The handwritten manuscript called The 4th Brigade Trek from the Canal to Khan Yunis and the 2nd Gaza Battle was produced by 666 Sergeant David Woodward HARRIS of the 12th Light Horse Regiment.
David Woodward HARRIS was a 24 year old Overseer from Turramurra, New South Wales. He enlisted on 30 December 1914 and was allotted to the 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, Machine Gun Section, which embarked from Sydney, New South Wales on board HMAT A29 Suevic 13 June 1915.; and at the conclusion of the war Returned to Australia, 20 July 1919.
For further information, see:
4th Australian Light Horse Brigade, AIF
and:
spotted over with the graves of those who fell in the decisive battle fought 4.8.16. Once Bir el Abd was reached, the Date-palm Hods became more numerous, as Bir el Abd is the rich Oasis District of Katia, which, as a Base, kept a very large portion of the Turkish Army supplied with water and dates, from the time of the first Turkish attempt on the Canal until they were finally driven back to El Arish. After Bir el Abd there are patches of semi fertile country, but though carpeted with a profusion of wild flowers there is practically no grass.
El Arish is the usual rambling native town whose squalor is redeemed by the surrounding thousands of acres of old fig trees, and, on the seaward side, date palms. El Arish was always an important base for the Turks, being the first after Rafa of their long line of Oasis Outposts stretching south-wards, which scattered fertile spots, containing the