CAPTURING JERUSALEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 December 1917, Page 1

CAPTURING JERUSALEM.

THE OFFICIAL REPORT. TAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] LONDON ♦December 14. Egyptian Official Headquarters reports Surely never has the population of a conquered city received with deeper and more heartfelt gladness the invaders with whom they had no connection or kinship. It is/ii tribute to the qualities of our race and to the reputation of our soldiers that hardly a soul in Jerusalem but stated this. It, is a fresh and great success of the British, arms. Jews, Arab, Greeks, Copts were handed together in enthusiasm of our advent, after the nightmare of the Turkish oppression as dispelled by the thunder of our guns outside the town and the hasty flight is of the last remnants of the Turkish soldiery. Jerusalem la woke to welcome n't dawn when the British General entered the town to take the surrender. His progress was a moving aiid pathetic spectacle. Hi s ear was surrounded by a huge crowd hysterically laughing crying clapping hands, and showering floors on our officers.

Relief and confidence were general and unmistakeable, and those feelings were intensified by the knowledge that despite provocation, not a. single shrtfpnel or rifle bullet had been, directed upon the town in the offensive which had resulted in such a glorious success.

It began on the night of the seventh For some days previously the. Turks had been distinctively aggressive and made .several attacks on our positions especially on Nebv Samwil, which, was then held by the .Londoners. Four attack's succeeded erfeh other and the Turks employing special''storm troops in the final attack .preceded by sm-li heavy shelling that the enemy was confident that our troops must be blown off the summit, advanced with' l ilies slung. * ‘ Our lads allowed them to cherish the delusion until they came quite close, and then dealt with them with rifles and bayonets. Every attack was repulsed with bloody losses to the enemy.

'l’iie Turks held a strong line south and north-oast of Jerusalem, and by dint of great labour, had dug trenches some wav down the slope of the last rise before the Holy City, protected in places by. wire. They were abundantly provided with machine guns, and their artillery dominated the opposite crests, over which our men must advance. Some of the guns were actually established just outside the walls- of Jerusalem, making it impossible to reply to tlieir Tire without endangering the town. Unfortunately the weather again played tis false. Torrents of heavy rain succeeded torrents, but despite the discomfort and exposure, the men moved into tlieir positions under cover of tlie night • Our attack was pivoted at Neby Samwil. dismounted Yeomanry at tacking north and north-eastward of that position. The Londons in line south of Neby Samwil had advanced due east upon Jerusalem, and at the same time the Welsh and some of the County troops moved up the Hebron Road, threatening Jerusalem from the south. The latter found ,Hebron evacuated, but encountered resistance around Bethlehem. •Here also the Turk s had so posted their guns that counter battery work would endanger the sacred village, so our troops had to undergo the disagreeable experience of being shelled without ability to reply. Nevertheless they pressed forward and. drove the Turks. By midday the English Welsh and Cheshire troops were two miles- north of Bethlehem.

At Jerusalem too, the Londoners, in order to attack, had to climb down a deep slope, and half way up a higher, slope on the opposite side, before they could come to grips. The ground was so steep that it was impossible to bring the field guns forward to support the advance, while the body made a direct frontal attack on the Turkish defences above the. village of Ainkarim. About dawn, the Londoners on both flanks were in a position enabling them to rush the Turkish works which were stormed and captured, and hy seven in the morning the whole enemy works west of Jerusalem came into our hands. The Turks, however, yet held the last line on the ton of the ridge-over-looking Jerusalem, having posted numerous machine guns in the houses in the Jewish and German colonies on the farthest s outskirts of Jerusalem. Our gallant London lad s charged up this ascent towards late in the afternoon of the Btli. It was a magnificent feat, crowned with complete success.. The Turks were driven at the point of the bayonet from their line, the survivors bolting on either side of Jerusalem. Their losses both at the works, and especially .in the final fight bn the ridge, were exceedingly heavy. ft. is also true that, throughout all the fighting around Jerusalem, they showed the most desperate spirit, and greater tenacity than in almost any oi the previous- fighting, and they stood tlieir ground to the last. During the night the enemywithdmv .to the north and east of the city. At eight o’clock in the morning of the Oth the Mayor and the Chief of Police came with a flag of truce offering to surrender the town.

;The General commanding the Londoners was instructed to accept the surrender, and at- noon lie went forward without actually entering f?ie Holy City, anti formally took over the city

Our forces swept through the suburbs to the north of the city. As they debouched from a defile they were fired noon by machine guns from the Mount of Olives ridge north of the City, commonly known as Mount Scopus. This ridge was stormed by a bayonet charge, many dead Turks being loft round the position, while the enemy was also clbAivd off MotttU of Olkcs with

the assistance of the Welsh troops, who, by now, had moved up from the south, while the Londoners were carrying all before them, tlieir section of the dismounted yeomanry were not less successful against tlieir objectives.

Further north the Turks were established in a strong series of trenches round the village of Beitikes. These were carried in a rush in the most gallant manner, our line being advanced right beyond the village. Some Turk; who continued to hold out in the village after we passed were subsequently disposed of. They dismounted, and secured a good position which enabled them to go forward as soon as the Londoners came through the suburbs of Jerusalem and later advanced, being materially helped by the Yeomanry’s success. They reached the road leading to Nablus, thus cutting the retreat northwards. In these parts the enemy suffered very heavy casualties, while our losse s were comparatively light. The Welsh, who had advanced from the south, pushed across* the road east of Jerusalem loading to Jericho. * Turkish reinforcements who were advancing by this road, havng boon rushed bv the Hedjnz railway to the succour if Jerusalem, were Hold up, and forced hack. In the course of the operations we captured nearly a thousand prisoners, three, guns and many machine guns, also hundred wounded Turks lying in hospitals. Among '{.he wounded were three British prisoners captured at Giym..

A correspondent pays a tribute to the admirable, staff work, and the wonderful co-ordination in all movements, and to the master mind which conceived the plans, capturing the City with injuring a single stone.

A good deal is now known of what took place at Jerusalem in the early davs of the war.

The attack on the Suez Canal was made, to appear to he a Turkish triumph. What is not known is that the Turkish losses at this period exceeded 5,000 dead from neglect, lack of foid and overwork. . The- people were so reduced tlikb the inhabitants used to fight for the bodies of animals which died in the streets.

'ENTERING J ERUSA LEM

a proclamation

LONDON, Dec 14th

General Allonby in his telegram announcing the entering of Jerusalem, adds that the population' of Jerusalem received him well. A proclamation in various 'languages was re-ad to the population from the steps of- tlie citadel and was posted on the walls. It was addressed. “To the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Blessed and the people dwelling in its vicinity,” and announced that the city was placed under martial law, which would remain in operation as long as military considerations made it necessary, "However.,” it continued, “lest any of you should he alarmed by rCason of your experience at tlie hands of the enemy, I inform you that it is my desire that every person shall pursue his lawful business without fear of interruption.”

“Furthermore, since your city is regarded with affection hv the adherents of the three great religions of mankind, audits soil has been consecrated by the prayers and pilgrimages o f mulitiudes of devout people of these religions for many centuries, therefore do I make known to you that every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest, or 1 customary place of prayer of whatsoever form of these three religions will he maintained and protected 'according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faith they are sacred.”