After very hot and waterless marches, the Division arrived at Illah on the Karkheh river on May 7th. The Turks were found to have retired, but it was necessary to punish the Beni Turuf tribe of Arabs. The river was found to be about 300 yards broad and the bridging material insufficient, so a flying bridge and canvas boats were improvised and, thanks greatly to the exertions of many swimmers of the 66th and 76th, all men, stores and animals were eventually landed on the far bank.
Khafajiyeh.
On May 13th a column, of which the Battalion formed part, marched by night to the cover of some hills facing the Karkheh river, on the far bank of which was the principal Beni Turuf village of Khafajiyeh. The morning of the 14th was spent waiting for the advance of the 12th Brigade up the left bank, which did not arrive owing to the bad ground it had to move over. At 2 p.m. the 76th and 2/7th Gurkha Rifles advanced towards the river bank, coming under fire from the village and its fort. The river was found to be 280 yards broad and very swift and, as there was no means of crossing it, a retirement was ordered at 6 p.m., which was closely followed up by the Arabs. Bivouac was formed about half a mile from the river. The Battalion had had 11 men wounded during the afternoon.
On the 15th the 2/7th Gurkha Rifles and the 76th again advanced to the river and, on volunteers being called for to swim the river, a party did so, led by Subadar-Major Ajab Khan, under heavy fire from the fort and opposite bank, supported by the covering fire of the Battalion.
This party succeeded in emptying the only serviceable boat to be found on the other bank, under the close fire of the fort, and swam it across. Major Perrin’s double-company then proceeded to ferry across in this boat, and the first party, under Subadar-Major Ajab Khan and Jemadar Mehdi Khan, stormed the gate of the fort and forced their way in, driving the enemy into the buildings or out of the fort, where they were shot by another party that had arrived, under the command of Subadar Indar Singh, and had meanwhile surrounded the fort. Eventually all the enemy were smoked out of the buildings and killed or captured. Two double-companies bivouacked in the fort and the rest of the 76th and the 2/7th Gurkha Rifles bivouacked on the right bank. For their gallantry on this occasion, six Indian Orders of Merit and twenty Indian Distinguished Service Medals were awarded to the Indian officers and men who took part.
One sepoy was killed, 1 Indian officer, and 11 sepoys wounded during the day.
The next morning the village was burnt, and two days later the Battalion started on the return march to Illah and Ahwaz, whence it proceeded by steamer to Basra.
Second Action of Kurna.
On the 28th May, the Machine Gun Section and fifty rifles embarked on a river steamer, under Captain Laing, and took part in the second action of Kurna, returning to Basra after the capture of Amarah, in charge of prisoners.