About 4 p.m. on the 7th the Battalion, with the London Scottish on its left, moved forward from a ridge on the eastern side of the valley of the Wadi, “B” Company under Captain Lewis leading. While moving across the open we were heavily shelled. After crossing the Wadi, however, the advance was pressed, and after considerable opposition and stubborn fighting the enemy was driven back and we established an outpost line on the high ground west of the Wadi. During this advance “B” Company, as advance guard, had engaged a considerable force of Turks, but led by the personal dash of their Company Commander, they pushed forward and inflicted severe losses on the enemy. The Battalion soon followed up and passed over a large Turkish camp where “B” Company had captured an anti-aircraft gun, and the night was spent in digging in. Patrols pushed forward, but no sign of the Turk was found. Taking up this line ended the second phase of our operations in Palestine. Beersheba and Sheria had fallen under the pressure of the 60th Division. The following summary from Divisional Headquarters on the attacks on Kauwukah and Sheria defences will no doubt be interesting.
“The total prisoners at the end of this stage amounted to 31 officers and 521 men. During the whole of the day the Division was engaged in severe local fighting, while at times the hostile shell fire, especially in the afternoon, was particularly troublesome, the Turkish command obviously realising the importance of denying us access to the water supply in the Wadi Sheria. It afterwards transpired from prisoners’ statements that picked troops had been hastily formed into composite units and entrusted with the defence of the position. The large number of enemy regiments represented among the prisoners lent colour to these assertions, the opposing commanders doubtless fully realising the vital importance of delaying our advance at this point in order subsequently to secure the exposed flank of the retreating Gaza garrison.”
On the following morning, the 8th of November, the situation had sufficiently cleared for an advance to be made upon Huj, a few miles north-east of Gaza, where it was thought there would be an efficient water supply. Transport and water camels had joined the Battalion, and we were complete to move off about 7 a.m. Cavalry patrols were sent forward to gain touch with the enemy, who was retiring with all speed. The ground was undulating grassland with an occasional outcrop of sandy desert, and movement was fairly easy. The 179th Brigade formed the advance guard of the Division, having the 2/15th Civil Service and 2/14th London Scottish as its leading Battalions and covering a wide front. Instructions were issued to advance towards the high ground near Khirbit Muntaret, which was known to be occupied by the enemy. For several hours under glorious weather conditions the Brigade pushed forward across the undulating country and found no signs of the enemy except his numerous dumps which he had left hurriedly behind him. About 10 a.m. cavalry patrols brought in information to the effect that the enemy was strongly entrenched on the high ground on the north of the village of Muntaret, and the Battalion was deployed for attack. There was a considerable force of Turks near Muntaret and they were well supported by artillery. The Battalion, having “C” Company under Captain Wills for their advanced guard, opened out into irregular artillery formation or, in other words, “blobs” of Platoons at 150 yards interval. The approach to Muntaret was over an open stretch of country, and while going over the ground the Battalion came under very heavy artillery fire, and suffered considerable casualties. “C” Company soon opened out into extended order and advanced to the bottom of Muntaret Hill which was steep and, except for a small ravine a few feet deep, offered little cover. In spite of the machine-gun and rifle fire from the trenches, “C” Company crept up the hill for the final assault, and within a few hundred yards of the enemy the men took off their packs and prepared for their final charge. Led by Captain Wills, they captured the position (thus forestalling the cavalry, whose objective it had been), while the London Scottish on their left made a flank attack on the position at the same time. The rest of the Battalion soon followed on to the ridge, having also dumped their packs at the foot of the hill. However, the Turkish artillery continued to heavily bombard the captured position, and it was necessary to dig in and consolidate. Further advance was impossible across the plain west of Muntaret, and any attempt to cross the plain would mean considerable casualties from shell fire. The G.-O.-C. Division, Major-General Shea, came up and ordered the Worcester and Warwick Yeomanry to charge the Turkish batteries which were holding up our advance. None of us had had the fortune to see the Balaclava Charge in the Crimean War, but it was our privilege to see a similar type of gallantry, and I insert here an account from a newspaper cutting of the charge.
“On November the 8th the Londoners while occupying a ridge less than two miles from the enemy lines, came under extremely heavy gun fire. Meanwhile the Yeomanry had come up. The Londoners’ commander, who had seen the whole enemy’s position and their guns, ordered the Yeomanry to charge them. There were 10 troops of Worcester and Warwick Yeomanry, commanded by a Colonel, Master of Hounds.
“He and his men swept over the ridge in successive lines about 2,000 yards from the enemy, raced down the slope across the flat, partly obscured by a mound in front. Over this rise the yeomen spurred their chargers, took the final rise at a terrific pace, the ranks somewhat thinned by gun, machine-gun and rifle fire, which the enemy switched off the Londoners soon after trails of dust told of advancing cavalry.
“The cavalry’s target was not so much the infantry as the guns. Giving full-throated cheers they went straight for the field and heavy pieces. There were 12 guns in action against these valiant boys from the Shires—nine German-made field guns and three 5·9 howitzers. The field guns banged as fast as the Austrian and German gun crews could load them, but every enemy artillery man was sabred by his piece. The Londoners heard the fire of all the guns stop dead almost at the same moment.”
After witnessing this magnificent feat of arms and benefiting by the resulting “cease fire” from the Turkish guns, a hasty meal was taken and a short halt was made. Later on in the afternoon under the protection of the London Scottish as advanced guard, the Brigade pushed forward in the direction of Huj. The 2/14th breasted the high ground at Tor Dimrah, near Huj, about 4.50 p.m. in the evening of the 8th of November, and were soon followed by the rest of the Brigade. It will thus be seen that between 3 a.m. on the 6th of November and 4.50 p.m. on the 8th, the Division marched 23½ miles, in the course of which advance the Kauwukah and Rushdi systems of defensive works were captured, the bridgehead at Sheria stormed, a determined counter attack repulsed, and the Turkish rearguard driven from Muntaret to beyond Huj, entailing attacks upon three defensive positions on the way.
The total captures by the Division in the whole operations amounted to 12 guns, 26 machine-guns, 51 officers and 907 other ranks.
The following newspaper extract, I think, might be included here without any shadow of a boast, and summarises our doings from the commencement of the Palestine campaign.
“The achievements of the London Territorials, who had the hardest part to do in the thrust from our right flank, will rank in the deeds of the war. A distinguished officer of my acquaintance, who has seen nearly three years of war in France and watched every movement of the London County Territorials here, told me that he could not speak of these warriors without a lump rising in his throat. This is his considered judgment:—
“‘These Cockneys are the best men in the world. Their spirits are simply wonderful. I don’t think any division ever went into a big show with higher morale. After three years of war it was refreshing to hear the men’s earnestly expressed desire to get into action again. These grand fellows went forward with the full bloom upon them. There never was any hesitation. Their discipline was absolutely perfect, and their physique, and courage alike magnificent. Their valour was beyond words. The Cockney makes the perfect soldier.’”
In eight days the men marched 66 miles and fought a number of hot actions. The march may not seem long, but Palestine is not Salisbury Plain.
On reaching Tor Dimrah near Huj on the evening of the 8th of November, the Battalion was bivouacked on the grassy slopes and waited for water and rations to be brought up from Sheria. During the evening a large British bombing squadron of some 30 planes flew over our heads and no doubt dropped their missiles with great effect on the columns of retreating Turks fleeing northwards.