CHAPTER IV
THE SUEZ CANAL AND SINAI
(January, 1916—March, 1917)
The Division remained at Sarpi Camp, Mudros, until the middle of January. Gallipoli had left the body weak and the spirit dulled; every unit was much below strength, and most had less than half, and some barely a quarter, of their full establishment. Death, wounds and sickness had played havoc with the organization, and squad, platoon, and company drills disclosed the fact that the men had lost much of their barrack-square smartness, but drills and exercises, guards and pickets soon put an edge on the dulled blade. The weather was not particularly good, but the decent tents, the thorough and much-needed wash, the immunity from shell and rifle fire, the freedom to walk upright, to take exercise and play games, the arrival of six weeks’ mail, the canteens, the unfailing interest in the shipping that went in and out of the great natural harbour daily, all combined to promote content and happiness.
On January 13 the advance parties and the 5th and 6th Lancashire Fusiliers sailed on H.M.S. Mars to Alexandria, and then proceeded to Mena, where they took over a large canvas camp and prepared it for the reception of the Division. The 126th Brigade, the greater part of the R.F.A. and other details embarked on January 14, but the weather at Mudros grew worse, and the order to embark the 127th Brigade was received in the early hours of a morning of violent storm, during which tents were blown down in some camps and the men drenched. In the murky half-light of dawn camps were struck, and companies moved off in a driving hurricane of hail and sleet. Some boarded a tug, packed so that they could not even turn their backs to the stinging hail, and were taken “joy-rides” round the great harbour in unsuccessful search for their troopship, were landed, and again embarked, transferred to a cattle-boat to be lodged and boarded on biscuits and bully-beef for five days, and then transferred to the right transport. Others marched through the quagmires across half the breadth of Lemnos and embarked at North Pier, and, indeed, some pessimists are convinced that they marched three times round the island. An improvement in the weather soon restored cheerfulness, and with a light heart the remainder of the 42nd Division left Mudros, the last link with Gallipoli, on the morning of the 18th of January.
Alexandria was reached in about forty-eight hours; thence by train to Cairo and by road to Mena, where the Division settled down in camp near the Pyramids of Gizeh. There the 2nd (Manchester) Brigade, R.F.A., the ammunition columns, the A.S.C. train, and other details which had been left behind in Alexandria, or had subsequently arrived from England, were re-united to the Division. For the past eight months the A.S.C. had been employed on local transport work, and had supplied drafts for No. 2 Company at Helles, for the A.S.C. in Salonika, the expedition in the western desert against the Senussi, the transport camps at Mudros, and a small detachment had been sent to Suvla Bay. “A” Squadron, D.L.O.Y., which had also taken part in the fighting against the Senussi, rejoined the Division a few weeks later. The show-places of Egypt were new to a large proportion of officers and men, who made the most of what opportunities were afforded to see them. Happy recollections of the autumn of 1914 were revived by the others, and also memories of good friends and comrades whose shallow graves lie thick in Helles. On the whole these were pleasant days of recuperation, but the Division did not long enjoy the flesh-pots of Egypt—if that term may be stretched to include the French teas and ices at Groppi’s and similar delights. Orders were received to move to Tel-el-Kebir, but after a few units had arrived there the destination was changed to Shallufa, a few miles north of Suez, the Division concentrating in a camp in the desert east of the Canal during the last days of January and the first days of February.
Canal Defences
The Division now formed part of the 9th Corps, commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Julian Byng, whose Headquarters were at Suez. Soon after the arrival of the Division the command of the 9th Corps passed to Lieut.-General Sir Francis Davies, and Brig.-General V. A. Ormsby succeeded Brig.-General G. S. Elliott in command of the 127th Brigade. The Division was now equipped for the first time with pukka first-line transport vehicles, and the field-kitchens were a much-appreciated novelty. The advance-parties at Shallufa had had their fill of hard work, for the stores had to be taken across the Canal and man-handled up the steep banks. For a short period in the early morning and late evening the Canal could be crossed by a pontoon bridge built by the Australians, but during the greater part of the day the crossing had to be made by means of a stage hauled across by a chain which lay on the bed of the Canal. This stage often carried a motley collection of troops, natives, camels, and stores, and the hauling was heavy work, which, at a later period, was relegated to Field Punishment prisoners from the Divisional Compound. The Engineers who were in this region in the winter of 1914-1915 found that little had changed. There had been insignificant enemy raids, and no new works of importance had been carried out. At Kubri the swing-bridge, made of lighters fifteen months previously by Major Wells—to last a few months, according to his instructions—was still working, and as the chesses wore out they were covered with filled sandbags, so that the progress of animal traffic over the bridge partook of the nature of a steeplechase. The Divisional Band paid a series of visits to the units, and it was surely the first time that these sandhills had echoed with waltz music and the airs of musical comedy. On such occasions the troops made quite a happy picture, for the strain of Gallipoli had almost worn off, and the men, now bronzed to a ripe saddle-colour, danced and laughed and sang, and a more cheerful and contented set of fellows could hardly be imagined.
The Canal defences had hitherto been on the west bank, with bridgeheads on the east bank, close to the Canal. It was recognized that the Canal must be defended from the eastern side, so a line of self-contained works was constructed in the desert, far enough out to prevent the enemy from bringing guns into action within seven miles of the waterway. Behind these first-line posts was a series of supporting works, while bridgeheads on the Canal formed the third line. In each section of the defence a mobile force was held in readiness for counter-offence. The posts were connected by telephone with the Brigade Headquarters and with one another. Visual signalling was also largely used by the Divisional Signal Company, the heliograph being of great service for long distances in this land of brilliant sunshine. In due course roads and light railways were run out to the posts, and three-inch water-pipes were laid. The posts were named after the depot towns of battalions, but, owing to subsequent reliefs, the units did not as a rule occupy those named after their depots. Each post had a garrison of, approximately, a battalion of infantry, a battery of artillery, a troop of yeomanry, and a section of engineers. The Transport of the 42nd Divisional Train was left at Alexandria, where its services would be more useful than in the desert, the Supply accompanying the Division to the Canal zone and in subsequent operations.
The Field State of February 29 shows a considerable increase in the strength of the Divisional Artillery, and that various units had been attached.