the
following day held the line down to the river where a counter attack
was most expected.

The Colonel asked leave to push forward that day, but it was not till
nightfall that two battalions of our Brigade were ordered to pass
through the other Brigade and take the enemy's 4th line. It was
necessarily a slow business moving up unknown trenches at night, and
the battalion on our left met with considerable resistance. However,
if progress was slow it was sure, our patrols pushed steadily forward,
the enemy's snipers were forced back and before dawn the whole
San-i-yat position was in our hands, and the Turks in full retreat.
Thus fell this position which for ten long months had held us up, and
had claimed such a big toll of lives from both sides. The sky was
clear and without cloud. The same sun shone out on victors as on
vanquished, on pursued and pursuers. One wondered how often, ten
months before, the gallant defenders of Kut had looked towards this
position longing, hoping, praying for its capture which was only now
accomplished. Meanwhile after very hard fighting the Tigris had been
bridged at Shumran above Kut and our infantry was pouring across.
Patrols of the 2nd Battalion were immediately sent forward towards the
Nakhailat position some two miles further east and the two leading
companies followed in attack formation. An Indian battalion conformed
to our movements on the left, while the leading battalions of the
other Brigade began to appear on our right rear. None of our men will
ever forget the scene that morning, nor the feeling of freedom and
elation as our lines passed over trench after trench now deserted by
the Turks, and it was these trenches over which we were now so
casually advancing that we had been anxiously watching from behind our
parapet for nearly a year. It seemed increditable, but we passed by
trenches filled with Turkish dead. We passed several of the heavy
minenwerfers whose shells had been a source of such trouble and loss
the last few months, and before 8 a.m. after some little sniping and
the capture of a few prisoners the Nakhailat position was also ours.
Here a pause was made by order of the General to give time to another
Brigade to secure our right flank, and then in conjunction with the
Indians on our left the Regiment advanced in attack formation with
patrols well ahead against the Suwada position, but the crossing of
the Shumran Bend the day before had rendered resistance impossi