How Jerusalem Was Won: Being the Record of Allenby's Campaign in PalestineMassey, W. T. (William Thomas)
History
How Jerusalem Was Won: Being the Record of Allenby's Campaign in Palestine
Massey, W. T. (William Thomas)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Palestine
The night was dark and misty, and by half-past one the Turks had
developed a big attack against the whole of the 60th Division's front,
the strongest effort being delivered on the line in front of Tel el
Ful, though there was also very violent fighting on the west of the
wadi Ed Dunn, north of Beit Hannina. The Turks fought with desperate
bravery. They had had no food for two days, and the commander of one
regiment told his men: 'There are no English in front of you. I have
been watching the enemy lines for a long time; they are held by
Egyptians, and I tell you there are no English there. You have only to
capture two hills and you can go straight into Jerusalem and get food.
It is our last chance of getting Jerusalem, and if we fail we shall
have to go back.' This officer gave emphatic orders that British
wounded were not to be mutilated. Between half-past one and eight A.M.
the Turks attacked in front of Tel el Ful eight times, each attack
being stronger than the last. Tel el Ful is a conical hill covered
with huge boulders, and on the top is a mass of rough stones and
ruined masonry. The Turks had registered well and severely shelled our
position before making an assault, and they covered the advance
with machine guns. In one attack made just after daybreak the enemy
succeeded in getting into a short length of line, but men of the
2/15th Londons promptly organised a counter-attack and, advancing
with fine gallantry, though their ranks were thinned by a tremendous
enfilade fire from artillery and machine guns, they regained the
sangars. For several hours after eight o'clock this portion of the
line was quieter, but the Turk was reorganising for a last effort. A
very brilliant defence had been made during the night of Beit Hannina
by the 2/24th Londons, which battalion was commanded by a captain, the
colonel and the majors being on the sick list. The two companies
in the line were attacked four times by superior numbers, the last
assault being delivered by more than five hundred men, but the
defenders stood like rocks, and though they had fifty per cent,
of their number killed or wounded, and the Turks got close to the
trenches, the enemy were crushingly defeated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account