THE SENUSSI

Southland Times, Issue 17662, 21 February 1916, Page 2

THE SENUSSI

CHRISTMAS DAY FIGHT. AN OFFICER'S ACCOUNT. Ist RIFLE BATTALION. BATTALION’S GOOD WORK. An excellent account of the encounter which the Ist Battalion N, Z. Rifle Brigade, had with the Senussi on the northwest border of Egypt on Christmas Day is given by an officer of the Battalion in a letter to his father in Wellington Writing under date of 27th December, the writer states:— THE COLUMN MOVES OUT. "We received orders on the morning of 24th December that we would move out as a column to attack the enemy on 25th December, Christinas Day, We did not have our transports or signalling sections or quartermasters with us, they not having arrived from Alexis. The 6th Royal Scots and 2nd and Bth Middlesex lent us transport. We left this place, Musa Mertruh, at 5 a.m. Christmas Day. We were up at 3 a.m., had a hit of breakfast, and got going for the starting point. Everything went well. The column moved out in this order: Advance guard, two companies of 15th Sikhs, Ist Battalion N. Z. Rifles Brigade, two sections Notts Territorial Artillery, various Yeomanry details, then 2nd line transport (i.e. train), and company of 2Sth Middlesex, rearguard. The main body of mounted men moved out on our left flank, on their own. We provided botii flank guards for our column. We marched steadily on in the dark for about four miles. It was pust then daybreak 6.15 a.m. OPENING OF THE BATTLE. “Ail at once our advance guard got into action. We ' halted for about ten minutes and then pushed on. At 6.30 a.m. tlie action started. The enemy had one gun a 9-pounder. They started to get quite near us with it, the shells bursting between the Sikhs, who were then in artillery formation, and us, who had also got into artillery formation. The scene then was quite wonderful. We were all pushing forward in artillery formations. THE NAVY TAKES A HAND. "Away on our right rear was the sea, from which the Clematis and the Magnolia were blazing away with their 4.7’5, mainly for a naval effect, of course. Overhead an aeroplane was circling, now and again dropping smoke bombs to give onr artillery aiming marks. Behind us tlie naval armoured cars kept creeping slowly forward. On our right towards the sea a squadron of mounted men were pushing warily forward; on our left somewhere —we could not see them was the, main body of the mounted men. All at once our artillery dashed past . swinging into the right quickly, and came into action. It was really quite fine, and they did it well. Meantime, we were pushing forward in artillery formations, the Sikhs leading and us behind; now and again bang would go their 9-pounder, then crash went the shell, and then a little shower of shrapnel. They did not hit anybody, but they came near it at time. All at once a mounted orderly dashed back to tell , who was in charge of our show, that the Sikhs wanted him at once. Away we went as fast as the borrowed horses would take us. When we got up we could see the show decently. Away in front, about a mile and a half away, the enemy were on ridges, tlie front lot of Sikhs extended and advanced on them. told us to conform to the movements of tlie Sikhs, keeping two companies in reserve. I had three signallers from the Middlesex, who were useless; the corns could not see decently, so 1 galloped back and told what to do. On and on they went, one line of extended skirmishes after another: it was a great sight. The firing line was blazing away, and getting blazed at. The artillery came forward at a gallop, and went into action again. Over shots began to whiz past; the warships now and again let a shell go. , Ills adjutant, , and myself then galloped forward to a now position. THINGS BEGAN TO GET MERRY. Things began then to get a bit merry. A and B companies were in extended lines, A on the left, B on the right, C and D - and the machine-gun section in reserve in a donga just behind us. The Sikhs pushed forward and A and B Companies. All at once wanted some men to push round to onr left, and sweep up a long donga, so I got a decent horse from an orderly, and galloped forward to where B Company was. Tlie ground, I might state, is as hard as brick, and awfully stony. I very nearly came off several times. I managed to find , and he got one platoon on the job. The bullets were whistling around, and some of the Sikhs began to get hit. The Sikhs then pushed up to the top of a hill, and we shifted our headquarters right forward, taking the reserve and guns with us. The Sikhs —two companies—then had a spell, and took no more part in the operations. Then A and B Companies got into it proper; the whole front made a half-wheel to the right, bringing the front to a line at right angles to the sea. I then sent one platoon to our left to go along slowly, watching for snipers who might sneak back. The whole line then pushed forward steadily for about 900 yards. Two platoons of C Company, under , were sent forward on our right, in case the enemy sneaked back around our right flank. We then took onr guns and headquarters well forward to a position from where one got a fine view of the whole show. Things began to get a bit hot. Four chaps brought hack Sergeant , who was dead. Then Captain was brought in dead, shot through the head. A sergeant of the artillery who was standing next to me suddenly fell down. We found he was shot through the back. ’s other two platoons were then pushed forward on our right to help , and then D Company and the machine guns were pushed forward from the reserve to go right in on the right flank. The longlooked - for mounted men at last began to push forward. and I then went forward to our left flank and got A and B companies to close in about 500 yds to our right; this they did. We then got round to our right #lank, and got the whole line to push on. WHAT THE ENEMY GOT. "This they did, and we got the enemy into a wadi, and gave them hell. All tlie time the mounteds were pushing in on our left, but they left a gap between their left flank and the sea. In consequence a lot of the enemy escaped round that flank. "As it was we killed over 220 of them, and captured 50 prisoners. We killed a lot of their camels, sheep, goats, horses, and got 40,000 rounds of mamunition, and some of their gun ammunition. “A .SOUL - SEARING STRUGGLE." "When we finished clearing the wadi, our troubles began. it was then 5 p.m., and our chaps had been fighting over undulating. hard stony country since 6.30 a.m. .Mind you, the attack went on over four miles, fighting all tlie way, and we were carrying 1511) (lacks. Well, .1 rereived a message that we wore to come hack to a certain place, which, of course, we could not find on the map. However, we started, and, after a soul-searing struggle—physical struggle I mean, of course—we got to the bivouac, at 8.30 p.m.. with our men fairly done. Then we discovered that and .sixteen men. with five of our wounded and thirty-four prisoners, were not with us. The general had intended marching the whole force hack to camp that night, hut could not do so when he heard our wounded were lost. . Well, anil len volnnleers, with electric torches, started to search for them. Wo could not find them. Then one of the naval armoured car chares came out and told me was in all right, so went hack with him in the bivouac. I tried to get my volunteers together. I got them all together except one chap. A mounted chap then came out and told mn was not in. To cut a long story short, I got a platoon under , and eventually found my lost volunteer and and his party. We got back to the bivouac at 2,30 a.m. It was an awfully anxious time, because we had only sixteen men to watch prisoners and carry wounded. When we arrived in bivouac mv chaps dropped down to try and sleep; it was awfully cold, but they had their great coats, f, unfortunately, had no great coal, as it was on my horse, which I had loft with an orderly at m a.m., and could not find. RETURN Til GAMP. “The General then decided to return to camii. and off we started at 4 s..tzj.

It was hellish getting hack. Nobody had had either much food or sleep. 1 had had no sleep, nor had . After a struggle we got back to cam]) at 6.30 a.m.. only to find they had pulled down our tents, and that there was no water. I. managed to get some brackish water, tea was made, and the men went to sleep. Then £ had to arrange for the burial of our dead, making reports, etc. Anyway, 1 did not get to sleep until 8 p.m. NVe had six men killed and eighteen wounded, and were lucky. The Seuussi are awfully bravo, hut they are bad sliots. They fire a lot of ammunition. AYe really were awfully lucky to lose so few. I don’t know what the other units lost, but I think we lost most. We certainly had most of the fighting, t might tell you that the last time they took a column out tlie Senussi heal them. "THE MEN WERE REALLY GREAT.’’ ‘‘The General and were awfully pleased with us, and we really did strafe the Senussi badly. It is a strange tiling going into action. I felt scared, and don’t mind admitting it. However, one was too busy to remain scared. All our officers played the game, and the men were really great. I did sleep last night. One’s nerves get a bit jangled, you know; at tlie present lime 1 seem to feel bullets swishing round me. It is marvellous how one’s body can respond when put to a big test—physical test, 1 mean. I know now how big a strain my body has been through; every muscle 1 have seems stiff and strained. "One thing, stretcher-bearers should not be bandsmen. They should he tlie strongest men of tlie battalion, and they should be trained carrying' heavy weights up and down lulls.” Writing under a later date the same officer states: — BATTALION LEAVES FOR ANOTHER “SCRAP." "On 2Sth December wo left for another ‘scrap,’ this time in- a westerly direction. Our men had not quite recovered from the Christmas show. We were all stiff and tired—we marched 13 miles through the sand /and rocky ground, und then bivouacked for tlie night. We could get nothing except a little brackish water; it was rather awful.' Nobody could get any sleep, we only had our groat coats, and it was bitterly cold. We were on the way again at 4.30 a,m., with the Sikhs in front as an advance guard. It was hell, the march that day. We went on, and on, withour heads between our shoulders. The enemy cleared out when they saw us. We captured over 1000 sheep, 200 camels, mules, etc. At 1 p.m. we rented for an hour, after having marched 17 miles through, the most awful country imaginable, and ' with only very little water. After tlie rest we marched five miles back, und then bivouacked. Fortunately we managed to get half a mess tin of water each, also some sugar and tea. My batman and 1 heated s.ome bully beef. We then ate a good meal. Everyone was done, up—22 miles after no sleep, and in that country, would have killed most troops. Next morning we started oft again at 5 a_m. for home. It was a job getting the men along. Poor devils, what with not enough water and rotten country to march over and no sleep, they were fairly cooked. We had a rest at 10 a.m. for three hours. Fortunately we managed to get water. We then came straight home t* camp, arriving here at 7 p.m., after having been out for two days and a half, and having marched 60 miles. When we arrived, tea and bully beef stew were waiting for us. After tea the men went to sleep. To-day the men are still dcine up. Here I might state that anyone who allows any but the most physically fit men imaginable to go on service ought to be hung. We are a very good battalion, and yet over 100 men had to fall out yesterday. Their feet were the chief trouble. Goodness! but it is so important to look after feet. The G.O.C. issued an order to-day congratulating us on our Christmas Day show."