WITH THE MOUNTEDS IN EGYPT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14235, 1 March 1917, Page 5

WITH THE MOUNTEDS IN EGYPT.

After some months' °f active service wiui.- the Wellington Mounted JSines m; the Canal zone, Liieut. W. L. (Joleman returned home to Gisborne by this morn, ing's steamer. Proceeding to Egyp^ with the 7th fteinf oroemetits, Lieut. Uoie-, man was attached to the 9th (Squadron, comprised largely of Gisborne boys, and commanded by j.\lajor O. K. Spragg, of Gisborne.. ''We considered it quite the best squadron m the regiment," declares 'Lieut. . Coleman, who adds that they put m a. claim for the Gisbornites who came 'out. iv. the. various reinforcements, Th© Sevenths, he. went on to say, werfe just; toa late to participate m the fighting- at Uallfpoli, and on the return of the forces •from the peninsula the brigade -Vras reorganised and given duty m the Canal zone, <iii the neighborhood of Ismailia, where- they .^ena doing mounted work m the way off reconnaissance. Subsequently the mounteds orofised the canal to the Katia . district. Here they were attached to the SeconH Australian Light Horse ami took part ifif the battle of I ;Romarilj.' •Tttd engagement extended ovei'i' 1 froth 3<Uy 19 to i August 11.-" The forces were mostly skfr'misning up to August 3, followed by the battle on the 4th au< i sth. •By the 11th the district was reported to be clear of the enemy. Lieut. Colemnri states that the Gisborne boys were ■very lucky and came through the engagement well. Returning later to Kantara men and! horses were given a spell and quickly recuperated. Speaking of 'tile" hoi'ses, he said that a. good many of the mounts that went away with thp | original mam. body were still •on service, .and 1 having been well, acclimatised were standing the trying conditions well. 111-health m October necessitated Lieut. Coleman;- being transferred . to ; hospital,* and he ?ipeaks highly of the .treatment received; Subsequent actions, he states,, had resulted m the Turks>-behig dxiven* out of the Sinai peninsula' rind the boys when .he heard last, had reached the fertile country beyond the desert. Quesr tioned 1 regarding tho desert condition^ he stated that they w^re necessarily: roughs at times, but the general health of the men was good, ;'J-"he heat . was exceedingly trying at timejs, having reached one day 127 degrees m tlie shade m a. field apbulance tent. The desert suri face varied a good deal, but much of it reminded him of the heavy, aand above high water mark at Wainui beach.; Batches' of *it were hard enough for foot-, ball and ci-ibket, but much of the country. Avas blown up into hummocks ajnd hills making the going very heavy. For a time they had been subject to al- | most daily visits from enemy aeroplane* | "which flew ovt^" and dropped aerial torilledoesV, Latterly, however, things had; changed', an d^ more: efficient • .machines; the British force* had given the Hjin flying men occasion to display more 'Gaution ,«nd respect. Lieut. Cbleman re-' ■tuvoed » to'^Sydney by .the Australian auxiliary hospital steamer Euripides,, together with' ab6ut forty other New ZeaTanders. ■ ... . , , „