PALESTINE.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 March 1918, Page 3

PALESTINE.

ANZACS FINE WOHK

(Received This Dav at 11.2.3. a.m.) LONDON, March 27.

Mr. Massey writing from Palestine headquarters on Tuesday says General Allenhy’s Army marched from one success to another. On the anniversary of the first battle of Gaza they occupied Esalt twenty-five miles east of the Jordan. Brilliantly executed operations began on Friday with the bridging of the Jordan, which was much swelled by abnormal rains. An attempt to cross at Ghoraniyes, east of Jericho, where the Turks destroyed the only bridge, failed to breast the current. An attempt was made four miles south of Henolah, where seven, men swam over towing a rope, with which they hauled light craft loaded with men to the opposite bank, which was densely wooded and crowded with Turks with machine guns. Almost two battalions of the Londoners were ferried over, hut they could only occupy a narrow bridgehead, 300 yards wide. No further progress was made on Friday, but during the night tile infantry made a gallant charge against the Turkish trenches, and widened the bridgehead to 1,500 yards, by a depth of a thousand yards.

Meanwhile the Anzac engineers had constructed a steel pontoon bridge. While the infantry were cutting paths through the thick jungle, without which none could move,' there was a considerable shell and rifle fire on the Anzacs, hut that did not interrupt the work for a moment.. It was due to their remarkably fine work that we were able to got over the entire Anpac mounted regiment by dawn. The cavalry moved silently up the left bank through breaks in the jungle and then climbed low cliffs, which suddenly submerged into a plain. They then galloped towards Glioraniyili.

Another Anzac mounted regiment got across at TTajlh and scouted eastward.

The Duke of Connaught on Saturay was well east of the Jordan, watching operations, including the work of the Anzacs.

An excellent piece of work was done southwards. It was decided to threaten the Turks flank at TTajlh. Two officers and 40 men volunteered to make the march Lom Jordan.