On 26 November 1917 my great grand uncle, Philip Champion de Crespigny (1879–1918), enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force.  He was aged 38 years 5 months, a journalist, married with four children. His brother, my great grandfather Constantine Trent, and the two half-brothers, Frank and Vivian, who were eligible were already serving.

Philip was assigned to the 5th Light Horseand embarked on 2 March 1918 from Sydney on the “Ormonde” with the 30/5th Light Horse. On 6 April he disembarked in Egypt and marched in to camp at Moascar near Ismailia on the west bank of the Suez Canal.

He wrote to his brother Con from Moscoar:

June 3rd, 1918 Egypt
Dear Con,
I was delighted to get your interesting letter a few days ago, the first time I have heard from you for quite a long while. It must be simply Heaven for you to again be living with your own after three years of this stunt. Physically I get through this excellently but serving in the ranks presents hardships pecularly its own. The total secession of social life and often of congenial companionship produces depressing affects against which one has to battle. I dont know if this letter will catch you in Australia, letters from Melbourne tell me you are thinking of returning here or to France in July, but no doubt Trixie will send this on. Since my arrival here 9 weeks ago I have been stationed at Moascar Camp close to Ismailia which you must know well. Number 2 Australian hospital is in this camp, Number 26 stationary in Ismailia. I am within a few days of completing a stereotyped course of training and hope very shortly to get into the firing line. Training camps provide the acme of bordum though mounted work is not quite so bad as infintry drill. I have not yet met a single individual whom I knew prior to my inlistment. It is all so far very dull and damned uninteresting. Of course Egypt would be a facinating country to explore, but beyond two days at Suez I have not yet been beyond Ismailia. I would give anything for movement and for events. I know far less about war news now than I did when I was cable editor of a Metropolitan Morning Paper. But I am developing a stoic like attitude of believing nothing I hear and being prepared to do whatever unexpected thing is required of me. Seriously I dont mind the physical hardships a scrap. Through some strange paradox men who appear to feel thin things most are those who have never known real comfort. William James defines the highest result of education as a successful cultivation of the capacity to act correctly under unusual circumstances. Experience here corroborates the wisdom of that great philosopher, and I think Australia's blunders in the conduct of this war I mean out here are to be traced to her lack of a class of people of general culture. I dont know if the cencor will give me any additional latitude when writing to an AIF Colonel but I suppose I have gone far enough towards being critical and there is certainly no news to tell you specially as you know this desolate country so much better than I do. My facilities for letter writing are likely to be strickly limited in the immediate future but I will write when I can and I hope you will let me hear from you regularly.
with love to Trixie and the children if this catches you in Australia.
Always your affectionate brother.
Philip Champion de Crespigny

After training, Philip was transferred on 6 July to the 1st Light Horse as a trooper. On 12th July he transferred to the 2nd Light Horse.

On 13 July 1918 he wrote to his children from Mussallabeh in the Jordan Valley near Jericho, where Australian Light Horse units were defending the heights at Mussallabeh and Abu Tellul on the edge of the Judean Hills.

For God, For King & For Country
00000000000000
Y.M.C.A.
Mediterranean Expeditionary
Force
13th. July 1918.
My dear Children:-
I am addressing this to Frances because she is the eldest, but I am writing it to all of you because one letter may be made interesting when four would not contain a connected story - I am going to tell you what getting into the firing line is like After we left Camp we travelled 27.miles in carriages, then we changed trains and got into trucks after marching 2.miles We passed an Internment camp full of Turkish prisoners they were surrounded with double barb wire fences about 10. feet high - but they had tents and blankets and I believe are mighty well treated  - We passed about 40.on the road they were going in and were as villainous looking fellows as ever cut  a throat. There were 32. of us in our truck and 40.trucks on the train We lay on the floor and when the train stopped it jolted and rolled us all over twice; but when it started it jolted and rolled us over again, so we all got back to where we were, without any trouble - We travelled all night and in the morning were in the Promised Land of the Bible -you will remember how Moses led the Children of Israel for 40.years over the Desert and at last before he died the Lord led him to the top of a high hill and showed him the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey which he was not to reach, but which the Children of Israel settled in after three centuries of bondage under the Pharoahs, the Kings of Egypt - We saw ten miles of orange trees, olives, grape vines and other orchards - Then we passed among huge tree-less mountains, where, in ages [line missing… ]
stones in terraces or steps so that the soil would not wash off the steep hill sides We saw great herds of black goats feeding - At last we came to old Jerusalem - we saw the hill where Jesus Christ died and the Mount of Olives - We went to a Camp for the night and in the cool of evening I walked to the top of a hill from which, as the sun was setting I could see all over the temples and tombs of Jerusalem (the Holy City it is sometimes called) and Bethlehem, where Christ was born, about six miles away and I walked on the road that Christ used and saw many old monastries and other ruins It was all very strange and very beautiful - Next day, at daylight, we left by motor car for Jericho where the road runs down mountains and we passed the spot where the good Samaritan of the Bible found the traveller who had been robbed and beaten by the robbers - We saw the cave that the robbers lived in and all the way the place was a hive of Military activity - horses - motors - camels - mules - big guns - camps and work - We pulled up near the Dead Sea where the water is 1292.feet below the level of the Sea We were in the lowest place in the world not covered by water - We rested three hours and then saddle horses came for us - Then we passed beneath Mount Temptation where the Devil tempted Christ and offered him all the wonderful things you can see from the top of that mighty peak Christ turned from Satan and said "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" - After about an hour we reached the base of our Regiment and rested there till evening - When it grew dusk we took fresh horses and rode out here to the front line - We had to come at dark so the Turks would not see us to fire on us We rode along the valley of the Jordan, a flat about 10. or 15 miles across and then we turned into the ranges - It was a weird ride - We passed many other armed parties -some going out on night patrol work-some going to take up positions in the mountains all riding silently with pipes out and a lot of us met at a watering place over-running a creek and I met several men from Queensland whom I knew. When we turned into the hills we passed through trenches and barb wire entanglements and then rode along a deep twisting gully where we reached regimental Headquarters in a place you would never find if you searched for a month - I was detailed to my squadron and found a place among the rocks where I slept very soundly till the heat of the risen sun awakened me to another day - By night it all looked so wild and strange that I did not know whether I had become an Italian brigand or a desperado of the Rocky Mountains - In the morning I found myseld up in a little fortress where I don't think the shells can touch me a piece like this    is cut out of the side of the mountain and I have made walls out of boulders like this    with a couple of long pieces of iton meant for barb wire entanglements - I have made a rafters and for a roof I have a very large blanket - Here I sit and sleep and smoke and read and write all day and this morning the shells have been coming over pretty lively and I have been amusing myself watching them burst on the opposite side of the gully, but they are not likely to hit me because the hill protects me - Some of them are not 100 yards away and all day we rest, but at night we go out to the trenches and sometimes to listening posts beyond the trenches and beyond the barb wire - Turkish raiding parties come out to us but we always belt them back - The last time they left behind them, shot through the head a German Sergeant - After we have put in a week or so at this, horses will come for us and we will go out for a rest - Personally I don't want a rest - This is quite good fun I am writing in my little half dug-out half-fortress and I can't sit up quite straight inside while I have to enter or leave on my hands and knees, but I can lie out full length and the crevices in the rocks make handy shelves for my tobacco, matches, book, water bottle, pickles,canned fruit, jam to I am very comfortable inside and have it all to myself I am not expected to entertain and no one calls for the Rent - Everyone here is very nice and considerate to the newcomer and we don't have to wear uniforms, but any old thing which is cool This is the hottest place I have ever been in my life, sometimes 130.in the shade -If you would each like to have a copy of this letter, I am sure if you ask him, your Grandfather will get one of his clerks to type it for you with thin paper and carbons 6. or 8.copies can be typed at once.
The last mail is not yet all delivered, but it has so far brought me two letters from Mummy, one from Jack, 2.each from Frances, Lorna and Philip and 3.from your Grand father - all dated during the first half of May and I will write to the others when the balance of the mail come in.
Always dear Children
Your loving Daddy

On 14 July, the day after he wrote the letter and poem to his children, Philip was killed in action in the Battle of Abu Tellul at Mussallabeh near Jericho.

2nd Light Horse Regiment, Jerusalem, 28.11.18.

To Col. de Crespigny.

Dear Sir,

Your letter of 23rd Oct October to hand. I regret not having advised you re your Brother's death.

He joined the Regiment on July 12th 1918 from our details' camp Moascau and was attached to "A" Squadron, who at that time were holding the point of a very nasty salient at Musallabeh (12 miles north of Jericho), where an attack had been threatening for several days. On the 14th July your brother was with a troop who had to hold a forward bombing post (one officer and ten other ranks). The Germans, under cover of darkness and a heavy barrage, advanced up close to our forward line & before we could withdraw the 'post' had it surrounded. The attacking force was a specially selected Brigade of Germans who had orders to capture Jericho. They outnumbered us by 20 to 1, and very soon all our forward posts were surrounded, but never gave in. All fought like true Australians from 3 a.m. to 10 a.m., and inflicted very severe casualties on the enemy. Reinforcements arrived at 9 a.m. when the counter attack was launched. Very soon the white flag was shewing, and within an hour all our posts were recaptured and all our men who were temporarily 'prisoners."

This attack was of especial note as it was the first time the Germans had been used against us as a body. Their attempt to capture the regiment was disastrous, ending in them leaving 500 unwounded, 90 wounded, and 200 dead, besides all the machine and automatic guns. Our casualties were under 100.

Your brother fought till the last, and gained the admiration of his officer and comrades. His body was brought back to a small Military Cemetery at Alui Tellul, near Jericho and buried by Chaplain Clarke. A small cross marks his resting place, awaiting the Graves Registration Committee, who are erecting suitable headstones to all our fallen heroes. They have an elaborate scheme out for this work, and if you write to the Imperial, War Graves Commission, Alexandria, they would forward you their printed pamphlet re their scheme.

I am sorry to say all 'snaps' taken were failures, owing to great heat down in the Jordan Valley.

Yours sincerely.
(Sgd.) G. Birkbeck, Major.
Commanding Officer 2nd Light Horse Regt.

Philip was initially buried at Mussalabah on 16 July 1918.

Philip was reinterred at Jerusalem War Cemetery. His headstone is inscribed: “HAVE MERCY UPON HIM LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON HIM”

Related posts and further reading

• Philip Champion de Crespigny (1879 – 1918)

• Wikipedia articles
  • British occupation of the Jordan Valley
  • Battle of Abu Tellul

Wikitree:

• Philip Champion de Crespigny (1879-1918)

• 29 men died the same day:

Name	Unit	age	Grave JERUSALEM WAR CEMETERY	Wikitree
ALBERT HELLMUTH DEBERG Corporal Service Number: 2994	2nd Australian Light Horse	23 years	H. 74.	–
ALEXANDER MARK DOWNIE Trooper Service Number: 846	11th Australian Light Horse	35 years	J. 12.	–
ALFRED JOHN SMITH Trooper Service Number: 584	11th Australian Light Horse	22 years	H. 36.	–
ARNOLD LEALAND SIVIOUR Trooper Service Number: 3547	3rd Australian Light Horse	22 years	H. 81.	Arnold Lealand Siviour (1897-1918)
BERT FAIRCLOTH Trooper Service Number: 601	2nd Australian Light Horse	26 years	H. 77.	–
BERTIE GEORGE RIXON Trooper Service Number: 2957	1st Australian Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron	24 years	J. 16.	Bertie George Rixon (1894-1918)
EDWARD TODD HARRISON Driver Service Number: 1203	4th Australian Light Horse	39 years	J. 13.	–
FREDERICK WALLACE GRAU Sergeant Service Number: 1091	2nd Australian Light Horse	22 years	H. 93.	–
GEORGE EDWARD SCHADEL Corporal Service Number: 1661	1st Australian Light Horse	29 years	J. 26.	–
GEORGE FREDERICK CORNICK Trooper Service Number: 3175	2nd Australian Light Horse	23 years	H. 79.	George Frederick Cornick (1894-1918)
HENRY HEATH Trooper Service Number: 1302	1st Australian Light Horse	25 years	J. 18.	–
JAMES ROBINSON GEDDES Sergeant Service Number: 155	2nd Australian Light Horse	35 years	H. 95.	–
JOHN COWIE Sergeant Service Number: 134	2nd Australian Light Horse	32 years	J. 29.	–
JOHN LUSCOMBE ELLERTON Sergeant Service Number: 109	1st Australian Light Horse	25 years	J. 27.	–
PHILIP CHAMPION De CRESPIGNY Trooper Service Number: 3479A	2nd Australian Light Horse	39 years	H. 60.	Philip Champion de Crespigny (1879-1918)
SYDNEY GEORGE MASTERS Corporal Service Number: 356	2nd Australian Light Horse	28 years	H. 80.	Sydney George Masters (1890-1918)
THOMAS FRANCIS LINDSAY Trooper Service Number: 2962	1st Australian Light Horse	27 years	H. 100.	Thomas Francis Lindsay (1890-1918)
THOMAS MOFFAT SCOTT Corporal Service Number: 983	1st Australian Light Horse	27 years	J. 17.	–
THOMAS WILLIAM HILDEBRAND Trooper Service Number: 2999	2nd Australian Light Horse	32 years	JERUSALEM MEMORIAL Panel 58.	–
TOM ALEXANDER OGG Lance Corporal Service Number: 3287	2nd Australian Light Horse	29 years	H. 85.	–
VICTOR CARLTON IRISH Trooper Service Number: 3240	2nd Australian Light Horse	36 years	H. 96.	–
WILFRID MAPON CHAILLE Sergeant Service Number: 530	5th Australian Light Horse	26 years	J. 28.	Wilfred Mapon Chaille (1891-1918)
WILLIAM ARCHIBALD CALDWELL Trooper Service Number: 19221	1st Australian Light Horse	23 years	H. 61.	–
William Charles Kelly (1887-1918)	3rd Australian Light Horse	29 years	H. 88.	William Charles Kelly (1887-1918)
WILLIAM CONEY Trooper Service Number: 2247	2nd Australian Light Horse	22 years	H. 70.	–
WILLIAM EDWARD HAROLD BUNKUM Trooper Service Number: 2868	2nd Australian Light Horse	24 years	H. 66.	William Edward Harold Bunkum (1894-1918)
WILLIAM EMMERT Driver Service Number: 1325	11th Australian Light Horse	28 years	J. 11.	Wilhelm Carl Emmert (1888-1918)
WILLIAM JAMES PEACH Trooper Service Number: 3491	2nd Australian Light Horse	19 years	JERUSALEM MEMORIAL Panel 59.	William James Peach (1899-1918)
WILLIAM KEITH KING Lieutenant	2nd Australian Light Horse	22 years	H. 92.	William Keith King (1896-1918)