FIGHTING IN PHILISTIA.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 November 1917, Page 4

FIGHTING IN PHILISTIA.

CHARGING THE ENEMY GUNS

London, Nov 12

Mr Massey, the official correspondent with the British troops in Palestine, reported on Sunday, 11 tli—- “ A great mass of material has been captured undamaged, including immense piles of ammunition and SO gun.< A hot wind and clouds of dust made the terrific heat additionally trying. “ The Midland Yeomanry charged the batteries Balaclava style, sabring the gunners and routing 2000 Anatolians.

•“ After the Londoners had cap- 1 tured a position commanding Beerslieba the Yeomanry re-charged at a | terrific pace and dashed through the ; enemy’s left flank. Their objective ! was the guns. The gunners set the I shell fuses of 12 guns at zero so that the shells would explode at the muzzle. Every gunner was sabred, and the guns were not fired. / “ At the same moment the Australians, supporting the Yeomanry, captured machine-guns and turned them against the departing Turks.” DEFYING TIIE TURKISH LIGHTNING. Mr Massey telegraphed on Monday;—•“ The enemy lias now lost more than a third of his artillery and the greater part of his stores and munitions. This depreciation of his strength explains the anxiety the Turk is reported to be manifesting far in the rear of the main body. " The Turks, as already stated, have retired northward, but two divisions opposite our right flank are reported to be slowly falling back along the Hebron road. These troops, known as the Lightning Tempest divisions, have not yet made a display of qualities which might be considered to justify such highsounding titles. Only the Yilcliiums otherwise the Lightnings, have been | in action, and that against the Welsh and Home-country troops, who proved I themselves non-conductors, and com pelled the Turks to streak in the opposite direction. AUSTRALIAN PATROLS AT GATH. “The furthest point reached by the Anstialian patrols is Tel-el-Shar-fish, which is almost generally admitted to be the site of the ancient gates of one of the five Philistine King Cities, where David twice sought refuge from the wrath of Saul. Ashdod, Askalon, Gaza, and Ekron are the other four, of which the first three are already ours. Ekron is modern Akir. Not far beyond the advance posts was the seat of worship of Beelzebub, ‘ the Prince of Flies,’ whose fame became so great that early Christians considered ! him equivalent to the Arch-Enemy j himself. Certainly it would appear I that we are nearing his sanctuary, if I the multitudes of flies constitu e an I indication, because since we crossed i the Tui'kish lines these pests have I daily become mere intolerable. Al- | though some doubt the identity of ' i Tel-el-Sharfish with Gath, there is ' j no question of its associations with ' I the Crusaders, notablo Richard the ' i Lion-hearted, since the ruins of the ; once famous Tour Blanc still crown ’ its summit, which commands a mag- ! | nificent view of the surrounding i country. I j WHERE DAVID FOUGHT GOLIATH. j “As a matter of fact, the whole I region we now occupy is simply I teeming with scriptural and historical I associations. Scarce a well, a wadi, 'or a village but reminds us of our ’ favourite childhood s’ories. Tt was ! in Wadi Sunt, one of the offshoots of the Wadi Surar, that David fought Goliath, while the Cave of Aduliam is within range of our guns. The ! once prosperous, thickly-populated country is blighted by centuries 1 of Turkish misrule.”