In view of the probability that the incidents described herein may be read by many persons who have not been to the East, explanations have frequently been included, which might appear to some as unnecessary. The writer is indebted to several members of the Squadron for their valuable assistance, without which, obviously, it would have been very difficult to have given an adequate account of any particular incident at which he was not present in person. THE AUTHOR. _1st July 1920._ Glossary. The following are a few descriptive terms which occur in the following pages, with place-names, and the abbreviations used:-- ABU Father. AIN Spring. BEIT House. BIRKETT Pool. BIR Well. DEIR Monastery. ED, EL, ER, ES, EZ The definite article THE JEBEL Mountain. JISR Bridge. KEFR Village. KAHN Inn. KHURBET (abbrev. KH.) Ruin. MAKHADET Ford. NAHR River. NEBY A Prophet. RAS Head, cape, top. SHEIKH (abbrev. SH.) Chief, elder, saint. TEL Mound (especially one covering ruins). WADI A watercourse (normally dry). TIME. The following table shows the military method of stating the time which is used throughout this book:-- 1 a.m. 01.00 2 " 02.00 3.15 " 03.15 6.45 " 06.45 12 midday 12.00 1 p.m. 13.00 2.35 " 14.35 3.50 " 15.50 8 " 20.00 10 " 22.00 12 midnight 24.00 12.15 a.m. 00.15 THROUGH PALESTINE WITH THE 20TH MACHINE-GUN SQUADRON. PART I. FORMATION OF THE SQUADRON. It was on the 4th July 1917 that authority was given to the 7th Mounted Brigade (then at Ferry-Post, Ismailia), for the formation of a MACHINE-GUN SQUADRON to be known as the "20th." It was to consist of "Headquarters" and only three sub-sections, there being but two regiments (instead of the usual three) in the 7th Brigade. On July 4th, Lieut. E.P. Cazalet and Lieut. E.B. Hibbert, machine gun officers of the Notts (Sherwood Rangers) Yeomanry and South Notts Hussars respectively, brought their sub-sections to the new camp. Lieut. C.D. Macmillan also arrived from the "S.N.H." From these two regiments there came, in all, 3 officers, 121 men and 98 animals (horses and mules). The "A" Sub-section was formed of "S.R.Y." men; the "B" Sub-section of "S.N.H." men, "C" Sub-section being composed of both "S.R.Y." and "S.N.H." men.