roup of Officers. N.B. Fleur de Lys.
2. Ridge occupied on August 5th, 1916.
3. Issue of Water: Morning of August 5th, 1916.
4. In Katia: August 6th, 1916.

PLATE III. _facing 18_
1. Bivouac Shelters on the Desert.
2. Making the Railway over the Desert.
3. At El Mazar.
4. Digging a Well.

List of Sketch Maps.

PAGE

The Sinai Desert 21

Nieuport and Coast Sector 57

Round about Bapaume 78

Attack on the Hindenburg Line, September 27th, 1918 125

Area covered during advance of 42nd Division, 1918,
_facing_ 143

CHAPTER I.

Holding up the Turk.

In September, 1914, the 7th Bn. Manchester Regiment set out for active
service in the East in goodly company, for they were a part of the 42nd
(East Lancashire) Division, the first territorials to leave these shores
during the Great War. After many interesting days spent on garrison duty
in the Sudan and Lower Egypt they journeyed to Gallipoli soon after the
landing had been effected, and took a continuous part in that ill-fated
campaign until the final evacuation. The beginning of 1916 thus found
them back in Egypt, where they were taking part in General Maxwell's
scheme for the defence of the Suez Canal. The things that befell the
battalion during this long period have been admirably described in Major
Hurst's book _With Manchesters in the East_, and this short history will
attempt to continue the narrative from the point where it left off.

At the end of June, 1916, the 7th Manchesters made a short trip by rail
along the Suez Canal, the last railway journey they were to make as a
battalion for many a long day. The 42nd Division left the defence of the
southern half of the Canal in the able hands of the East Anglian
Territorials, and journeyed north to the Kantara region. It was not
definitely known why we made this move, but there were persistent
rumours that we were destined for France, where events were speeding
towards a big battle. However, the 7th detrained at Kantara and there
met, for the first time since Gallipoli, the 52nd (Lowland Scottish)
Division. We knew very little of this coastal region of the desert.
Occasional stories had floated down to us to supplement the very meagre
officia