Egypt & Western Frontier Force 1916

The camp at Matruh was situated near the harbour, which was a beautifully situated anchorage with deep water very convenient for shipping. To those who saw the few white houses of the Greek traders, the single mosque, the Bedouin encampment, the barracks of the Egyptian coastguard and their old fort at the entrance to the harbour, it was difficult to realise that under the name Paraetonium Mersa Matruh it had been a celebrated watering place in Roman times, and had even received a visit from Cleopatra nearly 2000 years before.

Royal Flying Corps aircraft at Bir Shola

Throughout February the Brigade carried out routine training and patrolling with the occasional additional task. For instance, on 6 February 1916 a column, commanded by Lt Colonel JT Wigan, set out for Bir Shola in order to establish an aerodrome nearby. The column comprised three squadrons of the Berkshire Yeomanry, one squadron Bucks Yeomanry, one section Nottinghamshire RHA, and various works detachments. The column camped overnight at Bir Shola and the next day proceeded to the designated area 16 miles to its west, where they constructed the aerodrome. In reality this involved flattening and clearing an area for an airstrip. The aeroplanes duly arrived at the new aerodrome promptly on 8 February 1916.

General Maxwell in his despatch said “The effect of this success has been to remove the anxiety which was at one time felt as to the possibility of hostile outbreaks in Egypt itself, where agitation was known to be rife. The attitude of the very large Bedouin population of the Behera province has completely changed. Moreover, through his failure as a temporal leader, Sayed Ahmed has lost much of the influence which was attached to him as a spiritual head of the Senussi. The failure of the Turks to carry out their threat to attack Egypt and seize the Suez Canal has similarly resulted in a loss of prestige and the failures in east and west, it may fairly be claimed, have had the result of establishing our hold upon Egypt more firmly than ever, and of convincing all the more enlightened of the people that they can gain nothing by intriguing with our enemies.”

A Sqn patrol ready to go

For the British there remained the question of the prisoners from HMS Tara and a few survivors of HMT Moorina, handed over by the Turks to the Senussi in November 1915. Information from Arab prisoners, fixed their location at El Hakkim, a post consisting of two old Roman wells and a block-house, nearly 120 miles west of Sollum. Major the Duke of Westminster, with about equal numbers of light armoured cars and ambulances, 45 in all, set out from Sollum at 0100 hrs on the 17 March 1916 with A Sqn of the Berkshire Yeomanry as his rearguard. A high average speed was kept up, considering that the route was of soft sand strewn with boulders and unknown to drivers or riders, and the cars reached their destination around 1500 hrs.

Officer group: (L-R) unknown, Major Hughes, Major Strange, Hon Lt & QM Greenaway

The prisoners were found immediately and the ambulances drew up beside their tents. "In a moment" wrote one of the prisoners "we were tearing bully-beef, bread and tinned chicken, and drinking condensed milk out of tins. We tore into the food like famished wolves, with tears in our eyes and wonder in our hearts.” After they had eaten their fill the 91 prisoners were packed into the cars and ambulances. The convoy could not make Sollum that night and halted at Bir Waer, where the Australian Camel Corps was on outpost duty. Next day the prisoners were brought to Sollum and put aboard a hospital ship for Alexandria. The audacious and successful rescue made headline news back in England.

Following this successful campaign the Brigade could be redeployed to the east and on 20 March 1916 the Berkshire Yeomanry returned to Mersa Matruh. Bert Haines wrote: “One day in the desert we came upon an old Roman Cistern and the wells being full of water we watered up, bathed, filled water wagons and bottles. Rapidly the source dried up. Calling for Regimental Engineers they descended down inside and found to their amazement two dead camels and two dead Turks!!”

The Berkshire Yeomanry then marched to Dabaa, averaging about 25 miles a day. The camels fell out like flies, and were left lying, as the natives said that they recover in time and would get back to camp. Daily routine on the march consisted of getting up at 0400, on the move at 0500, halt to feed and water, if any, at noon; then on until sunset. At Dabaa the regiment entrained for Alexandria.

War Office orders for re-numbering the Mounted Brigades were issued on 31st March 1916, so by the beginning of April 1916 the 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade was redesignated 6th Mounted Brigade. The Brigade still comprised the Berkshire Yeomanry along with the Bucks Yeomanry and Dorset Yeomanry.

Officer group: (L-R) unknown, Major Hughes, Major Strange, Hon Lt & QM Greenaway

Trooper Victor H Hobbs (A Sqn) wrote in May 1916: “Dear Winnie: Thanks very much for your last letter dated April 18th which received yesterday. Sorry I haven't been able to write to you for such a long time circumstances wouldn't let me as I have been on the Western Front fighting the Arabs for the last three months and postal service was unknown out there, and since then I have been in hospital at Alex with enteric fever but as I am nearly fit now and shall soon go back to the regiment who are in camp 4 miles from the hospital.”

On 8 May 1916 the Regiment entrained at Sidi Bisr for Mellawi, some 200 miles south of Cairo. The trains stopped at Minia for the men to feed, also to feed and water the horses. On 11 May the trains arrived at Mellawi and the regiment made camp in the yard of a cotton factory on west side of the canal. On 16 May 1916 B Squadron under command Captain Strange moved to Um Afrita. The next day A Squadron under command Major Wilder moved to Kafr Lebs and D Squadron under command Major Wroughton moved to Nazr el Abid.

Looking towards the camera L-R: Lt Col Wigan, RSM Haines, Major Foster, Major Wroughton

At this time the desert tribes were menacing the peaceful irrigated settlements of Upper Egypt from the west, and British troops were scattered over many hundreds of miles along the Nile. The work was purely defensive and no effort was made to seek the enemy except that camel patrols were carried out continuously to the west. Fred Marshal recalled “We used to go out to the edge of the Nile on our camels; get on these flat-bottomed boats, they were all flat to get the camels on. We had a syce with us, an attendant who understood camels to go with us. We'd get down off the camels and lead them onto the boats

Major Wilder with elements of his Squadron

At 1 October Regimental Strength was 27 + 408 (detached 2 + 37 Imperial Camel Corps). On 3 October a draft of 35 ORs arrived from England as reinforcements. This was the 9th Draft from the 3/1st Berks Yeomanry stationed at Tidworth on Salisbury Plain.

Towards the end of October the 6th Mounted Brigade were transferred from command of the Western Force to the Eastern Force, but remained stationed in the Suez Section.

Morning Parade at Mersa Matruh

On 2 November 1916 the regiment arrived at Ayun Musa in the Sinai Peninsular, relieving the 3rd County of London (Sharpshooters) Yeomanry who had been ordered to Salonika. Ayun Musa itself consisted of a picturesque oasis with a number of remarkable fresh water wells, about 7 miles south east of Suez with which it was connected by a light railway. Defences consist of a strongly wired and entrenched post one and a half miles east of the Red Sea and 10 miles south east of Suez.

Also stationed at Ayun Musa were the Berkshire Battery R.H.A. and one section of the Brigade Field Ambulance. One Squadron was detached to Bir Mabeuik, a well and outlying strong post 10 miles north east of Ayun Musa. During November and December the regiment carried out mounted patrols daily, and supplied sentries for the trenches.

Quite a good Christmas was passed and the regiment took part in a district football cup. On the way to the final they had beaten the Berkshire Battery R.H.A. in a semi final which caused considerable enthusiasm.

As a result of the British occupation of El Arish and the destruction of their rear guard at Magdhaba, the Turks withdrew northwards and by New Year's Day, for the first time since the outbreak of war, the Sinai Peninsular was clear of Turkish forces

Machine Gun Section with “Dinky” their mascot

Back in the UK the 2/1st Berkshire Yeomanry continued on home defence duties. However, British losses in France particularly in the Battles of the Somme meant that all Territorial second line units were required to provide 200 soldiers as reinforcements. In September 1916 200 Berkshire Yeomen were sent to France where, after training as infantry, half were posted to 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment and half to 3rd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment