Saturday 13th February 1915
About midday word was received that we were to supply a guard of 3 officers and 45 men to take 104 prisoners from the Minerva and escort them by train to Cairo. The Minerva was expected to arrive at the docks about 3 p.m. All details were arranged and the officers detailed were very pleased at the immediate prospect of a night in Cairo and a visit to their various belongings. However at 4 p.m. this arrangement was cancelled as the prisoners were to be kept here for examination by the Intelligence officers. The escort were greatly disappointed at losing their trip to Cairo, one subaltern having lost his Saturday afternoon off as well with sundry pleasant invitations which he had previously accepted. The prisoners were disembarked at 4 p.m. and taken over by our escort under Lieut Turnbull. They were a very motley crew. Mostly Arabs in rags and of all ages from boys of 14 to old men of 60. Their weapons were like themselves. Old swords, jezails, and obsolete single loaders. One man had a double barreled Shot gun. Many had no arms or equipment. The Ghurkas had done a smart piece of work. Landing at midnight they had marched 10 miles surrounded the enemy and attacking at daybreak. After a sharp engagement had bagged the whole of the enemy, killing 60 mostly Turks. The Ghurkas loss was 1 killed and 1 wounded. Several wounded Arabs were also landed. The prisoners will probably be sent on to Cairo after being interrogated, going in small batches. One Turkish officer of the rank of Bimbashi was also taken. He is quartered near us with an armed guard over him. The prisoners are a wretched uncared for looking lot and there hardly appeared to be a decent fighting man amongst the whole crowd of them. Probably the Ghurkas finished what there were. There were two companies of the 7th Ghurkas engaged.
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