Bir el Abd

Sinai, 9 August 1916

6th LHR, AIF, War Diary Account

The transcription:

8 August

1500 Brigade receiving orders to march out from Et Maler 1530. The 1st & 2nd Light Horse Brigades complete were put in charge of Colonel Royston. Major Whyte acting as GSO1 & Colonel Meldrum taking the 2nd Light Horse Brigade with Major Anderson as Brigade Major. Arrived Qatia 1700 and watered and moved on to BIR-EL-ABD at 2200.

9 August

Riding all night, orders were to make a strong reconnaissance towards BIR-EL-ABD, and not to get seriously engaged, 3rd Light Horse Brigade coming up from South, New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade to go in from the West, 2nd Light Horse Brigade, from the North, 1st Light Horse Brigade, to circle round from the North and come in from the East. The action started at 0630. The 2nd Light Horse Brigade approached their position accompanied by the Ayrshire Battery, 3/4.7 high explosives burst from 100 to 500 yards from the column. This was at 0500. The action started to schedule time. Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment, 7th Light Horse Regiment dismounting and taking up position. Exchanging shots with the enemy at 1400 yards. The 6th Light Horse Regiment being in reserve under Major Bruxner. The Ayrshire Battery took up position about 300 yards North of our position and commenced firing and continuing until the time of withdrawal. The enemy artillery started a heavy bombardment of high explosives and shrapnel in search of our guns. One shell killing 20 of the Ayrshire Battery horses other shells landing in and among our Brigade but doing little damage. At 1100 a general advance was made as it was at that time thought that the enemy were Withdrawing. At 1400 the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, had been drawn into heavy encounter the 6th Light Horse Regiment was sent in to assist them to retire. The withdrawal commenced at 1540 and was completed by 1600. The 6th Light Horse Regiment casualties were 2 Wounded and 1 slightly wounded. All through the engagement the enemy kept up a heavy artillery fire. The Brigade withdrew to Khirba staying there for 3 hours and then withdrawing to Oghratina Hod bivouacking there and drawing water and forage. The 1st Light Horse Brigade, Division Headquarters and 5th Mounted Brigade also bivouacked there.

Roll of Honour

Further Reading:

6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour

Battle of Romani, Sinai, August 4 to 5, 1916 

Bir el Abd, Sinai, 9 August 1916

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Friday, 18 December 2009 5:00 PM EAST

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6th LHR, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment

Routine Order No. 47, 17 June 1916

Hill 70 Camp, Sinai, 1916

[From: AWM J02862]

Hill 70 has the look of a very hot and bleak bivouac. Any men stationed there would have been only too happy to march out as soon as possible to another location.

It was at Hill 70 Camp that the 6th LHR Routine Order No 156, 17 June 1916 was issued.

6th LHR Routine Order No 47, 17 June 1916

This RO itemises two men who disappeared for a day, returning the following morning in time for Revellie. The punishment was fairly light for being AWL. The third person appeared drunk. It is easy to speculate that the three men became enebriated with one turning up on parade and the other two sleeping it off to be available for the next day. The reason for suspecting this is the location of the camp - Hill 70 - a place in a flat, desert land without a tree in site. The picture below tells the story. There was no where for the men to go AWL except in the camp.

To put it into perspective, below is a 1:40,000 map illustrating the location of Hill 70 in relation to Kantara and Romani.

Hill 70 Camp between Kantara and Romani, 1916

The vast expanse of featureless sand as far as the eye could see characterised the location.

Further Reading:

6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour

Citation: 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Routine Order No. 47, 17 June 1916

Posted by Project Leader at 7:03 PM EADT

Updated: Tuesday, 24 August 2010 11:05 PM EADT

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el Qatiya

Sinai, 23 April 1916

Fuller Account

The Transcription:

To: General Officer Commanding, 2nd Light Horse Brigade

Reference map Qatia Sheet C18

In accordance with instructions received I reconnoitred the country east as far as Ogratina, north east to marshy ground in centre of D3, and south east to Bir el Hamisah.

My reconnaissance was made as follows:-

"A" and "C" Squadrons moved off simultaneously at 0430 the former travelling north east to marshy ground in centre of D3 returning south west via El Rabah to Qatia.

"C" Squadron marched due east via Bir abu Hamra, Hod er Reshafat, Hod er Negiliat to Ogratina returning via Telegram Line to Qatia.

"B" Squadron, less one troop, left camp at 0545 and marched south east to Qatia.

Reports

"A" Squadron

The going for the first five miles was very heavy, afterwards the going was good across the marshy country, and on the return to Qatia found the going very heavy. No sign of Enemy, only Bedouin Camps, in one of three Bedouin Camps clothing, equipment, and a little ammunition was found which was collected and brought in. 20 Bedouins and 6 camels were also brought in, "A" Squadron arriving at Qatia at 1100, the advance party being in touch with Qatia at 1005.

"C" Squadron

The going was heavy throughout except through the Hods. Going through Abu Hamra found one dead mule at intersection of Longitude 45 and Latitude 31. Found empty Turkish cartridge shells behind several small sand hummocks, also one shell case. A considerable number of Bedouins were here and from one I gathered there was a wounded Englishman at Er Rabah. I sent the Medical Officer with a patrol guided by a native and found the body apparently only dead 48 hours. This man was hopelessly wounded and had been cared for by Bedouin women . Continuing I found body of a Turk at eastern end of Hod er Reshafat and another dead Turk and 2 dead camels at Hod en Negiliat. my patrols entered Ogratina camp at 1030 for the south west and northern ends. I found every evidence of a severe fight and tracks of a considerable enemy's force that had come by the Bir el Abd and Qatia road. This force evidently surprised the outpost on all sides of the camp and the outpost appeared to have fought stubbornly, gradually being forced back into the centre of the camp, where signs of a final melee had taken place.

I estimate the English dead at about 70 mainly on the eastern and western end of the camp and in the camp itself. I estimate the Turkish dead at about 30, signs of some having been buried. A great proportion of the English dead were stripped and in every case were the boots removed and the whole camp looted. The only things of value left were three pumps and some piping. I found two wounded Englishmen, Sergeant Pratt of the Worcester yeomanry and Sapper MacCoughley of the Royal Engineers and one wounded Turk who came into the camp after I arrived from a southerly direction. The wounded were in a bad state and I was obliged to man handle the Sergeant all the way to Qatia where "A" Squadron took him over and brought him in to Romani Camp. While there, I buried 12 Englishmen but only found two identification discs. All the dead were in an advanced state of decomposition.

I searched the Hods all round the camp and on the way back to Qatia my patrols searched the ground on either side of the Telegraph Line but found nothing.

Ammunition

I found no enemys' shell cases but a number of bombs. I brought in one Bedouin who had refused to give the wounded water. I left Ogratina at 1245 arriving at Qatia 1600.

Regimental Headquarters and "B" Squadron less one Troop

I found the going rather heavy and reached Qatia at 0830 which I mad my Headquarters. I immediately put patrols all round the camp. I instructed the Officer Commanding "B" Squadron to sent one Troop to Bir el Hamisah.

Copy of Troop Leader's report

I left "B" Squadron at Qatia at 0840. I marched on bearing 210 to Well 12 at Bir el Hamisah. At 0930 I reached the well, I found here the remains of a military camp, there were several tents rolled in bundles and lying on the ground. There were three saddles stripped of girths and stirrup lying on the ground. There were half a dozen bales of tibben, some shovels and rakes. There was also three lengths of canvas troughs, there were intact. There were two pumps with rubber hosing connected. There were three dead horses, one of which was haltered and leg roped to a line. There were seven wells, water rather salty and brackish. There was a system of trenches on the rising ground east of the camp. My patrol went about 500 yards beyond the camp and could not find anything, and finding no wounded or dead, I made no further search, I left well 12 at 1000 and reached Qatia at 1045.

At Qatia camp I found everything looted and evidence of a severe fight having taken place some days previous. The Turks evidently had attacked in a south easterly direction. There were a large number of empty shell cases, 12 pounders, and also a large number of empty small arms (Turkish) cases about. I found 70 dead horses and 48 dead camels, also 3 wounded horses which I destroyed. These were mostly killed by shell fire. The dead bodies were nearly all stripped and were in an advanced stage of decomposition. I buried 33 Englishmen, 6 Turks and one camel driver. The Turks had also buried some bodies before leaving. The trenches at or about the camp was very bad. Evidence of a number of English aeroplane bombs dropped outside the camp, but evidently these bombs had not done any damage, and where they had dropped, no sign whatever of any damage could be traced.

I searched all over the camp but could find no papers of any value. I found two cases of Mark VII ammunition 400 yards west of the camp which I brought in.

Signed: CD Fuller, Lieutenant Colonel, Officer Commanding 6th Light Horse Regiment.

Further Reading:

6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour

el Qatiya, Sinai, 23 April 1916

el Qatiya, Sinai, 23 April 1916, Roll of Honour  

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Monday, 30 November 2009 6:35 PM EAST

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6th LHR, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment

Roll of Honour

Norman Digby

A brief military biography of Norman Digby:

Address: Sunnyvale, Gibson Street, Waverley, New South Wales.

Age at embarkation: 19.

Cemetery or memorial details: EGYPT 2 Kantara War Memorial Cemetery.

Conflict: 1914-1918.

Embarkation details: Unit embarked from Newcastle, New South Wales, on board HMAT A41 Bakara on 22 May 1915.

Embarkation Roll number: 10/11/2.

Enlistment date: 20 January 1915.

Family connections: Brother - 940 Sergeant Cecil Arthur DIGBY, returned to Australia, 15 June 1919.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.

Next of kin: Father, A.E. Digby, 521 Kent Street South, Sydney, New South Wales.

Occupation: Clerk.

Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial: 5.

Place of burial: Kantara War Memorial Cemetery (Row B, Grave no. 20), Egypt.

Rank on enlistment: Private.

Religion: Church of England.

Service number: 939.

Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army.

Unit from Nominal Roll: 6th Light Horse Regiment.

Unit name: 6th Light Horse Regiment, 5th Reinforcement.

Lest we forget

Sources Used:

National Archives Service File.

Embarkation Roll, AWM8, Class 10, Light Horse.

Nominal Roll, AWM133, Nominal Roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-1918 War.

Roll of Honour, AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army.

CWGC files, Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Debt of Honour Register.

Collected Records of Steve Becker.

Further Reading:

6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour

Battle of Romani, Sinai, August 4 to 5, 1916 

Bir el Abd, Sinai, 9 August 1916

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Thursday, 19 November 2009 4:06 PM EAST

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6th LHR, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment

Roll of Honour

Halven Roy Drady

Service number: 863

Rank: Trooper [Tpr]

Unit: 6th Australian Light Horse

Service: Army

Conflict: 1914-1918

Date of death: 5 August 1916

Cemetery or memorial details: Jerusalem Memorial, Israel

War Grave Register notes: DRADY, Tpr. Halven Roy, 863. 6th Australian Light Horse. 5th Aug., 1916.

Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army.

A brief military biography of Halven Roy Drady from The AIF Project:

Lest we forget

Further Reading:

6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour

Battle of Romani, Sinai, August 4 to 5, 1916 

Bir el Abd, Sinai, 9 August 1916

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Tuesday, 20 October 2009 1:12 PM EADT

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