Several land mines were found

TCD MS 3414 folio 23 recto

TCD MS 3414 folio 23 recto

[May-June 1915]

4 miles further upstream. That night we took up an outpost line the 119th coming up into line with us. Several land mines were found & fired & many large sea-mines were collected in the main stream; these however had not floated down but had stuck on the reeds on the river bank. The night passed quietly, I & my platoon made our way by canoes to a small dry mound surrounded by water, no one came near us except a huge wild pig, which one of the men shot at and missed. The following day June 1st we advanced again in our canoes at dawn to attack Bahrein, we had the greatest difficulty in making any progress, in fact our machine gun “Dreadnoughts” could practically make no progress at all. On nearing the position we discovered that the enemy had been completely shelled out of it & had fled: This pleased me greatly because had the enemy made any stand at all we would have lost heavily, stuck as we were in the marsh. The 22nd Punjabis had now joined our Brigade on the right bank,   <the 16th Brigade on ships were to land on Baheain itself.> We halted on Bahrein about 10 a.m., the heat was intense, & we soon set to work to erect the many bell tents that had been left there by the Turks in their flight. Our naval flotilla, pursued the Turkish craft up stream, & were