Through Palestine with the Twentieth Machine Gun Squadron Part 6

WE MOVE TO SARONA.

The month of May heralded another "move," and at 09.00 on the 4th, the Brigade concentrated at the north end of Belah lake and set off northwards.

Nights being spent, successively, three miles north-east of Gaza; two miles north-east of El Mejdel; one mile east of Wadi Sukereir (heavy downpour of rain on this day). On the 7th the trail led along the edge of the sand-dunes and through Yebna[11] to Wadi Hanen. Here a halt of two hours was made, to water and feed. The country was very picturesque, being thickly planted with orange-groves, whilst here and there a red-tiled building was to be seen. At 13.00 the march was continued through Rishon-le-Zion to the main Jaffa-Ramleh road which is a thoroughly good metal one. Along this a few miles, thence north to Sarona, two miles north-east of Jaffa.

Arriving at Sarona at 16.30, the Squadron encamped beside an orange-grove and adjoining the Aerodrome. It may here be mentioned that Sarona before the war was a German colony, and from its appearance, must have been a prosperous one. The main street is lined on both sides with detached and semi-detached houses, mostly with red tiles, prettily designed. Fir trees are abundant and help to make a pleasing picture. Outside the village there are many orange-groves and vineyards, each with its red-tiled house, which has, either inside or in a separate building, a well with an engine for pumping water into a stone cistern, from which it is allowed to run, as required, along concrete gullies, and thus distributed over the land, irrigating it.

In consequence of the camp proving insanitary the morning after arrival, the Squadron moved about half a mile nearer the coast into a vineyard! This was an exceedingly pretty spot, from which an excellent view of Jaffa could be obtained; a few trees provided us with the unaccustomed luxury of some shade. The Brigade was attached to the 21st Infantry Corps and was "Corps Reserve". A training-area was allotted, and every morning the Squadron went out for mounted training through the village across the narrow gauge "Heath Robinson" railway, and through the orange-groves out to the area beyond Point 275 and north of the Village of Selmeh.

FOOTNOTES:

[11] _Yebna = Jabneh of the Bible, see Josh xv, 11; II Chron. xxvi, 6.

There are ruins of a Crusaders' Church here._

INTERESTING TACTICAL INSTRUCTION.

Capt. St. J. Davies, M.C., often gave each section a special task, or ordered them to concentrate at some place he might select from the map.

Some of these little "stunts" were quite interesting, as often two sections would set off in almost opposite directions and yet they would arrive at the rendezvous at practically the same time!

On one of these occasions the horses were taken to the little River Auja[12] two miles north of the camp, and made to swim across, attached to an endless rope, being afterwards followed by the men.

On May 23rd the Brigade practised a "concentration" just north of the Auja and south-west of Sheik Muannis. Our Squadron did well! It arrived at the point three miles away, in full marching order within 40 minutes from the time the order was received. On May 28th, the Brigade moved forward north of the Auja, in reserve for the attack by the 7th Indian Division, but this movement was merely intended to capture a few enemy posts in order to narrow "no man's land," and thus bring ourselves into closer touch with the enemy. The Brigade remained "standing-by" at half an hour's notice until the evening of the 30th, when it returned to camp.

A Brigade scheme took place on June 7th, "No. 1" Section operated with the Poona Horse and one Squadron of "S.R.Y."; Nos. 2 and 3 Sections with the Deccan Horse and "S.R.Y." (less one squadron). On the 13th, another scheme was practised, "_Defence of the Dahr Selmeh Ridge_". A regimental scheme with the Poona Horse was also practised, besides several Squadron manoeuvres.

Sometimes the Squadron would go out before breakfast for the whole day, the usual routine of camp being carried on wherever they halted; returning "home" in the afternoon. One of these excursions brought the Squadron to the Jewish village of Mulebbis, where oranges could be bought by the cart-load. Two limbers were, therefore, taken back to camp fully loaded up; this was a discovery much appreciated by all, and two days later a fresh supply was sent for. Another local product bought at Jaffa and distilled at Rishon-le-Zion, was red wine. It was very good too! Bought by the Squadron canteen in large barrels, it was sold at 2-1/2 pt. (6d.) a pint.

The Squadron canteen was doing a good trade at this time. The N.A.C.B. at Jaffa kept a good stock, and Lance-Corpl. Prior rode down every day and bought large quant.i.ties of all kinds of provisions, as well as barrels of beer.

Jaffa, where the well-known Jaffa oranges are grown, is rather more like a European town than others in the country, but still is not to be compared in any respect with a British town of the same size.[13] A very good Y.M.C.A. was established there, in which was a picture-house which provided welcome amus.e.m.e.nt in the evening. Daily bathing parades were inst.i.tuted; the camp being barely a mile from the sea. The usual procedure was to ride to the sh.o.r.e and "link" horses. The men would then bathe and ride back.

Quite half the horses were taken in the sea with the men, and they seemed to enjoy the sea just as much, after the first experience.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Reinforcements to the Squadron during May included Lieut. F.R. Wilgress (Lovats Scouts), who was posted to "A" Sub-section (and became Officer Commanding No. 1); Sergt. Lewis ("E" Sub-section), Lance-Corpls. Collett, Fuller and S.S. Fox.

FOOTNOTES:

[12] _River Auja, the Mejarkon of Joshua xix, 46, one of the boundaries of the tribe of Dan._

[13] _Jaffa, stated to be the scene of the Legend of Perseus and Andromeda, is the Joppa and j.a.pho of Scripture, see Josh. xix, 46; II Chron. ii, 16; Ezra iii, 7; Jonah i, 3; Matt. xii, 40; Acts ix, 36, x, 9. A house said to be that of Simon the Tanner can be seen in the town.

In A.D. 1799 when Napoleon invaded Palestine, he marched 10,000 men across the desert from Egypt, took El Arish and Gaza easily, but met with great resistance at Jaffa. Finally, the town was taken, and then 4,000 prisoners were murdered in cold blood after life had been promised them._

INSECT LIFE IN PALESTINE.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

As has been said, the camp, when it was first taken over, was a particularly pleasant one, but, as the summer advanced, flies became so numerous as to affect the health of the Squadron; the trees and bushes which at first had been looked on as an advantage, now provided excellent breeding places for the pests. South of Beersheba there are places where the ground is so thick with beetles that it is difficult to walk without treading on them at every step; at other places lizards are just as numerous, and they are as active as mice. In most parts of Palestine centipedes abound; these, if knocked off the skin in any other but the direction in which they are moving, are liable to cause a very bad inflammation and perhaps blood poisoning. Scorpions and tarantula spiders (which are just as poisonous); snakes which are deadly; sandflies, which cause a bad fever for several days; mosquitoes, which can inject malignant malarial germs capable of causing death in a few hours--these are a few of the many tortures. But of all these pests _the common house fly_, if in sufficient numbers, is a greater source of annoyance than any, besides being a spreader of disease. There certainly must have been millions upon millions of these flies, even within (say) 20 square yards!

Every effort was made to keep the flies down and "straffers" (a piece of wire gauze about three inches square provided with a handle) were issued.

With these instruments, the flies were killed as fast as the "straffers"

could be brought down upon them. Medical officers inspected the camp and p.r.o.nounced the sanitation excellent; yet the flies continued to flouris.h.!.+

The result of this fly-pest is seen in the number of men that were admitted to hospital from our Squadron: weeks ending May 10th, three; 17th, six; 24th, eight; 31st, three; June 7th, six; 14th, eight; 21st, nine; 28th, sixteen (including two officers, Lieut. Millman and Lieut. King); total 59, _i.e._ more than a quarter of the whole strength _within eight weeks_, and all for sickness, believed to be caused by flies!

THE "R.A.F." AT SARONA.

As mentioned before, the Squadron camp overlooked the Aerodrome, and many fine exhibitions of flying were seen there. Boche planes paid us a visit occasionally, but that was only when none of ours were "up," and as soon as our men got moving he made off at top speed. Yet, the Boche brought off two _coups_ that were, no doubt, pleasing to him! It should be mentioned that the British had one, sometimes two, observation balloons in this sector, from which the enemy's line, and the country behind it, could be seen very distinctly indeed, thus enabling our artillery to make it very unpleasant for any of the enemy's troops, not entrenched; the Turk, on the other hand, had no such opportunities. Our balloons, therefore, became special objects of the Turk's attention, and on two occasions, when he flew over to attack them, he was successful in bringing down on the first occasion two, and the second time one--in flames! Fortunately, the observers were all able _to make their descent in parachutes_! The Turk escaped, but only just in time--our machines were quickly on his "heels," and in spite of all his attentions, the following day found another British balloon in position just as if nothing had happened!

[Ill.u.s.tration: At Sarona.

A view from our camp. R.A.F. Hangars can be seen in the distance.]

SQUADRON COMPEt.i.tIONS.

The Squadron, by this time, had made great progress in its training. It was, however, prevented from reaching that high state of efficiency which is always aimed at--owing to the constant change in its _personnel_, which was due to such numbers "going sick" to hospital.

A series of inter-sub-section compet.i.tions, however, was organised by the Officer Commanding, which were spread over a few weeks and proved very popular. The princ.i.p.al events were:--

"_Detachment Compet.i.tion in Marching Order_"; points being given for condition of animals and general turn-out--Won by No. 1 Detachment of "E" Sub-section, under Lance-Corpl. Smith.

"_Limber Compet.i.tion_"--Won by "D" Sub-section (Drivers Harris and Collier, who also won a previous compet.i.tion at Belah).

"_Action Compet.i.tion_," under Sub-section Sergeants; points given for--

I. _Control_--(A) Drill; (B) Led Horses; (C) Fire Orders, etc.

II. _Time_--taken from command "Action" to when led horses move back.

III. _Gun Handling, Concealment and Shooting_ (won by "D"

Sub-section, under Sergt. Pea.r.s.e).

"_Belt Filling by Limber Drivers_" (won by "C" Sub-section).

"_Stripping, Adjustment, Minor Repairs and Immediate Action_" (1st, Lance-Corpl. Salter; 2nd, Lance-Corpl. Galway).

INSPECTION BY THE "C.-IN-C.".

In consequence of the increased number of cavalry which had arrived in the country, the 7th Mounted Brigade now formed part of a Division, instead of being an independent Brigade, as heretofore. This Division, which was commanded by Major-Gen. H.J.M. MacAndrew, C.B., D.S.O., was at first styled the "2nd Mounted Division," but, later on, it was altered to the "_5th Cavalry Division_," comprising the 13th, 14th (the old 7th Mounted), and 15th (Imperial Service), Cavalry Brigades.

On June 27th, the Squadron paraded with the Brigade, in full marching order, for an inspection of the Division by the "C.-in-C.". They marched to the plain, north of Rishon-le-Zion, and were there duly inspected and "marched past," after which units returned to camp, independently. The "C.-in-C." expressed his high appreciation of the new Division. The next morning (June 28th 1918) a Divisional tactical scheme was carried out, and it was somewhat surprising to all ranks upon returning to camp, that orders were received _for the Brigade to move that night at 01.00_!

[Ill.u.s.tration]