THE DESERT WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2723, 18 March 1916, Page 5

THE DESERT WAR

fJFLE BRIGADE AGAIN IK ACTION

WITH BRITISH AND SOUTH

AFRICANS

(By Malcolm Ross, official war correspondent witli New: Zealand Forces.)

, The First' Battalion of the New Zear /and Rifle Brigade again acquitted itself creditable in the recent desert figliting on the western. frontier. • Leaving camp at 4 p.m., they marched fifteen miles, and bivouacked at a well in the desert.; .Next morning they marched nine miles as the rear unit of the force attacking 'the Arabs. The Mounted Yeomanry had into touch three miles ahead, and wero attacking. '[V 15th Sikhs, with the 2nd South African Infantry, then attacked. The latt-er, nearly all of whom had been with General ; Botha in German South-West Africa, fiad not been trained for marching, and who landed only the night before, behaved splendidly. Many had to fall out-with Mistered feet, but at Pie sound of firing they returned to their units, and fought with great sourage. They consisted of both Boers and British.

Half of the New' Zealand B Company formed the right -flank, of the guard, A Company being the rearguard. Afterwards B Company was. strengthened with two machine-guns,' which made excellent practice.' They subsequently came upon two Turkish officers .and forty-two Arabs dead at this spot. The enemy, carried off all their wounded, not a single wounded being seen that day. Our' machine-guns quickly silenced the enemy machine-guns, which had opened on our. force. By this time 0 and B Companies, which had conw up as the •rearguard, were under 'fairly heavy shrapnel from four enemy guns, but the ammunition was poor, and the bursts slackening in force, though shells were bursting all about our men they escaped miraculously—none being hit. C Company wa« now sent to reinforce the Sikhs, who had hitherto fought magnificently, half of D and A Company being sent to drive off an . attack on the left flank. Before the closc of the day the enemy was routed and driven off, our force going on to tho enemy camp, and burnt and destroyed ' many Bedouin tents, camp equipment, ammunition, food, and water-tins. The enemy lost heavily, one hundred and fifty dead were counted, and many wounded must have been carried away. Our losses were only forty-nine killed and one hundred and thirty wounded. The New Zealanders lost one killed and two officers. Lieut. Holland and Capt. Brydone, and thirty men wounded. , Operations were greatly hampered, by mirage, which made accurate ranging impossible. At one stage the force seemed to be coming Tip against a walled town, with mei; and women walking, about in it. This like a ridge, which seemed close at hand soon vanished .in vapoury air. The Senussi disappeared in the mirage over a great plateau on to a rocky, undulating desert, with patches of camelthorn growing on it. The ground about the Arab camp was filthy, so our men inarched three miles and remained for the night in She perimeter of the bivouac. The men were without blankets, overcoats, and water; it rained all-night and a bitter gale blew- from the Mediterranean. They endeavoured', to .; warm themselves at little fires made from desert scrub, many boots being burned in the process! The transport had been -hopelessly bogged some, miles in the rear. ..

• Each unit having buried its dead,, the forces, nest morning marohed back nine miles :to Birshold, where 'it hadbivouaced the.'first ''night. ■. After • all their fighting' and'bitter night .experience the men had now to turn to ,with drag-ropes and extricate the hogged transports.- With wet blankets -and overcoats they spent another night in wind and rain, but'all'the transport and wounded were successfully got into Matur'a after a fifteen-miles march, during the whole march in and out only, seven-New Zealanders, in addition to the wounded, fell out. '

Some days later our battalion did a fine march of sixteen miles to form an advanced post at TJnjela.. They made me return journey to-Mature in five hours. During most of this, marching thej; carried three days' rations ana an iron -ration, in addition to rifles and equipment. Only two men fell out — one. fainted and one sprained an ankle. With Gafar Pasha a prisoner and the severe knocks they, have had, the Arabs are no ■ longer ■ dangerous. The Beuotffiis, •whom Tfiey recruit so' largely, are coming in in considerable numbers. The former are in khaki uniforms and armed with Mausers, the Jailer had various rifles.

Our forces returned to the scene of acSon, and brought in: all the bodies and buried them at Matauro.