The Modern Crusaders by R. E. C. Adams

Author:R. E. C. Adams [Adams, R. E. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, General, Historiography, Military, World War I, Wars & Conflicts (Other)
ISBN: 9781000697377
Google: vIPZDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2020-03-27T03:41:41+00:00

The whole Brigade is very badly off for boots, and as no amount of indenting will produce any new ones it is extremely difficult to combat the Trench Foot peril, cases of which are looked on with much disfavour by the authorities.

The unfortunate Nicholls of the 24th Welsh had an unpleasant experience in this connection, due to his ignorance of the official point of view on the subject.

He was sent down to the Field Ambulance suffering from Trench Foot and had the misfortune to be shown into the room where the General was visiting Colonel Spence-Jones. The Colonel inquired what was the matter and Nicholls replied cheerfully that he had Trench Foot.

From this point onwards the conversation was monopolised by the General with such good effect that the whole Brigade now suspects the complaint to be a vice rather than a virtue and Nicholls has assumed the cognomen of Trench Foot.

23rd.—Last night was a real snorter. A rushing mighty wind kept the tent Victor and I live in banging like big guns and I felt certain it would come down. It did so by numbers at 2.30 a.m. The accident didn’t wake me up, but Victor’s remarks eventually did, and I found the tent had fallen across me leaving him out in the gale and pouring rain. He retired to dry himself in the Mukhtar’s harem, but the pole was across me and I couldn’t get out until extricated by Bowen in the chilly dawn.

Went up to Dukku after breakfast to walk the wet out of my clothes and to look at the hills we shall be required to attack by way of Christmas festivities. This Yule Tide gives every promise of being seasonably cold. I could wish some good fairy would provide me with a pair of boots and a waterproof.

24th.—The General’s tent collapsed in its turn last night, and he also fell back on the harem. This, in spite of an enormous stone wall and a zareba of camel-thorn built round it by numerous working parties and gangs of natives from the village.

I felt it was a just retribution for his lack of sympathy with our disaster of the previous night.

The weather continued cold and wet, and is having a very bad effect on the animals. The horses look like skeletons, the mules not quite so bad, but the wretched little donkeys are dying like flies owing to short rations and cold, which is only to be expected, as they are accustomed to the warmth of Egypt.

We had very definite information that the Turks intend to-morrow or quite soon to attack in strength and re-take Jerusalem. I wish them joy of it; the weather has been bad enough to hold up our advance and will probably be no more propitious for the Turk, who is never very expert in the attack.

There are also reported, mostly by deserters, to be divisions of Huns on their way to help the Infidel, and also large reinforcements from the Caucasus, which is more than likely since the Russians are retiring on their winnings.

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