The usual routine for the reserve brigade was to move out at dusk, work till 1 a.m., when the units went into close reserve and support to the front line till dawn. They then returned to bivouac dug-outs on the outskirts of the town. After food, work was again commenced on communications, improving roads, second line trenches, etc. Return to bivouac for the evening meal preparatory to moving out again at dusk. Piquets along the river bank, to prevent entry or egress of enemy agents, were also found in turn by night and day by the reserve brigade.
On the afternoon of the 12th the Turks made a determined attack on the north-west sector and succeeded in establishing themselves within a hundred yards of the front-line trenches, although they failed to enter them. The same night the 76th moved up in relief to the front line. This relief of the 16th Brigade by the 30th Brigade, and vice versa, took place weekly after this date.
The front line taken over was only of an average of two and a half feet deep, with no sanitary arrangements, many dead being just thrown on the parapet or parados, and no direct communication trenches. The enemy was extremely active, pushing up his saps and opening new parallels. At night he was particularly active, making many attempts on the wire. These were all driven off by rifle and machine-gun fire and by bombs, while his working parties were harassed by fire whenever possible. Our men were kept employed to the utmost limit of their strength improving the trenches, etc. During this first tour of duty in the front line the Battalion lost severely, 2nd-Lieutenant Muirhead being mortally wounded, Jemadar Ram Sarup killed, Subadar Sundar Singh wounded, and about fifty men killed and wounded.
Throughout the siege casualties were of daily occurrence, there being no place within the defences which was not under rifle fire. The majority of the enemy artillery fire was directed at our artillery positions near the brick kilns, and on the town itself. The front line received very little artillery fire, and it was generally less strenuous in the front line than in reserve, the latter entailing constant working parties day and night, as well as having to be in close support on completion of the night’s work. The men only had the clothes in which they stood up and two blankets, and consequently soon became lousy, as there was practically no opportunity of washing, all water having to be drawn from the river, which was some distance away and subject to heavy sniping. On December 24th the enemy made a determined attack on the fort, which he entered, and was only ejected after severe hand-to-hand fighting at 3 a.m. on the 25th. That evening the 76th, which was due for relief, received orders to move into the fort during the night, where it took over the north and west faces and repaired and improved the defences. It was again relieved on the 28th and had twenty-fours’ much-needed rest.
January, 1916.
Rain commenced falling on January 6th and added much to the difficulty of keeping the trenches and communications in good order, and to the discomfort of the men. News of the relieving force was now received daily and gave all ranks a feeling of optimism as to the early raising of the siege. On January 21st the river overflowed into the enemy trenches, which in turn overflowed into ours, and no amount of work could stop it. A retirement was therefore ordered to the Middle Line, which had been prepared for occupation in such an eventuality, but was already two or three feet deep in mud and water. Ammunition, stores and kits were moved with great difficulty owing to the depth of mud and water in the front line and communication trenches, which was almost up to the men’s necks. One havildar was drowned trying to rescue ammunition. The cold was also extreme and the men, having no means of drying their clothes, suffered heavily from exposure, 3 British officers and 50 men having to report sick. The enemy to our front had been forced by the water to retire 1,500 yards and valuable firewood was retrieved from his trenches by parties from the Battalion, after inflicting many casualties on him as he retired across the open.
On the 29th horsemeat was first issued and all rations were much reduced.
February.
On February 16th a bund twenty feet thick was commenced all along the trenches in order to keep out the floods that were expected in March, and work on this continued nightly until it was finished.