VALUE OF AIRCRAFT

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 227, 24 April 1933, Page 3

VALUE OF AIRCRAFT

Carrying Water to Troops

ARMY TEST MADE

A test of the value of aircraft as a means of carrying water to troops and horses was made near the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt on January 23 by the Ist King's Dragoon Guards'. It was regarded by the Army authorities as a tactical exercise. For the test it was assumed that 320 men and 300 horses had been employed on a punitive expedition west of the Lulu Valley, and had arrived at Mena at 4 o'clock in the morning on their return, after a long march and some hard fighting. On trying to draw water from the wells it was found that dead camels and sheep had been thrown down, and that the water was polluted. Both horses and men were too exhausted to continue the march without water and rest, especially as the population was hostile and more fighting was imminent. The following message was sent by wireless to headquarters at Cairo: "Unable to continue march, as both men and horses are dead beat and all water in the vicinity badly polluted. Send out water by aeroplane. A landing ground is situated in square 2604, and will be marked out with ground strips in the prescribed manner. Water is required for 320 men and 300 horses." At 7.30 the Royal Air Force replied: "Two machines, with one gallon of water per horse and one pint per man, will arrive at Mena at 11.00 hours."

At 11 o'clock the regiment was formed up by squadron on the edge of the landing ground, with from 50 to 100 yards interval between squadrons. One complete squadron was employed on protective duties, and was relieved later by the first squadron to complete its watering. The aircraft arrived, preceded by a pilot machine, the occupant of which superintended the landing and positioning of the aeroplanes carrying the water. The water was carried in tins, p each containing four gallons, and was unloaded by parties of six men, who carried the water to their respective squadron dumps. Every man in the squadron, less horse-holders, filed up to the dump, and their water-bottles were filled, as well as those of the horse-holders, by four men detailed as measuring party. Similarly water buckets were collected, one for each horse, and taken to the squadron dump and filled, and then taken straight to the horses. The complete operation, from the time of arrival of the aeroplanes to the time the empty tins were re-loaded on the machine, took 1 hour 10 minutes.