February 26.—“Next morning we moved on to where we knew the Regiment had camped, but on arrival the Regiment had again gone on, but we went with the transport as escort. This was on the 26th, and on arriving in camp at night, we heard that the Regiment had been heavily engaged with the enemy’s rearguard, and Sergt.-Major Goddard, S.Q.M.S. Edwards, Sergeants Bell and Hill, had been wounded, Private Davis of ‘C’ Squadron killed, and thirty-three wounded.... About 5 P.M. we again went on, intending to overtake and rejoin the Regiment, which we failed to do, until they were forced to call a halt as they were out of rations, and had eaten their iron ration. This will give any one who reads this an idea of the speed with which the Turkish rearguard was pursued and continually harassed and defeated.
“We reached camp at one o’clock the next morning, the 27th.... On the way up we had passed much abandoned booty, as the enemy, being hotly pursued, had to leave it to escape capture. There were guns of the 18-pounder class, as well as small camel guns which fired a shell not much bigger than a man’s two fists. Thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition was lying strewn all along the track of the beaten enemy. Rifles and small-arm ammunition, equipment transport carts, and even a motor-car of German manufacture....
“At night we rejoined the Regiment, who hadn’t a biscuit left, but heard they had captured a Turkish barge, with a cargo of grain, flour, candles, dates, and supplies of all descriptions, so they had grain for the horses and food for the men. The transport arrived in camp, but they only had enough for one day’s march; and although the paddle-steamers followed us up, we were now a day’s march ahead of the dumping-ground, and two days’ march in front of the Infantry.”
February 28.—“So next day, the 28th February, we retired back a day’s march, and came upon the food columns on the bend of the river.... On the 1st of March we remained in camp all day.... We got on board the captured barge that morning, bringing away whole-meal flour, dates, surgical bandages, and took off a lot of corn for the horses. M‘Nulty and Moss made chupattees of the flour, baking corned-beef and dates and making pies, and we all had a good feed....
March 3.—“On the 3rd réveillé was at 5.30. After attending to our mounts we had breakfast, and then a big party of men, of which I was one, were ordered to stand-to for fatigue. We were marched down to the river, a distance of two or three hundred yards, and commenced to unload barges, which had arrived that morning with stores of all kinds, shells and bullets, and food for man and beast. We soon transformed the bleak ground on the bend of the river into a vast dumping-ground, and hundreds of tons of corn were soon stacked in heaps on shore.... At 8 P.M. that night we were again unloading a barge which we completely emptied of its cargo. We had no rest that day, but we knew we had done some good work.”
March 4.—“Next day, the 4th, we remained in camp all day. During the afternoon we heard that the General was holding a parade to decorate men who were recommended for bravery on the field. We were afterwards to get ready to move on the morrow, as a report brought in by airmen reported a body of Turks holding trenches a day’s march up the Tigris close to where they had a pontoon-bridge across.”
2nd Lieutenant Guy Pedder—March 2.—“What do you think of it all? No doubt the papers have been shouting about old Mespot lately. When I wrote my last letter I little thought we should be quite so far on the next time I wrote. I think the rout of the Turks must have been a complete surprise for even our authorities....
“We went through the Infantry and crossed the Tigris above Kut at 9 A.M., Saturday, 24th. Curiously enough, I met Masson, who used to be at Pat’s at Repton with me. He had been building the bridge. We didn’t do much that day, as we were held up when we tried to get round their flank; however, next day we went a long reconnaissance. I got a small batch of prisoners, and then we attacked the Turks’ position. I was commanding the squadron, as Eve was commanding a wing. We advanced about 1½ mile across the open under very heavy rifle-fire and shrapnel. I lost both my sergeant-majors and two sergeants, besides others. The Regiment lost 35 and only 1 officer (Lord): how we got out of it I don’t know, as hardly any one came out without a bullet through his coat, topee, or something. I tell you I lay pretty flat when we weren’t advancing or retiring, but there was not a bit of cover! We camped down about 2 A.M., and were off again about 6 and went about 30 miles, but the Turks had cleared early next morning. We took about 300 prisoners and 6 heavy guns, and the road was littered with ammunition, kit, shells, carts, dead animals, &c. The prisoners were in a very bad way and could hardly walk....
 H.M.S. “TARANTULA” | |
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PRIVATE MASSEY’S “ORACLE,” OTHERWISE CORACLE | |
“Luckily the weather has been perfect, except it has frozen every night, and is quite cold in the day. I brought all my bedding on my spare horse, but of course we haven’t got any tents. None of us got the chance of a wash or shave for four days, so you would have laughed if you had seen us. I am awfully fit. Hope the next letter I write to you will be Baghdad: it’s under fifty miles from here. Best love to all.