The 28th: A Record of War Service in the Australian Imperial Force, 1915-19, Vol. I: Egypt, Gallipoli, Lemnos Island, Sinai PeninsulaCollett, Herbert Brayley
History
The 28th: A Record of War Service in the Australian Imperial Force, 1915-19, Vol. I: Egypt, Gallipoli, Lemnos Island, Sinai Peninsula
Collett, Herbert Brayley
Australia. Australian Army. Battalion, 28th; World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Australia
On the 5th July the Battalion was drawn up to receive Sir John Maxwell.
Sir John arrived with a considerable staff, including young Prince
Leopold of Battenberg. The General closely inspected the unit, both he
and his staff commenting most favourably on what they described as a
"magnificent regiment." Sir John afterwards made a short address,
referring to the work of the first four brigades and the hopes for the
future. Doubtless having in mind the recent disturbances in Cairo, he
also pointed out that Egypt was now a British Protectorate and that the
Egyptians were, equally with the Australians, British subjects. He
expressed a wish, therefore, that there would be no "knockin' 'em
about."
At the date of the 28th's arrival in Egypt, one or two battalions of the
5th Brigade, and the whole of the 6th Brigade, were already in Aerodrome
Camp, just without and on the north-east side of Heliopolis. The 4th
Light Horse Brigade, minus the 13th Regiment, was also camped near by.
The complement from the "Ascanius" was the nucleus of the 7th Brigade.
The 27th Battalion, after landing, went first to Aerodrome Camp, but
moved to Abbasia within a fortnight. The 25th Battalion, the second half
of the 26th Battalion, and the remainder of the 5th Brigade troops did
not arrive until about a month later. About the same time, Sergt.
Faulkner and his drivers reported to their unit (8th August). They had
been detained at Blackboy Hill a month after the departure of the
"Ascanius," finally embarking on the "Boonah" on the 12th July.
Observing instructions received, their horses had been left behind in
Western Australia and fresh teams had now to be drawn from the local
Remount Depot, in which there existed a surplus.
From the foregoing it will be seen that August had arrived before the
7th Brigade and its staff was actually mobilised and complete.[F] In
the meantime the 4th Light Horse Brigade had, for the most part, been
broken up in order to provide reinforcements for the three horseless
brigades then fighting on Gallipoli. The 13th Light Horse moved to its
own camp but retained its entity, and as such afterwards served through
the war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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