DESERT ATTACK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2825, 17 July 1916, Page 6

DESERT ATTACK

HOff A LITTLE SCOTTISH FORCE HELD ON 900 DEFEATED BY 156 (W. T. Alasiey, in the "Daily Mail.') El Kantara (Suez Canal), April 30. The defence of the post at Dueidar (cast of the Canal) on April 23 is a story to stir the blood of Britons. A gallant little company of Ayrshire Territorials, attacked at dawn in a thick mist, held an important oasis against the overwhelming odds of six to one, when alt the conditions favourable to a surprise attack were with the enemy. Captain Itoberls's company of the Royal ikots Fusiliers had to withstand _ repeatedrushes of a skilful foe, possessing a full measure of cunning ana courage; but brilliant leadership, as everyone 1 agrees, was supported by that doggetl determination, the will to hold on at all costs, and unquestioned übedience to orders .which are the characteristics of the Scottish soldier, and a triumph was secured-when, the slightest mistake would have ended in a serious reverse. ' - For four hours the garrison of 156 combatants, who included an office? and a few nion of the Bikanir Camel Corps, resisted tho violent attempts of more than 900 regular Turkish soldiers and Arabs to break through! the defence, and though suffering considerable, losses they had taken the heart out of the attack, and the oasis was effectively dollied to the enemy, before reinforcements could reach them. It va3 another four hours before tho Turks were finally beaten off, with losses which must be at least one-third of the strength of their column. Dueidar is a palm grove a quarter of a, mile long and a hundred yards wide in a depression in the desert "about fourteen miles east of Kantara. The first heavy mist for sis weeks obscured everything more than forty yards away from the' line the Scots were holding, which wan c.n inner perimeter with no posts more than 200 yards from tho fringe of' the oasis. At 5.17 a.m. there was heavy .firing ~'and a tremendous burst of Aral 1 cheering -was heard in front of the redoubt on the crest to the south-east of the oasis. The enemy hart cic-arly been hiding in ,a grove of palms aW.it half a milo beyond. Gun Fought to the End. To the attack there was an instant reply. Veterans who had done their duty before stopped the rush with a rapid burst of fire, and every Turk seen to approach the. wire entanglements paid the penalty. At the sound of the first shot every tont in tho oasis was lowered, and then, men in reserve went out to -reinforce the eastern and southern posts, but after the first few minutes it was not possiblo to give aid to tho south' eastern post, because the approach to it was under machine-gun fire. Every officer and man who attempted to get to that hot corner was hit.

The main attack was made against this post, which was only partly protected by wire, and tho frequent violent rushes against .it were only broken by the superb steadiness of the handful of men holding it. There was a ruachine-gun in this post. It was hit in five places, and three men of the gun team were_ killed and one wounded, but the other men fought the guu to the end, and most of the Turkish dead were found in front of them, the nearest body being twenty-two yards away. The Boyal, Scots Fusiliers will not let you forget''tho part the Bikanir Camel Corps played in the strenuous hours of the early morning. The Bikanir officer doubled his men up tho ridge to the right of tho south-eastern post, where thero was a danger of tho enemy getting through. They had no sandbag shelter, and simply took. what cover the crest afforded, and throughout tho eight hours' fighting the Bikanirs, with their officer wounded, kept their ground,. wid vere well, forward in the counter-attack at one o'clock.

The southern post was held by eight men, three of whom were killed. To tho left of the ' south-eastern post. a small party was holding au cntrenched position 'on rising ground above one end of the oasis. Not far in front of them 11 macßlne-gun was in action, and iis position was so frequently changed that it could- not be located. ■ It became necessary to strengthen this position, and Caoiain Roberts sent Captain Bruce. Army Service Corps (Territorials), with aTjw~nien the line. Captafn's Heroic Death. ' Captain Brace, who was supply officer at Dueidar, on the first shot being fired, offered to do anything in defence of the post, ami, apart from the gallant deed which resulted in his death, he will bo remembered for tho sterling example lie set. At nine o'clock the first of the reinforcements wore sent to assist at the spot Captain Bruce had been holding so strongly, but in crossing an open space Lieutenant Crawford fell wounded, and lay exposed to a murderous fire, the nature of which Captain Bruce had experienced for at least three hours. This di 3 not deter him from setting out on an errand of mercy. and he left the sandbag which had boon his sole protection and ran to carry in his comrade. Ho fell mortally wounded, aud died in a few lnint-ues. ' His noble example was followed, and fortunately with success, bv Corporal Clifford. The corporal car. ricd to safety Lieutenant Crawford and bronght in Captain Bruce's body, though the fire did not slacken and the hazards wero known to him. With the arrival of reinforcements the clearing up took several hours. The proper dispositions wore niad<\ and before the Australian Light Horse came up tho Turks were in full retreat; The Australians were sent forward, and they added to the triumph of the day by taking moro prisoners.