Through Palestine with the 20th Machine Gun Squadron | Page 3

15 miles. Very
heavy going and particularly hot. " 22nd " Bardawil 8 miles. Good
going. " 23rd " El Arish 8 miles. Heavy going. " 24th Rested. " 25th to
El Burd 11 miles. " 26th " Sheikh Zowaid, by the shore. Very heavy. "
27th " Rafa. " 28th at Rafa obtaining stores which were sent forward by
rail. " 29th to Amr into camp, 1 mile south of railway.
It may here be mentioned that, at this time, the Kantara Military
Railway had been completed as far as Shellal, and whilst on the march,
rations and forage were drawn from "dumps" which had been placed at
intervals along the line. As regards drinking water, this was brought up
every day on camels. The supply of water was not too plentiful by any
means, and it required a certain amount of care and self-restraint to
make it last the appointed time, in fact, strict water-discipline was very

necessary among all ranks. It was a tired but wiser Squadron that
arrived at Amr! Many were the difficulties that had been overcome, and
many the hardships that had been silently endured!
THE SQUADRON AT AMR.
Having arrived at Amr, further progress was made in the training of the
unit. Each day one man was "told off" to three animals, the remainder
thus being free for work on the gun. The "horse-men" did one hour on
the gun, remainder of day on animals. "Gun-numbers" worked one hour
at stables and the remainder of the day on the gun. The daily routine
was as follows:--Reveille 04.30; Parades, 06.30 to 10.00 and 15.00 to
17.30. Horses were watered twice (from troughs at the railway), and
fed four times a day.
As early as September 8th, there was a test "turn-out" of the Squadron
in full marching order, with guns on packs. The new regulations
regarding rations and forage included "Iron" and two days'
emergency-rations (in wallets) for the man, and one day's
emergency-forage (9 lbs. of grain), in a "sandbag" rolled in a
ground-sheet and carried on the front arch of the saddle, for the horse,
in addition to the two days' forage carried in the nosebags; furthermore
one day's rations and forage were carried on the wagons. The time
taken for the turn-out was actually 2 hours 10 minutes. No doubt many
members who read this will smile at the recollection of the
incident--and well they might! Three days later the Squadron paraded
in exactly half that time, and when, on September 13th, there was a test
Divisional "turn-out," all that was needed was 44 minutes--not a bad
achievement for marching-order with nothing ready!
On September 13th the formation of a fourth Sub-section was approved.
It was just about this time that the "Khamseen" became very
troublesome. This is a strong wind that blows at this season of the year,
particularly in the afternoon. The soil at Amr being a mixture of fine
sand and dust, the result can be better imagined than described; it was
so bad that on two days training was entirely suspended!
"Mounted" training was started on September 22nd, and in the absence,

at that time, of any "set" official-drill (one actually did exist, but was
known only to those who had passed through the Machine-Gun Cavalry
training centre in England of whom there were not half-a-dozen in the
Squadron), the O.C. (Capt. D. Marshall) thought out, and perfected, a
drill that was easy to pick up, and was one which, in all respects,
fulfilled requirements. Everything was proceeding most satisfactorily,
the men were keen, and, towards the end of September, firing practice
was started on a 25-yard range. Everybody fired the course.
In a Machine-Gun Squadron every man is mounted on a horse (some
Squadrons, however, had mules for draught as did the "20th"), except
the cooks, who are allowed bicycles. As the speed of bicycles in the
middle of a desert proved to be quite out of proportion to the labour
expended, 13 donkeys were finally issued in lieu thereof. These
splendid little animals were found to be very useful, besides providing
a source of amusement for a long time to come. In camp they would
play about just like dogs, standing up on their hind legs and romping
about with each other. The natives' usual method of riding a donkey in
the East is rather comical. They sit well to the rear, in fact right over the
hind-quarters, and with their feet forward, these they wave in and out
between the animal's legs, and thereby make him increase his pace. A
turn to either flank is accomplished by their hitting him on the neck
with a stick, or putting their toe in his eye!
[Illustration]
On October 1st-3rd "A" Sub-section went on a reconnaissance with the
Brigade,