TCD MS 3414 folio 61 recto
[November 1915]
if the enemy were occupying Junaisa <on the right bank> in any force, onto which place the 17th Bde were advancing. I found however that Junaisa was occupied only by a patrol of cavalry, and that the Turks were retiring from Zuer with a very strong but scattered rearguard of cavalry. I intended to drop my message onto the Division which was advancing in 3 columns, GHQ being with the left one. Murray descended to about 300 feet when the cover of the jet broke & we were forced to land on appalling ground intersected by banks, ditches, bushes, & hillocks. He could not switch off for some reason, and we bounded & crashed along eventually coming to a standstill some 300 yds from where we first touched, the experience was most disconcerting, as we expected to turn over every moment. We burst one of our tyres. I delivered my information to Gen Townshend, who at that time was accompanied (& worried!) by Sir John Nixon. The Division marched on. Some snipers from the right bank opened a very hot fire on the machine, and inadvertently the Army Staff had to move on. Murray & I had a most damnable time repairing the machine under this fire,