Rugby School Biography

Albert's Rugby School biography states that he was badly wounded at Oghratina, near Katia, in an attack made by the Turks and Arabs, and was last noticed having his wounds dressed by the Regimental doctor. Neither was ever seen again, and he was assumed to have been killed there on Easter Day, April 23rd, 1916. Age 36.

The Worcester Yeomanry were transferred to Egypt in late 1915, and in early 1916 were repulsing the Turkish attacks towards the Suez Canal. The Worcester Yeomanry were able to capture the important oasis of Katia, 40 miles east of Port Said but with the enemy on high ground overlooking them. There was insufficient time to reinforce their position or acquire reinforcements before the Turks attacked on April 23rd 1916.

Tipton Remembers Website

Two squadrons of the Worcester Yeomanry held Katia and faced 2,000 Turks and 1,000 German and Austrian troops, mounted on camels and supported by artillery and machine guns. The Yeomanry suffered heavily from shell fire destroying their horses, forcing the men to make a fighting retreat on foot. The mounted Turks overlapped them on both flanks, shooting many down and taking prisoners. A counter attack by the Warwickshire Yeomanry and Gloucestershire Hussars pushed the enemy back and allowed the remnants of the Worcester Yeomanry to escape, and Katia was abandoned. The Worcester Yeomanry lost 88 men on the 23rd April at Katia of whom only 2 men have known graves. The remainder, including Horace Parsons, are commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial.

Worcester City Museum

On the 23rd of April, 1916, the Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars - only about 420 men strong - was on outpost duty guarding the Suez Canal, when they were attacked by an overwhelming force of 3,000 Turkish infantry. Despite the heavy odds, they dug in the best they could at Oghratina and Katia. They were hoping to hold off the Turkish attack for as long as possible, until help could arrive from the main garrisons along the edge of the Canal. Help never did arrive, and after hours of fighting in the hot sand under the burning sun, they were forced to surrender or face annihilation.

Sudeley Castle Archives - Letter from Robert Harvey Eaton

Hand-written letter by Robert Harvey Eaton (Bob) to his sister Clara Eaton following the Battle of Katia

I hardly know how to write to let you know the great trouble which has befallen our regiment, but I can honestly say I am one of the luckiest fellows in the world, to be alive to tell it.

On Saturday 22^nd we moved out our ‘A Squad’ to relieve a Squad of the Worcesters at a placed called Katia, they moving farther east. All went well until next morning, Easter Sunday, (we were sleeping fully dressed that night). At 4 o’clock the order came to stand to arms, we being posted crescent shape in extended order around our camp in the direction in which we expected the enemy.

The morning was very dark and foggy and at 4.30 am we saw something moving straight to our front and the order was given to fire. The enemy opened on us at the same time and at 5 o’clock it began to clear. We could then see a small body of the enemy retiring.

All went well then for a time and a troop at a time fell away, fed and watered horses and had breakfast. By this time it was 9 o’clock, my troop being last to water horses at a well about a mile away.

We had hardly got through this when the enemies’ guns opened on our camp. We galloped straight for camp, handed horses over, and took up a position in the firing line.

No sooner had we got into position then we saw the enemy in two lines of extended order advancing over the ridge about a mile away towards us, covering a frontage of about a mile. We immediately opened fire and this was kept up without a break, their big guns sending shrapnel and shells over the whole time til about 11 o’clock when they went quiet for a time.

The whole time they kept advancing and we were firing too. Between 12 -1 o’clock their guns opened fire again on us, they, having brought up their guns to within about 1,000 yards. By this time the enemy were no more than five or six hundred yards from us and what happened the next two hours is hard to relate.

On our right flank we could see a body of mounted men about 400 strong galloping straight towards us. These dismounted behind a ridge about 600 yards away and came up in extended order. No sooner had they got into position than about another such a number came charging down more to our right flank rear. These also dismounted under cover and came up in the same formation to about seven or eight hundred yards. In the meantime C Squad of the Worcesters and B Squad Gloucesters came up on our left flank. All this time our A Squad: about 100 had stood before the cruel fire from their two guns and the fire from about 2,000 Turquish rifles.

They still crept up from bush to bush and at about 3 o’clock they were within fifty yards of us we could see, with fixed bayonets. We stood it for about another 10 minutes or a quarter of an hour when we could see we were in a hopeless position when the order came ‘every man for himself’.

I saw all our officers and the majority of the men throw up their arms and surrender and the Turks came on them with fixed bayonets.

What happened to me then was a miracle. I started to run back and grabbed a horse which was tied to a post about 50 yards from me and started to gallop away. I had not gone more than 30 yards when they shot the horse dead under me causing me to turn about 3 somersaults. I gathered myself together again and saw another loose horse close by, caught him and made off again.

Before I could get to the Worcester led horses under cover they had shot this one in four places, neck, knee, shoulder and hind quarters. I got to the horses alright and got another horse off them leaving the other to die. I then made off again for Romani 6 miles distance from where our headquarters were and reported what had happened. The order was then given to quit that place in a quarter of an hour, loading everything up of any value on camels and made off towards Kantara. All this time our B and D Squad: were fighting a rear guard action, C Squad Worcesters having surrendered with our A Squad: and the other two squads of the Worcesters were captured also as we have heard nothing of them since.

Two more of the survivors and I kept quietly on and we arrived at Kantara at midnight having covered about 40 miles that evening and I can tell you horses and ourselves were done up.

Up til now there are only 8 of A Squad men out of nearly 100 got out here so you can see things are pretty bad, I myself being one of the surviving eight.

Trusting you are all well

Believe me to be your loving brother

Bob