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Updated: June 29, 2025
The garrison of Suakin consisted of the 1st and half the 5th Egyptian Battalions; the 16th Egyptian reservists, who had just replaced the IXth Soudanese, and were as yet hardly formed into a military body; one squadron of cavalry, one company of Camel Corps, and some detachments of artillery. The garrison of Tokar consisted of the Xth Soudanese and a few gunners.
On the first rumour of his advance the orders of the Xth Soudanese to move via Kossier and Kena to the Nile were cancelled, and they remained in garrison at Tokar. At home the War Office, touched in a tender spot, quivered apprehensively, and began forthwith to make plans to strengthen the Suakin garrison with powerful forces. The state of affairs in the Eastern Soudan has always been turbulent.
The mystery of the adventure made it all the more exciting. It was to be "a new landing by the Xth Division" that was all we knew. Some of us had slept, and some had lain awake all night. Rapidly the pink sunrise swept behind the rugged mountains to the left, and was reflected in wobbling ripples in the bay. We joined the host of battleships, monitors, and troopships standing out, and "stood by."
Now, men, aim low, and don't waste any shots." He and Sinclair climbed over the tender and spoke to the engine-driver. "How are the air-brakes working?" asked Sinclair. "First-rate." "Then, if you slow down now, you could stop the train in a third of her length, couldn't you?" "Easy, if you don't mind being shaken up a bit." "That is good. How is the country about the xth mile-post?"
To the Station Agent: "Reported Perry gang will try wreck and rob No. 17 near xth mile-post. Denver Division, about nine Thursday night Troops will await train at Fort . Car ordered ready for them. Keep everything secret, and act in accordance with orders of Mr. Sinclair." "It's worth about ten thousand dollars," sententiously remarked he, "that Sinclair's on that train.
We moved to Dublin after seven months of drill and medical lectures in barracks at Limerick. After about a fortnight in the Portobello Barracks we crossed to England and pitched our camp at Basingstoke. Here we had two or three months' divisional training. The whole of the Xth Division about 25,000 men used to turn out for long route-marches. We were out in all weathers.
On the other hand, Sir H. Kitchener required every soldier the Egyptian army could muster to carry out the operations on the Nile. It was therefore determined to send Indian troops to Suakin to garrison the town and forts, and thus release the Xth Soudanese and the Egyptian battalions for the Dongola Expedition.
As soon as the position of the Dervish Emir was definitely known, Colonel Lewis moved his force, which had been strengthened by detachments of the Xth Soudanese, from Karkoj to Rosaires. Here he remained for several days, with but little hope of obstructing the enemy's passage of the river.
"We've turned almost due north in the last quarter of an hour." "I know it, been down to the stokers' bunks it's Salonika another new landing." "They keep the Xth for making new landings." And so to the Graeco-Serbian frontier and a fresh series of adventures, including sickness, life in an Egyptian hospital and then England.
Sarras, deprived of its short-lived glory, became again the solitary fort on a crag. Wady Halfa was also deserted, and, except for the British battalion in garrison, could scarcely boast a soldier. Both the Egyptian battalions from Suakin had arrived on the Nile. The Xth Soudanese were on their way.
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