utterly impotent; and what
aggravates the grievance is the fact that you cannot hit back--unless you
happen to belong to a battery of "Archies." When you are a mere
gravel-crusher or a driver in the artillery you have to grin and abide; and
the grin is apt to deteriorate into a grimace. You can become accustomed,
if not reconciled, to shell-fire; but I personally never heard the drone of
an enemy plane overhead without a prickly sensation down the spine and an
urgent desire for a large dug-out forty feet below ground; and there were
very few of these in Palestine. At one stage in the journey to the dump a
wounded Australian made a spirited, if inadequate attempt to bring down a
plane by rapid rifle-fire, aiming at each of the three in turn! But this
was the only effort at retaliation and is mentioned for that reason.

We had no "Archies"; and the only British aeroplane I saw on this part of
the front, at any rate, was brought down in flames as we were returning
from the dump. Good men gone in a hopelessly inferior machine. God forgive
us, we cheered, thinking it to be a Taube.

Shortly after our return to the battery the Turkish advance began to waver.
They had been sprayed by an incessant hail of shrapnel and high explosive
for over three hours, and even their fatalistic courage could not stand the
strain. The Light Horse were now holding their own, and soon a monotonous
voice from the O.P. chanting over the wire, told that the Turks were
retreating. Slowly the range increased--2400--2600--2800--until the enemy
had passed out of reach of the guns; then for the first time since early
morning we ceased fire.

But elsewhere on the front the situation was almost _in statu quo_. Though
the Welshmen had, as stated, carried Samson's Ridge and had even advanced
some miles along the coast, Ali Muntar still remained untaken. All day the
Lowland Division had made the most desperate attempts to storm the
position, going forward again and again with sublime disregard of their
losses. But to no purpose. They were hemmed in by an inferno of fire which
came from all directions: an attacking wave was swept away almost before it
began its forward move.

It was horrible, useless slaughter. When it was found that no headway could
be made in the centre the Lowlanders were ordered to cease their heroic
attempts, which they did most unwillingly. As the order to withdraw reached
a brigade which had been hammered unmercifully all day with l