THE DESERT BATTLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 69, 21 March 1916, Page 8

THE DESERT BATTLE.

ATTACK'ON THE SENUSSI. ■■'" NEW ZEALANDERS UNDER SHRAPNEL. SOLDIER'S STORY OF THE FIGHT. . (By Telegraph.—Special to " Star."! CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Private G. MsNelly, formerly in the Postal Department in the Gisborne district, writing to parents in Christchurch, says:— . ""Our old friends the niggers gave us a bit of excitement on January 23. A lot of tribes of the surrounding districts made a concentration camp about twentyeight miles out from our camp, prior to making an attack on Egypt, so, of course, it fell to our lot to smash up their camp. Consequently, we went out and attacked them. The first day we marched about seventeen miles, and camped for the night at some wells. Next morning we marched about seven miles, and then our artillery in front of us got busy, so we •knew there was going to be something doing. First of all the Sikhs advanced, and soon a crackle of rifles and machine guns reached us, and then lead started to fly about. Bullets were whistling around our ears like bees and kicking up the <3ust good oh. "The first chap I saw hit was a South African officer. He got one right through the nose while we were marching in fours alongside the Africans. Soon our -own chaps started to drop. I expected -.to stop a bullet any minute, 'but somelow I missed them. One chap I was : .marching beside got one fair in the knee- j cap. The*enemy were using Turkish bul-lets—sharp-pointed ones. Things were i very lively for some time, and then the Africans and our boys advanced and chased the enemy back a good bit. We kept on advancing good oh, then all of a -sudden we heard a pompom away in the distance, and then heard something whistling through the air; then bang, "bang, just in front of us. ancLdflwn .same 'shrapnel bullets in a splutter. Four or five of us signallers were standing in a group at the time, and we got our share of the shell, but luckily there were no hits. Next a dozen or so machine gun bullets would whistle past, and then a ■few ricochettes would scream along, and -then two more shrapnel shells, just to ."alter the programme; but it was very firteYesting. " *""' """"" """ *" r "Our officer was running about good oh, and didn't care twopence about tbe bullets. He told mc he was going to have a shot out of his revolver, even if it was only at the sky. Then he moved, and had only gone about 40 yards wlien a shrapnel shell burst "In the ground a bit in front of him. The next thing I heard a yell, and saw him drop. When we got up we saw he was badly hit. He had been shot right through the right lung. Whether it was the shrapnel that hit him or a stray bullet we don't know. Luckily a surgeon was close at the time, and he was quickly' attended to. "Shortly after another of our chaps came along with a bullet in his thigh. It was not long after that before the aeroplane spotted their guns and g-ive our artillery their direction, and then the music starttd. After a few shots the enemy cleared out with their artillery, and it wasn't long before the whole kit of them took to their heels. The enemy's strength was estimated at 4.500 etrong and ours at about the . same. Their casualties were about" 200 killed and 450 wounded, -and. ours at -230 wounded and -31 killed. Any way, we settled their camp for them-and'killed the Turkish officers who had evidently been iui.charge of..their artillery.. '..Wc camped^for.-the-night. ..It w"as-a bitterly cold night;and rained heavily, and, to cap ' all, we didn't have either blankets or cvercoats;■"• "They-"-we're';": hack". .in ' the transport, which had been booked away farther "back, so -we had a pretty rough night. „."...• :. * ;. "Ncxtr day it was a ■ ease ;of slopping through mud, as well as carrying the wounded and pulling motor-cars along. It was pretty tough going, but we trudged along all that day and camped at some wells seventeen miles from home. There we got our blankets and , coats, and also some more kai, so that right wasn't so bad. Next day we got to it again, and landed back here at about five o'clock, and all glad it was over, for a while at least."