Remarks: am. 8^th. W.W.C., H.B., Tara.

5 p.m. Gen. adv. Ruahine attacks.

Remarks: 3 pm. to Gully at Y. beach. W.W.C., H.B., T., Rua.

8.30 pm. moved to Reserve Trenches White Hub. Move complete midnight. Ruahine. down Gully. Then to Reserve trenches Y. beach. Then to White Hub  at 11.30.

Here orders were received for the Battalion to proceed to the foot of Walkers Ridge. This move had to be carried out in single file owing to the narrow route along the beach. Order of march W.W.C.,  H.B., Tara., Rua.

Head of column reached foot of ridge at noon where CO reported to O.C. N.Z.Inf.Brig. and received instructions to send one coy. to the Ridge to reinforce Australians.

W.W.C. Coy ordered to proceed up Ridge (Packs dumped half way up). W.W.C. sent forward at 12.15 p.m. Orders received verbally from O.C. Brigade to send another coy. H.B. sent. This coy when they reached top of Hill, 3 platoons went to the left and one straight forward & reinforced Australian troops and started to dig in when they were ordered to further advance by an Australian Officer. This they did for about 200 yards and finding it untenable they retired to their former position & completed entrenchments.

W.W.C. proceeded up the Ridge and as they reached the top they were taken over in Lots[?] by Australian Officers to reinforce the firing line. There were so many men along the top of the Ridge that in some cases the line was too packed and free use could not be made of the rifle owing to a dense scrub and nothing could be seen of the enemy at times. There was a backward movement on the left but it quickly recovered and the whole line moved forward with fixed bayonets & went to a deep gully & had to retire back 200 yards as the enemy were in force on a ridge 200 yards away. At dusk trenches were constructed & the enemy held in check. Ruahine assisted in arresting a backward movement of the Australians which was fast assuming the appearance of a disorderly retreat. Two platoons moved from the top of the Ridge in the advance to the gully 200 yards & had to retire owing to the Turks being in force. During the advance Lieut Hugo was killed. The Coy then dug in for the night. At midnight the enemy attacked proceeded [sic] by bomb throwers but the attack was repulsed. Machine Guns were taken a little too far forward & Lieut Wilson was killed. This officer acting under his senior officers orders, brought his guns too far forward & was in no way to blame. The senior officer was an Australian. One gun was put out of action and had to be abandoned but was recovered in front of our trenches two nights afterwards by the detachment.  Machine Guns should never be taken up to an exposed position.

The remainder of the guns were dug in for the night.

The machine gun officer did heroic work with his detachment and after he had been killed and two sergeants wounded the guns were kept in action under command of the Corp. which speaks volumes for the discipline of the section. Bn Hqrs. minus O.C. Battn & machine guns remained at foot of ridge. The men at this time started off with 200 rounds ammunition & one days unconsumed [?] ration the other days ration with full valizes were left at the foot of the ridge. The advance was carried and without artillery fire. In the operation the men proceeded by a goat track up the Ridge in single file. All ranks were fairly well dug in at dusk in the following order from right. W.W.C., H.B., Tara. & Rua. Machine guns distributed.

Remarks on facing page: casualties off. Killed 2. Lt Hugo, Lt Wilson.

Wounded 5. Major Hart, Lieut Furby, Turnbull, Bryan, Jardine.

Ors [Other Ranks]. Killed 15.

Wounded 100.

Bn. Hqrs. minus machine guns Taranaki & Ruahine Corp. disembarked and landed on the beach a[t] Gaba Tepe the disembarkation was completed at 6 p.m. from transport to T.B. [Torpedo Boat] Destroyer & lighter & from those in life boats to the shore. Enemy shelling beach heavily while landing in progress. (cas. 1 off[icer]adj.[utant] & 4 men slightly wounded) night 25/26 spent in a gully.

At 7 pm 9 & 10 platoons Taranaki Coy under Major Brunt moved to right flank and took up a position with Australian troops 16 Aust. Btn under Col Pope and had to dig in with entrenching tools & remained there the night of 26^th. They were subjected to enfilading fire & shelling. These platoons arrived in position at midnight (on 25th/26th) and were relieved at 2.30 am. [on] the 27^th  by Otago Btn and returned to the beach & rested for a day and were then occupied in road making at the bottom of Walkers Ridge until 28^th. During the action Nos 9 & 10 platoons the following casualties occurred. Killed 7. Wounded 26. All ranks worked with determination and coolness.

Special mention. No 10/273 Pt H E Hayden went out under heavy fire & removed boxes of ammunition that had become ignited by enemy fire & covered them up with earth. In this action he was killed. 

No 10/747 L Corp. Looney  left his position under heavy fire to attend and bandage a comrade. He was killed while doing so.

No 10/1116 C.S.M. A J. M. Bonar  showed great bravery all through by going out & bringing wounded to a place of safety. He undoubtedly saved the lives of a lot of men.

One & a half companys entrenched themselves on McLagans Ridge on the night of the 25^th  returned to Howitzer Gully at 9 am 27^th. Bn Hqrs remained in Gully N.E. of Corps Hqrs for the day. Remainder of Taranaki Coy. returned to beach during the night.

Remarks on facing page: At 2 am on 26^th 11 & 12 platoons landed under Capt Cox & proceeded to relieve some troops in trenches on ridge covering landing. These were in turn relieved next morning & rejoined the Battalion. Took part in Walkers Ridge.

Casualties. 6 killed 10 wounded

Helles   1[?] killed 38 wounded 2 missing

Tuesday January 26^th 1915. At Kubri, 8p.m. We paraded at 6.45 a.m. 240 all ranks including attached, and proceeded to Palais de Kubbeh station about 1½ miles. We entrained at 8 a.m. and train was dispatched at 10.30 for Kubri.  Kubri is a small siding on the railway 5 miles from Suez on West Bank of Canal. We arrived at Kubri at 5 p.m. after an uneventful journey. Of our own strength 22 were left in camp including storeman and base officer and S.M. Woodhead under arrest. 217 effectives of all ranks of our own strength being present. We are bivouacing tonight on the West side of the Suez Railway, the Otago Regiment being on the East. We have heard that the enemy are not very far away, some 10-15 miles. That our Regiment is for the trenches in the morning. The men are eagerly looking forward to action and have settled quite quietly into their bivouac. Hawkes Bay Coy & ourselves arrived 6p.m. Taranaki and Ruahine by a separate train at 8 p.m. The men are all carrying 150 rounds ball ammunition. The sick in camp and Hospital were very disappointed at being left behind.

Left Cairo 9p.m. and landed Helmieh siding at 10p.m. Go.C present when train arrived.  Moved off for Camp about 10.30. No transport men carry kits taken from pile. Arrived camp 11p.m. Found Battalion area Bivouac. Kits safely sorted under friendly camp. Night cold. Men Cheerful. Rations plentiful. Showing wisdom of having issued two days supplies to the men. Ruahine had trouble owing to their rations being in bulk and being with the heavy baggage. No transport obtainable. We are camped on the edge of the desert.