Tel-el Kebir
4/5/1916
Dear Everybody,
Here we are still in the middle of the desert, & toiling away in good style. Have had no time to write letters of any sort for I do not know how long now. Am writing this & sending it to Dunedin with a Sgt. Maj. Don who is going back to N.Z. to get his commission. He leaves here at 9.15 tomorrow morning & is to sail from Suez on Saturday 6th, by the Taihiti. The Taihiti has just arrived a few days ago from N.Z. with the 11th reinforcements, the the Maunganui arrived today. We have all the men from both ships in camp tonight, & a very good lot they are. Great things seem to be doing just now, according to reports
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last night an offensive movement has begun on the Western front, & that British casualties were 47000 in 2 days. We are keen to know how much truth there is in the report, for if it is true it is pretty awful isn’t it. Of goings on in and around Egypt we are hearing quite a lot, but nothing very reliable. It is most extraordinary how well news is suppressed here. We know thoroughly well that an encounter has taken place a few miles the other side of the canal, but again we have no riliable information as to what has exactly happened. However it is certain that 2 Sqndn’s of Yeomanry, British were surrounded & either taken prisoners or totally annihilated, the former we think. At the same time a
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camel corp of 400 strong was also captured. Our famous native drivers are reported to have deserted in a body. Pretty state of affairs I should say. The N.Z. Mtd Bde. which was encamped only a few hours journey from here, received orders to turn out. They made a forced march, travelling all night & all next day, & arrived just in time to hear the last shots fired. They did give chase, but could not get in touch with retreating force. The whole affair is nothing serious, surely a raiding party getting home with a well timed surprised attach, the success of which was entirely due to practically criminal negligence of the Officer Commanding the Yeomanry
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in so much that he did not have out on all side of him the necessary out-posts, which would have prevented him being so absolutely surprised as not to get any of his men away at all. It is reported that some Lord’s are amongst the killed & wounded. Our Mtd Bde. so far as we know is still out there, but I do not think they are getting anything to do. Maj Jenkins my O.C. here had a letter from one of the officers in the Otago Mtd Squdn that has gone on to France. Proves right up to the hilt that they are there all right. He says that they had a splendid run across. Did not say where they were but, that they were in billets, that the climate was
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perfect & that the whole country was looking splendid. Marvellous he said, considering that all the able bodied men were at the front, & that there were only the old men & women left to look after the farms.
There is another draf of reinforcements getting ready to leave here in a few days. Do not know yet whether I am getting away this time or not, stand a big chance though. There are another 33 men standing by if they go forward with this lot it is quite on the cards that I will go with them. If so I will not be sorry, for I am getting more & more fed up of Egypt every day, & this
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job in a unit like this is over the odds altogether. One is never finished, going from revellie until lights out. I have not had to work such long hours since we left Gallipoli. However I suppose we will get through with it all right. It really is a good experience for one, brings one well in touch with the interior running of a unit. Of Kate I have not yet heard much, only in a very indirect way I heard that the Marama would be in Alex in a few days time. On the strength of that I dropped her a line c/o Postal Department Alexandria. Whether she will get it or not remain to be seen. They are supposed to have been at Salonica.
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Do not think I will be able to see her this time, the arrival of these reinforcements, & the possibility of a draft having to go forward will keep me too busy. Last week end had a run up to Cairo partly on duty, & partly on leave. Had a very pleasant two days indeed, quite a treat after this old desert. No N.Z. mail has come to hand yet, getting pretty thirsty for news now. Heard tonight that a mail has been returned from France, so it is just possible that there might be some in that. Oh! I have had my base kits sent back to N.Z. They are going back with the Taihiti the same boat as this letter is going with. There are two packages, one kit bag & a box.
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The kit bag contains a little bit of everything & not much of anything, just exactly what I do not remember, but if there is anything in it that is of any use to anyone they might as well use it. The sword does not belong to me. It was in my bag when I got back from England & has been there ever since, I think it belongs to McCurdy. Anyhow you can hang on to it in the mean time. The box contains my saddle & bridle, not the one I left Rothie with but the one I exchanged for it, & the one I have had since we were in camp in Tahuna Park. The whole lot are addressed to you Tom, so they should arrive all right. If they do not turn up after a certain time after the arrival
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of this letter I would make inquiries at Defence office re-returned baggage. There is a lot of stuff in the kit bag that would be useful to me in the field granting that I could lay hands on it when I wanted it, but that is the rub, I would be in one place in another, & instead of waiting till this stuff would come to hand, would have other stuff issued to me. Hence my desire to get rid of it. Well cheer oh! Trusting this finds everybody as well & fit, as it leaves me.
Your,
Affect.
Brother
E.S. McI
