The Seventh Manchesters by S. J. Wilson (inspirational novels .TXT) 📖

>morning of December 3rd, having reduced our stores to mobile column

dimensions, we loaded up the long suffering, but grousing camels, and

marched forth to the cheery strains of a drum and fife band, kindly

provided by the 10th Middlesex. We plugged steadily on through the soft

sand and finally camped for the night inside the outpost line in front

of Bir el Abd. Next day the march continued and we reached Salmana. We

enjoyed nothing better than this new activity, and possibly the most

delightful part of it was the construction of temporary shelters at the

end of the day’s work. Perhaps the most trying part was the provision of

the usual protection for a column such as we were, that is the advance,

rear, and flank guards, for this often entailed covering a greater

distance and enjoying less frequent halts. The day following provided a

new interest. We proceeded through a region of sabkhets, which are large

flat stretches of hard ground, the remains of dried up lagoons, for by

this time we were marching almost along the coast. These sabkhets were a

very welcome change from the difficult soft desert sand. Tillul was

our destination and we settled down amongst Argyll and Sutherland

Highlanders of the 52nd Division, who had arrived a few days previously.

Next morning they played us out of the camp with their bagpipes and we

had a good stiff march to El Mazar, and there we fell in with elements

of the other two Brigades. After two days’ rest we marched out again and

occupied a position just inside the defensive line, which was then being

held by the 6th and 8th.

 

[Illustration: THE SINAI DESERT.]

 

The battalion remained a few days in this district, and when not

actually in the outpost line and digging trenches, we were taken out in

front, a company at a time, to act as a protection to the E.L.C. who

were engaged upon railway construction. Whilst on this work we got our

first glimpse of El Arish, the goal to be gained after this heavy

striving across the desert. The Turks were supposed to be holding a

strong position between ourselves and the town, and the idea seemed to

be to push the railway as far as possible, and then eject the enemy so

that work could proceed. Our men were thoroughly impressed with the

wonderful rapidity with which these “Gyppies” accomplished their task.

They were divided up into gangs, each in charge of another native who

had been raised to the dignity of two stripes and a stick. The stick he

used freely on the men who failed to keep up his standard of work. Using

their curious adze-like shovels they pulled the sand into baskets and

ran away with it to where it was required, and whilst they toiled a

simple but noisy refrain was sung to the leadership of the “Ganger.” The

whole spectacle presented a seething mass of rapidly-moving, blue

smocked, brown figures, busily working on the bright yellow sand. The

result of four hours of this sort of thing would produce about 500 yards

of good level track including shallow cuttings and embankments. Then the

train would arrive with more sleepers and rails and these would be

carefully but quickly laid in position.

 

Another job we had to do in this neighbourhood was digging wells. When

“C” Company went off for a couple of days to do this they discovered

what a formidable business it was. It was necessary to go down to a

depth of about twenty feet, and as the well was sited in very soft sand

the task can be imagined. A huge hole, about forty feet square had to be

made to allow for the slope of the sand, and the deeper we went, the

higher grew the mountains of sand all round the hole, so that the men

had to be arranged on tiers above one another. In this way a shovel full

of sand from the bottom travelled up through various pairs of hands

before it was finally thrown clear. This tedious business continued

until water was struck, and then a corrugated iron frame was sunk at the

bottom, and the tall sides of the well built upon it. After this all the

sand that had been so laboriously chucked out, was heaved back again. A

pump was fixed by the R.E. and troughs made along side, to be filled as

often as the well could furnish sufficient water (in this case twice a

day) for the use of camels or horses.

 

At El Maadan an important railhead was being constructed for the storage

of water, which was kept in large and small canvas tanks. We took a

great personal interest in those tanks with our thoughts resting

securely on Katia. Matters were gradually developing towards an

engagement of some magnitude, and it was now known that the general

scheme was for the mounted troops to make a detour in order to turn the

enemy’s left flank, whilst the 42nd and 52nd Divisions would make an

advance parallel to the coast. That is to say in effect the infantry

would deliver a frontal attack upon the Turkish troops covering El

Arish.

 

It had been further decided that the 127th Brigade together with the 5th

East Lancashires would execute the first shock of the 42nd’s effort, so

we had a feeling that once again the Fleur de Lys would be “in the

limelight.” During the evening of December 29th there was a rapid and

wonderful concentration of troops of all arms in the hollow ground near

the railhead. The two infantry Divisions were there in force, whilst the

Australian L.H., and N.Z.M.R., together with the Yeomanry were simply

waiting for dusk to move off to their appointed stations. Behind all

this preparation there was a curious feeling that there was no enemy to

fight at all, and betting ran high as to whether we should find any

Turks near El Arish or not. It was suspected in high quarters that the

enemy had got quietly away a few hours before. However, we slept

peacefully until 3 a.m. and then Company Commanders were summoned to a

Conference with the C.O. to receive orders to get ready at once to

march—backwards not forwards! The Anzacs carefully reconnoitring in the

night had finally entered El Arish, and saw no one there except the

native villagers. So “the stunt was a wash-out,” the bird had flown.

 

The 42nd marched back on December 21st to El Mazar, and faint rumours

began to drift about that day that we were to leave Egypt. General

Douglas commiserated with us for not having had the pleasure of a good

scrap! “But,” he said, “never mind lads, you will get more than you want

very soon.” Now, what did that mean? Profound speculation as to the

probabilities can easily be imagined. France, Salonica, trouble in

India, Mesopotamia and even an advance into Palestine (scouted as absurd

by most people) were freely discussed. The main consideration just at

present, however, was that the Christmas of 1916 was going to be spent

under much pleasanter conditions than the previous one on Gallipoli, and

concurrent with rumours about fighting there were more substantial

rumours about turkeys, plum puddings and beer. I am glad to say all

three materialised, and these together with Christmas Carols by the

divisional band contrived to produce a Yuletide feeling. In fact

everyone had as good a time as could possibly have been expected in the

desert. Luckily the parcels from home, including comforts from various

institutions, etc., also arrived in time. El Mazar was our abode for

more than three weeks, and we heartily wished a cleaner piece of ground

could have been selected to live upon. In past days the Turk had been

stationed here in force, and he, not being of a sanitary disposition,

had bequeathed to us a store of body lice of new and large dimensions. I

don’t think the fighting strength of the 7th, including all live stock,

had ever been so large in its history. A delousing apparatus made from

an old engine and truck was sent up on the railway to cope with the

problem, and perhaps it had some little effect—in helping the young

ones to grow quicker. Most men were agreed that there was nothing to

equal the double thumb action for certain results. Another scourge here,

probably also due to the filthy sand, was the alarming development of

septic sores. These unpleasant things did not require a wound or scratch

to start them, but they broke out themselves as a small blister on any

part of the body. In the case of a good many men it took the form of

impetigo, an extremely uncomfortable sore rash on the face, and both

officers and men appeared day after day on parade with appallingly

unshaven sore chins, and bandages visible on arms or knees, etc.

 

During our stay here the news continued to be good. On Christmas Eve the

mounted troops, not satisfied with the Turkish escape from El Arish,

suddenly pounced upon Maghdaba, about twelve miles further south, up the

Wadi, and after a short fierce fight destroyed the garrison, only a few

making their way out of Africa. A more brilliant affair, however, was

the lightning raid upon Rafa, on the border between Sinai and Palestine,

and about thirty miles beyond El Arish, the starting point of the raid.

In a few hours a large mounted column, consisting chiefly of Anzacs had

covered this distance and had taken the Turk completely by surprise. The

enemy put up a stern fight, however, and after his reinforcements had

been destroyed on the road from Gaza he gave in. The prisoners from

these engagements continued to have the desired effect upon the

dissaffected natives in Cairo on their arrival there.

 

Less was heard about our leaving Egypt after the New Year, and rumours

received a mortal wound when the Division turned its face to the east

once more and marched up, a Brigade at a time, to El Arish. The 7th

accomplished this march in three easy stages, the first day taking us to

Maadan, and the next to Bitia. A few days’ stay here helped us to

appreciate its natural advantages, and as far as the desert went, it

almost had pretensions to beauty. There were glorious palm groves,

bright clean sand to live in, hard flat stretches for football (greatly

appreciated), and a roaring sea close at hand on a wonderful beach for

bathing. If El Arish were in Belgium, Bitia would be “El Arish Bains.”

The return of British power to this corner of the earth was epitomised

one day in the sight of a Bedouin caravan pursuing its peaceful purpose.

The old sheik stalked proudly in front, while his family and goods were

disposed on various camels, and a small flock of pretty black goats

pattered along behind in charge of a sturdy brown lad. Surely they at

least had witnessed the Turkish retirement with satisfaction.

 

EL ARISH AND AFTER.

 

On January 22nd, 1917, the 7th Manchesters reached their “farthest east”

in the final stage of the march to El Arish. Most of the day’s labours

had to be accomplished in a blinding sandstorm, which fortunately had

subsided when we arrived at our destination. As we reached El Arish one

had a curious feeling that the canal zone was being left well behind,

and as far as mileage was concerned it certainly was, since the Suez was

one hundred miles away. Nevertheless, up to now one had felt that really

we were on canal defence, and however far we went out there had been

little change in the country so that one hardly seemed to progress. Now,

all that had been left behind, and we were amongst new scenes.

 

This