Through Palestine with the Twentieth Machine Gun Squadron Part 10

With this end somewhat in view, Lieut. Kindell was ordered to fix up two machine-guns in a captured Boche motor-car, and, acting as left "flank guard" to the Brigade, was directed to go to Jenin by a road running parallel to, and on the left of, the one to be taken by the Brigade. When fitted up the car looked quite formidable. Lance-Corpls. Fox and Fuller and Ptes. Boak (with signal flags) and Franklin accompanied him. The driver of the Brigade car was lent for this special occasion.

After re-filling with German petrol in the morning, they started off upon their journey. They soon came up with all kinds of derelict enemy transport and Turkish stragglers coming in. At one point ahead, could be seen a crowd of people (which proved to be natives) around some deserted enemy motor lorries. A troop of "S.R.Y." (detached from the Brigade for the purpose), came galloping over, but, as already stated, they proved to be only villagers looking about for some "plunder," and they were soon sent about their business. Further on Lieut. Kindell's car was joined by two other cars of the "Light Car Patrol" each with a machine-gun, so that the party now consisted of three cars with four guns.

On arriving at Jenin they found the streets simply choked with abandoned Turkish transport. It was only by moving each wagon aside by hand that they were able to proceed through the town and meet the Brigade before it arrived there on the other side; the cars were then sent off again on a patrol. Unfortunately, upon returning through the town, the driver of our car, on turning a corner, ran into the pole of a wagon, and broke the radiator. Such was the end of the Squadron "armoured" car, much to the disappointment of the occupants, who were just beginning to enjoy their novel experience.

It should be stated that the town of Jenin, together with a very large number of prisoners, had been captured the previous night by the Australians. Here, too, was an aerodrome and several burnt enemy planes--more evidence of the splendid work of the R.A.F.

Our Brigade remained in the Jenin area until evening, when, having watered, we went back along the El Fule road towards Nazareth and about half way, bore off to the right, encamping upon the hills south-east of El Fule and south of the El Fule-Beisan Road. The next morning (22nd September), we moved down the hills northwards and camped just south of the Beisan Road, near water. The day was spent in a well-earned rest.

The transport arrived at the camp complete, and allowed of forage and rations being replenished. How it had been able to come through the enemy country by roads suitable for transport without being attacked, remained a mystery to those who do not know the circ.u.mstances! During the day thousands of Turkish and German prisoners were marched along the road from Beisan, usually in the charge of only a few mounted men.

FOOTNOTES:

[23] _Josh xix, 21, xxi, 29._

ON TO HAIFA AND ACRE!

The next day (September 23rd), everything having been cleared up in this district, the Division set out for Haifa and Acre on the coast. A glance at the map will show that these towns are about 12 miles distant from each other, both being about 23 miles from Nazareth--there being two separate roads. The northern road to Acre was taken by the 13th Brigade and the southern to Haifa by the 15th and 14th. As regards our Squadron the first part of the journey to Haifa was just in the nature of a "route march,"

although the pace ridden was fast at times. The 15th Brigade was the leading one and the 13th Brigade as stated above made straight to Acre from Nazareth. Pa.s.sing through El Fule the 15th and 14th followed the railway for some distance, then bearing off to the right they joined the main road from Nazareth to Haifa along the hills bordering the plain.

From Sheikh Abreik[24]--the highest point on the road--the sea could be seen in the distance, a beautiful blue, whilst a refres.h.i.+ng breeze met the face. A short distance further on, a halt was made. During this the sound of guns was heard in the distance from the direction of the sea. No opposition having been expected, all sorts of reports came down the column concerning the cause of the firing, such as--

(1) British destroyers in the bay have mistaken the 15th Brigade for the enemy!

(2) The enemy have got a naval gun with which they are sh.e.l.ling the head of the column!

But all rumours proved to be false. What _was_ really happening was the Turkish garrison at Haifa (about 1,000 strong) with field and machine-guns were defending the town against our advance--a hopeless affair, considering that they were entirely cut off, without any chance of obtaining supplies or reinforcements.

FOOTNOTES:

[24] _In the days of the Romans Sheikh Abreik was the headquarters of a Tribune._

CAPTURE OF HAIFA BY THE 15TH BRIGADE.

The Sherwood Rangers went to the a.s.sistance of the 15th Brigade which really had a very difficult task, as the plain before Haifa was, in many places, boggy and almost impa.s.sable; in addition there were many streams flowing across it. The main road to Haifa runs right along the foot of Mount Carmel[25] on the left of the plain, and bordering it. It was here that the enemy had established themselves, covering every part of the ground with their guns. With great dash, however, the 15th Brigade galloped the enemy positions, and within a short time had captured the town! Much to everybody's regret, the son of General Sir Pertab Singh was killed during this attack. His loss was much regretted by his comrades, and all who knew him.

While this action was taking place, we (the 14th Brigade) descended the hill from Sheikh Abreik, crossed a bridge, which was at a great height over the river Kishon[26], and, turning to the right off the road, dismounted and watered from it with buckets. It was here that, owing to over-keenness on the part of two horses in the Squadron, they broke away, and, trying to drink from the river, fell in! Fortunately both were rescued, but not without great difficulty. Meanwhile, sh.e.l.ling was going on; luckily the sh.e.l.ls all fell short of us, although having descended the hill, as mentioned, we had attracted the attention of the Turkish gunners. Later on in the day we moved into Haifa[27] along the road which had been the scene of the action. Pa.s.sing the results of the work of the 15th Brigade and of the "S.R.Y." which, to judge from the numbers of killed and wounded along the road (which were being dealt with by the Cavalry Field Ambulance), must have been of a very strenuous character, we at length encamped upon the sea-sh.o.r.e, under date palms, within a mile north of the town! The distance covered that day was 25 miles.

The 13th Brigade, meantime, had captured Acre[28] on the north, after only slight opposition, yet it had effected, within a few hours, the feat which Napoleon had entirely failed to accomplish after a siege of 60 days!

Incidentally, it may be mentioned, that heaps of his cannon-b.a.l.l.s were found at Haifa.

The next morning (24th), our men and horses bathed in the sea! A short distance out, underwater, it was found that barbed wire had been fixed.

This the Turks had evidently placed in position with the object of preventing a landing _from the sea_. These entanglements, however, in no way impeded the bathing as they could easily be seen in the clear water.

Our troops were also allowed to visit the town, which was found to be very interesting; there being many modern houses, it was, in several respects, superior to any town we had previously visited in the interior. It is not too much to say that many of the inhabitants were delighted to see the British. They even said that they had expected us the previous year!

FOOTNOTES:

[25] _Mount Carmel extends from the sea coast at Haifa, inland 15 miles, in a south-easterly direction, thus forming a separating ridge between the Plains of Sharon and Esdraelon. Its height is about 500 feet at the sea, and 1,800 feet at its inland extremity. The mountain has always been a.s.sociated with the name of the Prophet Elijah. It was here that he was said to have sought shelter when Ahab was seeking his life. A monastery stands over what is thought was the spot, and was used as a hospital for the wounded when Napoleon was besieging Acre.

After his withdrawal it was destroyed by the Turks and afterwards re-built through the energy of a monk who travelled and begged for 14 years to obtain funds for the present building. The Biblical references to the mountain are: Josh. xix, 26; Deut. xiv, 5; I Kings iv, 23, xviii, 13; Isa. x.x.xv, 2, lv, 12, x.x.xiii, 9; Amos i, 2; Song of Solomon vii, 5; Micah vii, 14._

[26] _See Judges iv, 13, and v, 21._

[27] _Haifa is notorious on account of its a.s.sociations with Mount Carmel. The Latin Carmelites reached Haifa in A.D. 1170 and St. Simon Stock, from Kent, was their general in A.D. 1245. They were ma.s.sacred by the Egyptians in 1291 but regained power in the middle of the Sixteenth Century._

[28] _There is only one reference to Acre in the Old Testament (Judges i, 31), and one in the New Testament (Acts xxi, 7), under the name of Ptolemais. It was taken by the Crusaders in A.D. 1102, and held till 1187, as a port of the Kings of Jerusalem. After a siege it was re-taken from Saladin in 1191, and held for a century. It was here that the Knights of St. John, after they had been driven from every other part of Palestine, prolonged for forty-three days their gallant resistance to the Sultan of Egypt and his immense host; 60,000 Christians were on that occasion slain or sold as slaves. Napoleon besieged Acre in 1799, but was prevented from taking it by the British under Sir William Sidney Smith. It was bombarded in 1840, by British and Turkish Fleets, when an explosion of a magazine destroyed the town._

CAPTURE OF DAMASCUS.[29]

After another day spent at Haifa, back again the Division went (leaving the "S.R.Y." as a garrison), along the same road by which they had come, as far as the top of the hill above the river. Here we branched off to the left through Beit Lahm (a German colony), and Seffurie to Kefr Kenna, four miles north-east of Nazareth on the Tiberias Road, said to be the "Cana of Galilee" where the water was turned into wine[30]. The latter part of the road was very narrow and rocky, being in parts merely a goat-track. Our animals had no water that day--it being quite un.o.btainable in spite of previous advices.

At 02.00 the next morning (September 26th) the Division started for Tiberias[31]. "No. 1" Section going with the advance guard, the remainder of the Squadron following the Deccan Horse. The 14th Brigade reached the sh.o.r.es of Lake Tiberias[32] (Sea of Galilee) just north of the town at 08.30 and halted until 12.00 to allow the Australian Mounted Division to pa.s.s through on their way towards Damascus. Here, horses were "off-saddled"

and watered twice during the halt, the water being quite fresh and clear.

Being upon the sh.o.r.e, which was gently shelving, they were able to walk in and drink to their hearts' content. A number of men also took the opportunity to bathe; it was fairly hot, being 680 feet below the level of the sea.

The River Jordan runs right through the lake, and it is interesting to know now that this point was 64 miles (as the crow flies), up the river from the site of the late Squadron camp when it was previously in the Jordan Valley.

It was reported to us that the 4th Division had had tough work in the streets of Tiberias in order to capture it. They had now gone round the southern sh.o.r.es of the lake and joined forces with the Sherifian Troops, who had been hara.s.sing the enemy's Fourth Army east of the Jordan and were now pursuing them northwards. Practically the whole of the Turkish Seventh and Eighth Armies, which previously held the line west of the Jordan, had now been accounted for.

At 12.00 we continued the advance along the sh.o.r.es of the lake through pleasant, cultivated country, to the north-west corner; then northward, for about six miles, and down an avenue of trees, past the pretty little Jewish village of Jataine.

The Australians, in front, were held up at Kusa Atra on the Jordan by artillery and machine-guns at the bridge, which the enemy had destroyed.

That night the 14th Brigade encamped within two miles of this bridge, having marched over 30 miles that day. Early the next morning (September 28th) the Australians crossed the river by the ford, and "scuppered" the party which had been holding them up, but, unfortunately, with the loss of a few of their number. The 14th Brigade accordingly moved down to the river at 09.00 and watered, and at 15.00 crossed by the bridge which had, by then, been repaired by the Royal Engineers ("No. 2" Section with advance guard fording), and continued north-easterly along what would have been a good road with the help of a steam roller (but at present was the reverse, owing to the large stones put down not being rolled in), to Kuneitra (14 miles by the map but actually hardly less than 20), arriving 23.00.

FOOTNOTES:

[29] _Damascus is a very ancient city, and existed even in the time of Abraham. The story that it was here that Cain killed Abel is alluded to by Shakespeare (I King Henry VI, I, 3). While other cities of the East, which were at one time of equal importance, now mostly exist as mounds in the desert, Damascus is still what it was--the capital of Syria.

The following are some of the numerous Biblical references to Damascus: Gen. xiv, 15; II Sam. viii, 5 ("David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men"); II Kings vi, vii, viii, xiii, xiv, xv, xvi; I Chron. xviii, 5 (accounts of battles between the Kings of Judah and Israel and the Kings of Damascus); Isa. xvii; Amos i, 3; Jer. xlix, 23 (prophetical).

St. Paul was converted on his way to Damascus (Acts ix) in which connection see also II Cor. xi, 32 and Acts ix.

In A.D. 1860 a frightful ma.s.sacre of Christians took place here. By nightfall on July 9th of that year the whole of the Christian Quarter was in flames, the water supply cut off and the inhabitants hemmed in by a circle of steel. As night advanced fresh marauders entered the city and joined the furious mob of fanatics, who now, tired of plunder, began to cry out for blood. All through that awful night and the whole of the following day, the pitiless ma.s.sacre went on. It is probable that not a Christian would have remained alive but for the untiring energy of Abd-el-Kader (himself a Mohammedan of great renown, but a just man) with his faithful Algerines, who, in 1847, mustering only 2,500 men had completely defeated the army of the Emperor of Morocco 60,000 strong.

Abd-el-Kader at once set to work rescuing the Christians. Hundreds were escorted to his house, fed, comforted and forwarded to the castle, where, finally, nearly 12,000 were collected. Many also reached the British Consulate. The Mohammedans, furious at being baulked of their prey, turned their attentions to Abd-el-Kader, who, however, charged into their midst and said: "Wretches! is this the way you honour the Prophet!... You think you may do as you please with the Christians, but the day of retribution will come. Not a Christian will I give up, they are my brothers. Stand back or I will give my men the order to fire".

Not a man among them dared to raise a voice against the renowned champion of Islam, and the crowd dispersed. British and French intervention prevented a general ma.s.sacre throughout Syria, and as a result of European pressure an enquiry was held on the Damascus outrage, with the result that the Military Governor of that city, three Turkish officers and 117 individuals were shot. In addition about 400 of the lower cla.s.s and 11 notables were condemned to imprisonment or exile and 200,000 was proposed to be levied on the city. This was all that could be obtained to the Christian community for a loss of 6,000 of their lives, 20,000 rendered homeless, and damage to their property of at least 2,000,000._

[30] _See John ii, 1; also iv, 46, i, 47 and xxi, 2._

[31] _Tiberias was built by the Romans in A.D. 20. It is only once mentioned in the Bible (John vi, 23). The modern town is much smaller than was the ancient one. In 1837, half the population perished by a great earthquake._

[32] _Lake Tiberias in the Old Testament was called the "Sea of Chinnereth," and the "Sea of Chinneroth" (Numb. x.x.xiv, 11; Deut. iii, 17; Josh. xii, 3, xix, 35).

In the New Testament, in addition to the names in the text above, it is called the "Lake of Gennesaret" from the plains of that name on its north-western sh.o.r.e.

In the vicinity of the lake our Lord spent the larger portion of his life, thus we find it continually mentioned throughout the four Gospels. Some of the references are: Matt. iv, 13, viii, 24, 28, xiii, 1, xiv, 25, xvii, 27; John vi, 1, xxi; Luke v, 1. At that time other towns stood upon its sh.o.r.es, including Capernaum and Bethsaida.