Palestine
3/4/17
Dear People
Having a few spare moments this a.m. I will endeavour to give an account of my myself in respect to the past week or two. On Sunday 22nd the force or the grater part of it operating in this quarter moved up to he position we are in at present, in preparation for an attack on Gaza. Our Brigade left at two a.m. on that date & moved forward to a position some distance in front of our present one & took up a position covering the advance of the infantry then late in the afternoon returned to a camp. Next morning 23rd another early start saw us moving out along with the other Mtd Brigades to protect the flanks & see that the enemy did not retire, in fact he was completely cut off by us, & the infantry were attacking on the front & keeping Jacko busy. Owing to a thick fog during the early hours just before dawn & up till late in the morning operations were greatly hindered and hardly anything of any importance so far as fighting went took place before about eleven o’clock. While moving out a couple of Jacko aeroplanes hovered over us & once or twice they opened up with their machine guns much to our discomfort but although bullets fell within a few feet
[Page 2]
none manage to hit anything but the ground, it is an uneasy feeling them coming down from the heavens but it is wonderful how they miss when so many men & horses are about. Again later in the day while all were taking it easy the enemy, (by this time we were out on his flank & just within reach of his small guns,) started throwing shrapnel about one shell landed on top of a rise about a dozen yards away from our troop but again missed from this until late in the afternoon our task was a light one. However Jacko kept his planes hovering round & we expected machine guns at any moment however he let us off. From our position we could see the shrapnel shells bursting & hear the shells burst on the enemy positions. Well on in the afternoon some of the Brigades moved out & attacked from the rear of the position but before everything could be cleared up darkness came on & stopped operations for the night. The mounteds pulled out then & left the infantry to it for the night we setting out to meet reinforcements coming up & at he same time return to camp. This took us the whole of the night & a few hours of the next day & what a ride it was being tired hungry sleepy & very much in need of a wash I can tell you it was trying. However we got to camp early in afternoon & after having a dip in the sea both man & horse felt much the better when a meal had been disposed of.
[Page 3]
Observe this took place over a week ago & for the most part little time has been our own. A most strenuous one it has been the days being hot the country of a sandy nature causes the surface to become very dusty & any movement is carried out in a whirl of dust to make things worse living on bully & biscuits one acquires a thirst that takes some quenching also broken sleep & meals when you can get them all add to discomforts. We got a great haul one day last week about a dozen bedouin camels & some donkeys laden with oranges came our way & i don’t think fruit was ever appreciated so much as it was then I believe every man could account for a dozen oranges that day & with what we got on returning to camp had enough to keep us for three days. It is wonderful how one gets used to this sort of thing though a few minutes sleep while the Brigade is haulted during the night & also while it is on the move is very sweet. I would very much like to see one of these night marches thrown up at the pictures, one may be riding along & drop off to sleep & awaken to find himself chains away from where he should be. At the present time there is a bombardment being carried on over the enemy positions the forerunner of an attack shortly I presume
[Page 4]
I received a fine mail a couple of days ago from all parts of NZ & one from Kate I think nearly all back numbers have arrived safely there may perhaps be one or two strays yet. So far the cakes & cable you wrote of have not arrived yet but may turn up any time at any rate there is alway hope. Letter up to the 11th Feb from home 5th Feb from Auckland & yours of 4th Feb Jack have all arrived. also one from Coronation Jan 16th & yours of 7th Jan, Roland. From everywhere came reports of favourable seasons with any amount of work & fine weather evidentally the harvest is an early one this year I wonder if it will be over for Easter not long to wait now. You had some great experiences with motor power surely hope it is going satisfactorily before this. It is hard luck Buller has not kept up his form Tom after expecting it of him. I wonder if T.P. will continue her successes during the remainder of the season. How about the youngster ones I daresay they will be coming on to racing pitch any time now. My store is just about exhausted so will have to stop I am owing letters all round now but cannot gather energy to write require all spare time to sleep & rest. This is being written out from camp but after lunch we return & then anything may be doing for the next few days. Hoping this finds you all in the best of health & spirits as believe it leaves me the same. I will say Aurevoir for the present. Your Affectionate Brother
Charlie.
[Written at top of Page 1]
I wonder if you have had any further word of getting away Lottie I bet you had need of some definite word otherwise you will be me impatient to be off. Kind regards to every body. Tell them it is for want of time if they do not get word from me. Ch.
