took names promising to report us. |
| 19/01/1916 Wednesday |
Fell in at 9.00 a.m. by orderly corporal in company with Corporal
LOMAX faces SCHOFIELD , SCOTT accused, and KEANE , BIGG witnesses. Lomax
is of B Squadron and went first before Captain LEWIS squadron Leader and
we were witnesses. Then we all marched up before Colonel FULTON . The
charges against the four of us was that on the 13th we disobeyed a
Regimental order which said that we were not to go near natives or have
anything to do with them. On the day in question seven of us signallers
left Bir Hooker to form a visual transmitting station between that point
and Lake Baida at which the Light Horse wells is situated, on account of
hazy weather. George LOMAX in charge of party and I had charge of the
station working with Light Horse Wells, about 50 yards away were a group
of 4 or 5 Bedouin tents. A young and old Bedouin came across and tried
to talk with us. It appears that LOMAX, SCOTT and SCHOFIELD parlayed to
buy some eatables. They went into one tent and tried to explain,
SCHOFIELD drawing a fowl on the floor. Most of the women folk and
children went running away across the desert to another group of tents
further on. I think LOMAX lit a fire for one of the women. Later in the
afternoon I went across to the camp by myself on seeing one of their
tents blow down. Women and kids run again. As we were leaving three
Tommy Officers mounted on camels came upon the scene. An old and
picturesque looking Bedouin mounted on a white Arab pony came upon the
officers and I saw him pointing towards tents and to us. We were just
saddling up to move off and the camels made the horses restless. SCOTT6
shouted to the camel people quite loud enough to be heard to "take
their B____ camels to h__ out of it."
That night a memo came in from Brigade HQ and LOMAX went before Col
FULTONi and gave the names of the culprits and witnesses. It appears
that the mounted Arab was the sheik and only for the fact that
anticipating something like that would happen he ordered the men to stay
in their tents and for the women to leave them on our approach. He
ordered his men not to shoot otherwise we would probably be all dead by
now. This sheik controls 15.000 men and it is a vital thing that he
remains friendly to us. He suspected our motives to be searching and to
interfere with women. Loam lost his temporary corporalship which would
have been permanent in a week. SCOTT, SCHOFIELD and I were sentenced to
15 days number 2 field punishment and I lost my chance of stripes. |
The First Light Horse Ambulance is expecting to camp near us.
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| 20/01/1916 Thursday |
Owing to being unable to raise ZOI, I went
into Bir Hooker running line and carrying dispatched. Got an order At
Brigade for a range finder which I took down to 4th Cheshires and
procured the instrument. Large affair, carried on back, nearly as heavy
as the rifle.
Duty on phone 7 p.m. Telegrams morsed.
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| 21/01/1916 Friday |
A party left for Papps to make wells and
prepare for the regiment moving up there. 150 camels arrived at Bir
Hooker yesterday for transport work on other side of swamp ruins mounds
and old slag heaps.
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| 26/01/1916 |
Three officers and forty nine men reinforcements arrived today. Lts.
KELLY , BIGG and BROOKS . Wells have been supply quite sufficient water
for all purposes. A party under Lt. BERMALL are at Papps putting down a
bore in preparation of our moving up there.
General DALLAS is coming out to inspect positions tomorrow. C/O of 53rd
Division to which we are attached. |
| Paid out Two Pounds per man today all of which will be spent in our
regimental canteen. Issued food unsatisfactory, no jam for some dates
very scanty issue dates instead. Half loaf bread per man, not much meat
and little vegetables. Tinned meat and vegetables issue however. Horses
are being grazed regularly in the wadi. They relish the young reeds.
Owing to the Generals visit, a signal service operator named REES is
attached to us and he and I are to work the buzzer until the General has
gone. |
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