"lines" were put down, animals off-saddled again and a much needed
wash-up and shave indulged in--after watering and stables. To feel clean
once more and to be able to have a sleep in the heat of the day, which at
this time was intense (in spite of the cold nights), was a treat enjoyed by
all.

Beersheba was very disappointing. Instead of being a town, as Europeans
understand that term, a place where one can buy such things as cigarettes
and something to eat, nothing at all was obtainable, and the only buildings
in it, that were not mud huts, were empty.[2]

During our stay at Beersheba, enemy planes, often flying quite low, paid us
several visits, for whose benefit one Sub-section always had its guns
mounted for anti-aircraft work. On one of these raids two men and several
animals, in an Australian Field Ambulance a couple of hundred yards from
the Squadron Camp, were killed. One man had a "narrow shave". He was
standing beside his horse when the plane appeared, and, for safety, he
jumped into a trench that happened to be at hand still holding the reins.
The animal was killed, but he himself escaped without a scratch!

FOOTNOTES:

[2] _Beersheba--"Well of the oath": See Genesis, chaps. xxi and xxvi,
v. 23 and 32._

THE COASTAL SECTOR.

To the 21st Infantry Corps in front of Gaza, had been given the task of
attracting enemy reserves to that neighbourhood, thus to lighten the task
of the troops on the right of the line, in the capture of Beersheba. On
October 27th, a bombardment of the elaborate Gaza defences had been
commenced, assisted by the Navy, and on the night of November 1st-2nd,
"Umbrella Hill" was captured, followed in the early morning _by the whole
of the front-line system of trenches_.

OPERATIONS AT TEL KHUWEILFEH.

After a day's rest, the 7th Mounted Brigade started off again (on November
2nd) at 08.30. "C" Sub-section reported to the "S.N.H."; "D" Sub-section
to the "S.R.Y." The Transport ("B.1" Echelon) just arrived as the Squadron
was timed to move off, and rations had to be issued out on parade. [It may
here be mentioned that the transport had had a "rough time," and without
having accurate knowledge of what was happening to the Brigade, owing to
the many difficulties of communication _en route_, did splendidly in
arriving even when it did.]

The railway being crossed, the Brigade "carried on," along a sort of old
track north of Beersheba for about 10 miles, where a halt was