In such broken ground it was not impossible for a man to lose contact with the other members of a patrol. It is on record that one individual, having lost his way, was observed approaching our trench. Seeing a head and shoulders suddenly appear through the bushes in front of him, the sentry was about to fire, but, being restrained by an officer, challenged instead and exclaimed in a voice full of intent, "Speak! Who are you?" The stray, whose position between the two lines was not an enviable one, replied hurriedly, "Private William M——, of Subiaco, Western Australia." "Come in, you ruddy fool," rejoined the disappointed sentry. But M——'s luck was still out, for, in endeavouring to respond to the invitation, he got foul of the wire entanglements and crashed heavily to the ground. There he lay for some time until eventually he was dragged in by his comrades.
In country of the nature mentioned the most careful arrangements and fullest exchange of information between neighbouring units, when the sending out of patrols was contemplated, was of vital importance. Through the neglect of these measures collisions, resulting in casualties, occurred on two occasions between patrols and the men in the front line trenches.
On the 25th September Captain Montgomery's party rejoined from the Beach.
On this day, and on the 27th, the Turk showered quite a considerable number of the broomstick bombs into the position. A few casualties resulted. Our artillery were telephoned and retaliated with 6-inch howitzer and 18-pounder shells. The arrival and powerful burst of the former missiles were received with cheers by the harassed garrison, and the enemy soon desisted. There was a strong back blast from our heavier projectiles and a few men, some distance down the Dere, were struck by splinters. As there was some uncertainty as to the exact daily error of our guns, it was, on occasions, necessary to thin the front line garrisons in order to guard against a shell falling short. One man, engaged cleaning up the trench which led down to the 27th Battalion, was buried to the neck as a result of a naval shell landing a few feet behind him and driving in the wall of the excavation. Fortunately he was able to call out and was quickly released.
The 26th and 27th were days selected for inter-company reliefs. "C" and "D" Companies went back into the line.
As it was believed that the morale of the enemy had been lowered considerably by the heavy losses he had sustained, attempts were made to induce him to desert. One of the means adopted was propaganda literature—in Turkish and Arabic—which was attached to "dud" grenades and propelled into the enemy area. It is not known whether this method had any success, but the infantry sent along a story—told at the expense of another arm of the service—that one man did come in and surrendered himself to the commanding officer's cook, whom he had to awaken.
Enemy espionage was suspected and a native barber, who used to wander around the support and reserve areas, came under surveillance. He disappeared, and his ultimate fate is unknown, but rumour had it that the Light Horse had "given him a start over the parapet."