PALESTINE.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1918, Page 3

PALESTINE.

(V WESTLANDER’S EXPERIENCES

Trooper Louis Gibb, writing from Jordan Valley on July 17th, says:—

Just a line or two as I am still alive and kicking, though almost melted away. This valley assuredly is no place for a white man, for besides the heat which some days reaches over 130 in the shade, there is a handicap of 801b 3 of pressure, caused by being 1,200 feet below sea level. The plain too is a sea of dust, at times so thick that men get lost in it till it lifts. Some life this at present, with the flies and heat, and never before has there been such a percentage of sick cases, mostly malaria. I thought the first few days sifter I came up that I would have to parade sick, but I managed to rub along and live it down and feel not bad now. There was some good scraps here the night befoie last and the following morning. The enemy attacked on the front 1-veld by the mounted troops here. The A us- j tralians and the Indians got the most of it, our sector being just on the edge of it, so we had not a great deal j of fighting to do. They attacked in mass, trying to make a brink through all Germans in front, but although they at first took a few forward posts, they were met with such a heavy fire that they attempted to retire and the Turks who were supposed to support them, turned their machine guns on the Germans and a large number were captured. They are a very youthful looking lot of Saxons, some not- more than 17, and they seem glad to be prisoners. Over twenty were officers, mostly wearing specks, like professors rather than soldiers. All

the Germans were well c? rested and had the best of boots, bnt the Turks were almost without boots at all. Some had rags round their feel. Others were barefooted, or had sandals, aud their clothes were rags and

md patches. Never have we seen a more ragged and hungry looking lot. They got into the half-melted, salty bully beef like starving dogs. What s tho purp'ise of cheir attack is haul to say, for it, is absolutely impossible to hope to make any progress by lighting in this heat. Just imagine it to yourself, the valley bathed iu a black cloud of dust, a blazing sun, and

L inking water as precious as gold. The G-Timms seemed to look 011 the Turks with absolute contempt and when rounded up they stood in t vo distiue t roups and seemed to hate each other. I have not heard the exact number taken, but there appeared to he over 1000 heie alone and it is report-d more were taken at Nablus on our left.

j got tft 0 letters since I wrote last bothof March, and also bad one from Jim Heron. No word from John whatever since April 14th, when he got wounded. Have written four times since but no reply. We have bad plenty to do here since I came back, putting up wire at niglit and in the day clearing out the water courses where the mosquitos breed that carry

the malaria. The enemy is active with air bombs and occasional nights gets going with the guns. There aie supposed to be no white troops in the valley now so the War Office says, “all Indian troops’ 1 now in Jordan Talley. Evidently the Colonial divisions who practically ho'd the line count as black troops in the eyes of Lionel. George The Turks mast have thought we* would all die here, for in May r they sent a message by aeroplane saying they would leave us alone for two months and tlmn send over a burial party. The beat won’t be so bad after another month, but there will be no rain till November. There has not been a shower since 30th March, the day of the fight at Amman, and what was thus mud is now dust —dust about six inches deep that runs like quicksilver when trod on, and stirs up by motor lorries and waggons like a cloud of vapour rising. Drivers on these vehicles have an awful time. Yon could write your name on their faces at any time, and none can stand it very long without getting sick. But still they say the troops on the Eastern fronts have a good time. Well, I should like some of those who talk and criticise from the fireside just to walk with me here for a day, give them each a bottle of half-warm water, some bully that is melted in the tin, and some Inead that cracks in the dry heat, and if they enjoyed eating this and scaring away the flies with the other hand and ut the same time swear at the horse lor stamping'the dust up into a cloud, well, let ’em all come. The boys here to a man would welcome the Western front of France, that is those in the front. Of course those in ihe staff jobs with their whisky and scda never were better off in their lives, and don't want the war to finish. They are in Cairo and Port Said far jrom the front, and really they are the soldiers in their ow r n little way With their canes and swank, but as the Gyppo says, » mulish badean rakari mafish,” meaning “ never mind bye find bye soldiering finished,”

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