Our first turn only lasted four days, and we had hardly a casualty
until an hour or two before we were to move back into support. The
support trenches were very much less comfortable than the front line,
and as there were lots of parties to go up at all hours of the day and
night to dig and wire in front, it took a lot of scheming to get
everyone satisfactorily fixed with water and food. We also had to send
out officers' patrols to fix the Turkish line, as we were intending to
have a dash at capturing his barrier across the Azmac Dere--a dry
watercourse which ran right through both the Turkish and our
lines--and so straighten out our line. Patrolling was very
difficult--there were no landmarks to guide one, the going was
exceedingly prickly, and at that time the place was full of Turkish
snipers, who came out at dusk and lay out till morning in the broken
and shell-pitted country. We soon got the better of these sportsmen
though--our snipers out-sniped them, and our bombing officer, if he
frightened them with his catapults and other engines of offence half
as much as he frightened us, must also be given credit for a share in
dispersing them.

[Illustration: GEBEL-EL-GHENNEIM, KHARGEH OASIS.
_To face page 18_]

[Illustration: THE HIGHLAND BARRICADE, ASMAK DERE, SUVLA.
_To face page 18_]

A squadron (Major de Pree) and the bombing squad under Mr A.C. Smith,
in conjunction with a squadron of 2nd Lovat Scouts, carried out the
raid on the Dere on the night of the 17th/18th October. It was a
complete success--all the Turks holding the barrier being killed by