ually lowered down in some places by
their tails.

The line we took over was a long one--about two and a half
miles--previously held by nine companies of the 159th and 160th
Brigades (53rd Division). There were three mountains with steep wadis
in between, and each company was given a hill which formed an isolated
post. Touch even between companies was very difficult to maintain at
night, and touch with the units on either flank was found impossible
and had to be abandoned. So sketchy was our line that we sometimes
discovered in the morning a miserable Turk or Arab well inside our
lines trying to desert but finding no one to whom to surrender. When
"captured" their joy was complete. Miserable, half-starved, ill-clad
wretches, conscripted to fight for a nation they loathed and feared.

D Company (Captain J. M'Nab) held the Round Hill on the right and a
platoon of A Company held the village of Khan Abu Felah. C Company
(Captain I.C. Nairn) held the centre hill and B Company (Captain D.D.
Ogilvie) were on the left holding a "hog's back" known as Fusilier
Ridge, and the wadi on either side. A Company (Captain Sir W.A.A.
Campbell) were in reserve at Battalion H.Q. Later A Company relieved D
Company, and D and C Companies moved a hill to their left, while B
came into reserve. Our horses, mules, and donkeys were with us, but
camels could not negotiate the steep slopes and remained on the high
ground above us along with the wheeled transport.

Our stay here was uneventful. The Turks shelled us regularly but
without doing much damage, and we sent over one or two patrols every
night, but there was no great activity on either side. On 22nd March a
company of the Ayrs and Lanarks (Captain P. Campbell) carried out a
most successful raid on the isolated hill Amurieh opposite B Company.
Mr Cruickshank with 12 men from his platoon held White Hill, a small
intermediate knoll, and covered the advance, returning when the raid
started. Fully 100 prisoners were taken, with the loss of only one or
two wounded. At the same time we made a demonstration from Kent Hill,
firing off rifle grenades and rifles, which drew a lot of fire from
the raiding party on Amurieh.

On 7th April the enemy attempted a bombing raid on A Company's hill,
but it was a halfhearted affair, and they were easily driven off and a
few casualties inflicted.

We had two or three days of very heavy rain just after we took over,
which made life very miserable for the out