The 3rd Infantry Brigade leaving Mena Camp on the 28th February 1915,
to entrain at Cairo for Alexandria.
[Courtesy of Australian War Memorial - J02113]
Sunday 28th February
Church Parade at 9.30. Presbyterian padre. Band of
12th Infantry played for us. I was wrong in stating above that Units moved out
on Saturday. They left this evening at 6PM. At 5.30 I inspected our men and
gave them a few words of advice and farewell. Wrote to Nell, Alvord, Charley,
Chris, Emma and Father.
The below is an account of the troop movements from Mena Camp on the
28th February 1915, as printed in The Maitland Daily Mecury on the 8th May 1915.
[Courtesy of National Library of Australia - Trove]
The following letter dealing with an earlier movement of troops, from our special representative in Egypt, which has only now been "released" by the censor, is of more than ordinary interest, in view of the announcements which have been made by cable (says the Melbourne "Argus" of recent date):-
CAIRO, March 22.
For a month there has been great uncertainty as to the whereabouts of Colonel Sinclair-Maclagan's 3rd Infantry Brigade. On Sunday, February 28, the troops took train from Cairo to Alexandria, and embarked there on seven transports for a destination unknown, and it has remained unknown ever since. The unit has dropped as completely out of view as if it had been swallowed up by the Mediterranean, and no hint has been given as to when it is likely to be heard of again. An impression prevails, however, that the force is still on board the steamers, waiting for instructions to land at some strategic point and establish a fighting base.
The first intimation that a move was contemplated was given on the previous Wednesday, when instructions came through Major-General Bridges' headquarters that all extra kit and equipment not provided for in active service conditions should be discarded, and that all ranks should hold themselves in readiness to leave Mena at a moment's notice. During the next few days there was a rapid overhauling of gear, and everything not absolutely necessary for campaigning was cast side. Officers who had provided themselves with additional uniforms found that clothes were a burden, besides being a glut on the market, and they could not even be given away. Cameras, curios, and the accumulations of travel were available to those who would take them for removal. By the week-end the camp had been reduced to a state of simplicity, and except during sleeping hours swags were always ready for the waggons. The clearing-out process had scarcely been completed, however, before word came that every stick in camp would be removed to whatever new base might be decided upon, and those who only a few days before had disposed of treasured belongings were anxious to get them back again. Meanwhile, training had gone on as usual, although the whole of the Australian division, and more particularly the 3rd Brigade, lived in an atmosphere of expectation.
Marching orders came sooner than was expected. Early on the Saturday evening instructions were issued that the brigade should strike camp next morning early and join the trains which would be found waiting for them at the Cairo central railway station.
SEALED ORDERS.
At the same time, Colonel Sinclair-Maclagan was handed a sealed envelope containing orders which were not to be read until his force was at sea. Beyond that neither officers nor men had any information as to their immediate future. Saturday is usually quiet for the Australian troops, and numbers of officers had gone on leave to Cairo when word to move was given. They were quickly recalled by special messengers, and the work of preparing for the morning's evacuation was entered upon by lamplight. It continued with vigour throughout the hours of darkness, and when dawn came there was not a tent standing in the lines, which had been the home of the troops for just three months. With the first peep of daylight Lieut.-Colonol J. L. Johnston's 11th battalion of Western Australians was sent off on its 10-mile march along the Gizeh road, and with three rests by the way it crossed the Kasr-el-Nil bridge soon after 8 o'clock.
All day the road from the Pyramids was blocked with troops with packs on their backs. In all, close on 5000 men tramped out of Mena, stirred by uncertainty and expectation, and the envy of the 12,000 others who remained behind. Lieut.-Colonel L. F. Clarke's composite 12th battalion, which was recruited in South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania, was the second unit to leave, and on arrival at Cairo it was found that already the whole of those who had gone ahead had been whisked away to the Mediterranean's edge. The Queensland (9th) battalion, in charge of Lieut.-Colonel H. W. Lee, provided the next batch of dusty passengers, but it was not until midnight that Lieut.-Colonel S. P. Weir's South Australians, of the 10th battalion, had finished their three hours' march.
The system of despatching and running troop trains in Egypt is almost perfect, and, contrary to the practice in Australia, they are given the right of way at a high rate of speed over ordinary schedule traffic. Only on one previous occasion, when the Egyptian army was carried bodily to Khartoum in a single day at the beginning of the war with Turkey, had the railway organisation been subjected to a severer train than the transportation of the Australian brigade, but trains chased each other northwards out of Cairo in quick succession without a hitch. The service was unequal to moving all the troops as soon as they presented themselves, however, and it was necessary for the latest arrivals to shelter from the cold in Kasr-el-Nil barracks until 4 a.m. An hour later, however, the last of the fighting men had been hurried off, and the handling of the huge mass of impediments was undertaken.
At Alexandria steamers were waiting beside the quays, and the soldiers stepped from the trains almost on board. Embarkation of the whole brigade occupied only 48 hours, and the unit was at sea long before the general public in Cairo had missed it. As an example of expeditious work, experts say that nothing better has been seen during the war, and the secret as to purpose, destination, and duration of the voyage, was so well kept that even now no one outside the circle of General Maxwell's confidence can supply the information with certainty. It is whispered that prior to the departure of the brigade the Australasian army corps commander (General Birdwood) was spirited away from Cairo one night, and, travelling by "special" to Alexandria, at once went on board a battleship, which steamed out of the inner harbour with foaming bows. It was given out at the time that General Birdwood was on a pleasure trip to Luxor; but there is reason to believe now that his visit was to quite a different spot, and his mission was much more serious. He had no sooner reappeared at army corps headquarters than there was preparations for departure in the Australian camp.
At Alexandria steamers were waiting beside the quays, and the soldiers stepped from the trains almost on board. Embarkation of the whole brigade occupied only 48 hours, and the unit was at sea long before the general public in Cairo had missed it. As an example of expeditious work, experts say that nothing better has been seen during the war, and the secret as to purpose, destination, and duration of the voyage, was so well kept that even now no one outside the circle of General Maxwell's confidence can supply the information with certainty. It is whispered that prior to the departure of the brigade the Australasian army corps commander (General Birdwood) was spirited away from Cairo one night, and, travelling by "special" to Alexandria, at once went on board a battleship, which steamed out of the inner harbour with foaming bows. It was given out at the time that General Birdwood was on a pleasure trip to Luxor; but there is reason to believe now that his visit was to quite a different spot, and his mission was much more serious. He had no sooner reappeared at army corps headquarters than there was preparations for departure in the Australian camp.
Provided the whole of the available Australian and New Zealand troops of General Birdwood's army corps were attached to the expedition which is now in Turkey, it is likely that the force will be made up as follows:-
FIRST (AUSTRALIAN) DIVISION.
(Major-General W. T. Bridges.)
4th (Vic.) L.H. Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel J. K. Forsyth. 1st Field Artillery Brigade (N.S.W.), Major S. E. Christian. 2nd Field Artillery Brigade (Vic.), Lieut.-Colonel G. J. Johnston. 3rd Field Artillery Brigade (Q'ld.), Lieut.-Colonel C. Rosenthal. Divisional Engineers, Major G. C. E. Elliott. Divisional Signal Company, Major H. L. Mackworth. 1st (N.S.W.) Infantry Brigade, Col. H. N. MacLaurin; lst Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel L. Dobbin; 2nd Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel G. F. Braund; 3rd Battalion, Lieut-Colonel R. H. Owen; 4th Battalion, Lieut-Colonel A. J. O. Thompson. 2nd (Vic.) Infantry Brigade, Colonel J. W. McCay; 5th Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel. D. S. Wanliss; 6th Battalion,, Major W. R. Mc- Nicoll; 7th Battalion, Lieut-Colonel. H. E. Elliott; 8th Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel. W. K. Bolton. 3rd (Q'ld,.,S.A., W.A., and Tas.) lnfantry Brigade, Colonel E. G. Sinclair-Maclagan; 9th Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel H. W. Lee; 10th Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel S. P. Weir; 11th Battalion, Leiut.-Colonel J. L. Johnston; 12th Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel L. F. Clarke.With divisional troops of other necessary services.
SECOND (NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN) DIVISION.
(Major-General Sir A. J. Godley.)
N.Z. Mounted Brigade, Colonel A. H. Russell; Auckland Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel C. E. R. Mackesy; Canterbury Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel J. Findlay; Wellington Regiment, Lieut.-Colonol W. Meldrum. 1st (Australian) Light Horse Brigade. Colonel H. G. Chauvel; 1st (N.S.W.) Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel J. B. Meredith; 2nd (Queensland) Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel R. M. Stodart; 3rd (S.A. and Tas.) Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel M. F. Rowell. 2nd (Australian) L.H. Brigade, Colonel G. de L. Ryrie; 5th (Queensland) Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel H. J. I. Harris; 6th (N.S.W.), Lieut.-Colonel C. F. Cox; 7th (N.S.W.), Lieut.-Colonel J. M. Arnott. New Zealand Infantry Brigade, Colonel F. E. Johnston; Auckland Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel A. Plugge; Canterbury Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel D. Stewart; Otago Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel A. Moore; Wellington Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel W. G. Malone. 4th (Australian) Infantry Brigade, Colonel J. Monash; 13th (N.S.W.) Battalion, Lieut-Colonel G. J. Burnage; 14th (Vic.) Battalion, Lieut-Colonol R. E. Courtney; 15th (Q'ld. and Tas.) Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel J. H. Cannan; 16th (W. A. and S.A.) Battalion, Lieut.-Colonel H. Pope. Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment, Lieut.-Colonel A. Bauchop. N.Z. Field Artillery Brigade, Lieut.-Colonel G. N. Johnston. N.Z. Howitzer Battery, Major N. S. Falla. Engineers, Major G. R. Pridham. So far as was known of the intention of the authorities in the middle of March, the French veterans were to have been used first in effecting a landing at the point of disembarkation, and they were to have been followed by tried Indian troops, the Australians and New Zealanders being the last to step ashore.
