Through Palestine with the Twentieth Machine Gun Squadron

by Unknown

Muslimie Junction Station.

About this time we had to say farewell to our old friend, Capt. Powell, C.F., the Brigade Padre, who was compelled to go into hospital after repeated attacks of malaria, and was eventually invalided home to England. Capt. Powell had been with the Brigade since its original formation as the "7th Mounted," and was a great favourite amongst all ranks.

The following brief record of the events and doings of the Squadron during its long spell of duty at Aleppo (and Muslimie) may be interesting to some members:—

• 1918.
  
• Nov. 13—"No. 3" Section absorbed in "Nos. 1 and 2".
• " 15—Inspection of horses by Corps Commander.
• " 17—Memorial service in main station building.
• " 18—Headquarters attached to "Nos. 1 and 2" Sections.
• " 22—Inspection of Transport by Divisional Commander.
• " 28—Inspection of horses by G.O.C. Brigade.
• " 30—Ration strength: 4 officers, 122 O.R.s, 208 animals.
• Dec. 4—Divisional Commander inspects horses.
• " 5—Preparation for visit of "C.-in-C.".
• " 9—Capt. J.B. Oakley and Lieut. E.P. Cazalet, with 60 reinforcements, arrive from base. Capt. Oakley becomes Second-in-Command of Squadron.
• " 10—Four officers and 80 O.R.'s proceed to Aleppo mounted for—
• " 11—"C.-in-C.'s" procession, and return to camp.
• " 17—Thanksgiving Day.
• " 24—"B" Echelon (and donkeys) arrive.
• " 25—Anthrax in Brigade.
• " 27—One case of anthrax in Squadron.
  
• 1919.
  
• Jan. 3—Inspection of Transport by Divisional Commander.
• " 4—"No. 1" Sub-section proceeds to Aleppo with two troops "S.R.Y." to escort "C.-in-C." by train to Jerablus.
• " 6—Return of party.
• " 20—Short range practice.
• " 25—Classes opened in Brigade for shorthand, engineering, lectures, etc.
• " 27—Coalminers leave for "demob.".
• " 28—G.O.C. Brigade inspects horses.
• Feb. 1—Classification of horses: A.30, B.33, C.II.42, D.8.
• " 3—Divisional Commander inspects animals and first line transport.
• " 11—Orders to move to Aleppo. Dismounted party with surplus equipment proceeds by train.
• " 12—Squadron moves to Aleppo.
• " 14—Corps Commander visits lines during stables.
• " 19—Sec.-Lieut. Arden appointed Brigade Educational Officer and promoted Captain whilst so employed.
• " 20—Move to old 19th Squadron camp.
• " 23—Twenty-two farmers proceed "homeward" ("demob." camp at Kantara).
• " 26—Divisional Commander visits lines during stables.
• " 27—Eleven O.R.'s to "Homeward".
• " 28—An Armenian massacre; Squadron proceeds to centre of town, four guns in position, one sub-section ("D") to Brigade Headquarters for night.
• Mar. 1-3—Fifteen O.R.'s "demob.".
• " 6—Move to camp in the centre of Aleppo.
• " 11—Twenty-seven horses evacuated to M.V.S.
• " 17—Farewell parade to the G.O.C., Desert Mounted Corps, Lieut.-Gen. Sir H.G. Chauvel, K.C.B., K.C.M.G.
• " 19—Fifteen reinforcements arrive from base.
• " 20—Twenty horses and 26 mules to Corrals (paddocks formed by the Division to take the surplus animals resulting from demobilization).
• " 27—One sub-section short-range practice.
• " 29—Eleven horses and 32 mules to Corrals.
• " 31—Squadron strength: four officers, 124 O.R.'s, 185 animals.
• Apr. 1—G.O.C. Brigade inspects horses.
• " 3—One sub-section short-range practice.
• " 15—"Stand-to" 05.30-08.00, one sub-section mounted, six guns on limbers.
• " 16—Ditto (as precaution against further massacre of the Armenians).
• " 22—Practice scheme with Brigade.
• " 23—Issue of summer clothing.
• " 30—Divisional Horse Show.
• May 1-2—Ditto. Squadron won Special Prize with pack mule "Pansy," and had one limber and G.S. wagon in final; Pte. Carruthers also qualified for jumping finals.
• " 31—Squadron strength: four officers, 75 O.R.'s, 189 horses and mules.
• June 18—Inspection of horses and transport by Divisional Commander.
• " 30—Peace celebrations. The Squadron, reduced to the strength of one sub-section, took part in "march past". Strength: three officers, 48 O.R.'s, 30 horses, 23 mules.

The following, by a member of the Squadron, is typical of the life in the Armies of Occupation. He says:—

"Although these (the Armies of Occupation) officially have only existed since February 1st 1919, they have in reality, on certain fronts, been in operation since November 1918. The 5th Cavalry Division, pressing hard on the heels of the flying Turk, entered Aleppo on the evening of 26th October last. Trek-tired and weary, the Fighting Division under Major-Gen. H.J.M. MacAndrew, C.B., D.S.O., wound its lengthy column over the Kuwaik-Su Bridge and entered the ancient Turkish stronghold. Some of the units were at once stationed close to the town, taking over the barracks and vast stores and depots vacated by the enemy, whilst some of us, not so lucky, were pushed forward to Muslimie, the important junction of the Mesopotamian and Palestine Railways; and there formed a line of outpost defence, just 300 miles due north of the line held six weeks previously.

"Low Vitality of Troops.

"On the 4th November the Armistice with Turkey was signed, and shortly after several cavalry units were sent still further north to Killis, Jerablus (on the Euphrates), and Aintab, and the outpost line near Aleppo was thus no longer required. Now followed a period even more difficult to put up with than actual war itself. A trek of over 400 miles in a space of two months, following that nightmare of a sojourn in the Jordan Valley, had reduced the vitality of both man and horse to a very low ebb, and consequently the sick roll in both cases was large. Malignant malaria contracted in the valley took toll of many brave lives, and an outbreak of anthrax, coupled with debility, caused havoc among the horses.

"Life at Muslimie.