RIFLE BRIGADE

Southland Times, Issue 17660, 18 February 1916, Page 7

RIFLE BRIGADE

BAPTISM OF FIRE. FIGHTING OX CHRISTMAS DAY. AUCKLAXD, February 15, An account of the first engagement between a British force and the Senussi on Christmas Day has been received from Killeman G. 1/. McKinstry, Ist Battalion New Zealand Rille Brigade. For the battalion this action was its baptism of fire. Rifleman McKinstry says that tiie battalion moved from its camp at Heliopolis on December IS, and arrived in Alexandria in the early hours of the following morning. Next day the battalion made a route march through the city, but no leave was granted. That afternoon it embarked on an old Egyptian gunboat, and arrived on tiie “western frontier of Egypt' 7 at daylight on December 21. “I thought last Christmas Day Spent in Samoa, was bad enough," he continues, "but I shall never forget this one as long as I live. We received our baptism of fire on Christmas Day. We marched out of camp at five o’clock in the morning to meet the enemy. The first shot was fired at 6.20, and the fight lasted till live o’clock at night. The enemy opened fire on us as soon as we came within range. They had only one big gun, and it was very soon put out of action by our artillery. They were also bombarded from the sea by a warship, and after a while we advanced under cover of our artillery. We very soon got within range of their rifles, and then they were driven back for miles, and finally rounded up in a gully. By the time we had finished there were very few of them left to tell the tale. Wc were in some very warm corners, and had some very narrow escapes. The enemy used all kinds of rifles and ammunition. "We arrived back at our bivouac at about eight o'clock,” he continues, "but it was too cold to sleep, so we had to walk about until four o’clock, when we started to march back to camp. Everybody was dead beat, and It took ns about three and a half hours to walk back the six miles to camp.” Rifleman McKinstry mentions that the battalion was camped on the beach, and the men were able to have plenty of swimming.