HOW THE SUEZ CANAL WAS SAVED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 237, 25 June 1918, Page 6

HOW THE SUEZ CANAL WAS SAVED

A HEROIC SERGEANT

INCIDENT OF THE EARLY DAiTS Otf THu; WAR

During the first year of the war, owing to calls on the BriUsli una Indian Armios, 111 France, East Airica, and Mesopotamia, only a very turn cordon of troops could oe spared to guard tno Suez Canal, and one of the main arteries ol the British Empire. The Canal is IW miles loiig, and me troops available were only sufficient to hold suiall redoubts a few miles apart, and to send slender patrols backwards and forwards between them. During the daytime tho task was comparatively easy lor a ilat, sandy desert/eome ten miles'in width spreads eastwards towards the Turco-Germanic menace,- and the higti bank formed by. the excavation of tno Canal gives a good, view over this.

But at nignt-time, and especially when there was 110 moon, the work of guarding tho . Canal was both anxious and strenuous. It was quite possible for Hie Germans to 1 bring small raiding parties furnished with heavy mines unseen up to the edge of the sandy strip, and tLen directly it was dark to, march straight lor any point ou tho Canal, somewhere between them and out-of sight and hearing of the neighbouring redoubts. So slender were the British forces that only very weak patrols could be furnished to patrol between the redoubts; they consisted therefore at the inost of one 11011commfsfloned officer mid two men, but generally only two men, without a n.c.0., could be spared.

One morning, just as the first false dawn of the East was clearing, and the liighfs watch and war seemed to be over, an Indian sergeant with two of his men was patrolling along when he met a patrol of two men coming from the Other direction. To these he said, "The night is now over, Join my party, and we will return together.'" A little further on this party of one n.c.o.' and four men, met the next patrol of two men; and to them tho sergeant said the same, "Follow me," tho wholo proceeding was accidental, and perhaps not quite regular, but a little bird up aloft was apparently guidiug tho unconscious sergeant. ' "We Will at Once Attack."

Barely had the little party of 6even gone half a mile when oue of the two who were out. as/scouts in fiont came running back. /'Lie down quick," he said, "I am perfectly certain 1 saw somo Enver hats (the head-dress of the Turks, which has replaced the historic fez) peeping over - yonder mound. And I think, also, I 6aw one or two Germans." _ "If that is so," said the sergeant, "we will at once attack them." _ 1 Forming his six men into a_ line of skirmishers he ordered a cautious advance, taking advantage of every scrap of cover. They had not progressed far when a regular hail of bullets fell on them, and the sergeant got ono through . the knee, whilst one of his little army was killed. , "The enemy is evidently in strong force," remarked the sergeant, as he sat and bound up his leg. "Therefore, Sher Sing, you will run back along the bank and shout across to the Frenchman jit the next Gare to 6top the shipping both ways. Then you will run on, and tell the Colonel Sahib what has happened. It is two miles you have to run, but be of good courage, I will remain bere with these men and hold the onemy."

At that moment appeared three ships round a bend in the canal followed at a little distance by two more all running swiftly into the ambush set by the Germans. The sergeant was in an agony, but with his four remaining men opened rapid fire on the enemy, hoping thus to warn the ships in time, To his immense relief he saw the leading ship suddenly turn her engines full steam astern and gradually warp into the far bank out of immediate danger; and the ships behind, noticing that something was amiss, though they could neither see nor hear anything, immediately followed suit.

The Turks now finding they had only a small patrol in front of them began advancing in large numbers, so as to brush them aside and get at the ships. The sergeant, however, was a brave fellow, and, knowing the importance of holding the Turks, fought a fine rearguard action, disnuting every yard of ground. As the light went on he lost two more men; so that, hjmself badly wounded, he had only two men left, and one of these was also wounded. Tilings looked desperate; but it is always darkest before dawn, and so 6urely enough at this critical moment the Turkish fire ceased.

% The Flight,

The sergeant was peering about anxiously to see what this meant, and what hew plan of attack the Germans were preparing, when the man at his right a few yards off and higher up suddenly gave aji exclamation of joy. "See there, by the grace of God, we are saved! I can see th.e Colonel Sahib with some men, a company at the least, issuing from the fort to cut off the Turks—may tliey perish in hell."

His sight was keen and true, and the Turks had seen also and wore in full (flight. It proved afterwards that this brave Indian sergeant and his six men had achieved a very notable success. The German fore? consisted of 500 Turks with three guns, led by German officers and commanded by a German general. Their intention was to sink by-gunfire the first ship that camo alontr, hoping the next might foul her, or also be sunk by gunfire, and that thus the canal would be blocked for weoks. Directly Lord Kitchener, who Was War Secretary then in England, heard of this gallant action ho cabled out that the sergeant was at once to bo promoted to be ail officer, nnd also given the highest decoration for valour. And few will say that he did not well deserve his honours.