A WAR STORY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1929, Page 7

A WAR STORY

Alter tilt* .second battle of Gaza tho l-sth King's Own Scottish Borderers occupied trenches which ran down to the sea coast. Opposite, over a tlionsand yards away upon the cliff above tlie beach, a Turkish work called Sea Post thrust itself out from the enemy line. Sea Post was raided by the Borderers on the night of June 11, 1917.

Very thorough preparations were made. Officers and men of the two selected companies and a sapper detachment were carefully rehearsed in their different parts, and excellent cooperation of artillery and machine guns was secured. Assembling well forward in No Man’s Land tlie assault parties went forward under a barrage as far as the Turkish wire in which our shells had cut two wide gaps.

Then there was a fierce rush which surprised the Turks in their trenches. The crew of a loaded machine gun were despatched before they could open lire, and one Borderer slew two Turks with a hatchet.

Our artillery had now enclosed the Turkish position in a box barrage, and those of tlie enemy who managed to flee to the bench came under the fire of a. party of the Scots who were stationed there for that purpose.

The demolition detachments did their work well; so well that the timbered dug-outs which formed the Turkish officers’ ((iiarters and the signal office were destroyed before they could be searched. By tlie light of electric torches many Turks were revealed cowering in their shelters, and those who surrendered promptly were well advised. It had been, intended to blow up the whole trench system at 'Sea Post, but their crowded state resulted in some of the portable land mines being exploded in the wire entanglements which were further demolished by men armed with axes.

Alter fifteen minutes of organised destruction the raiders withdrew, bringing Pack twelve Turks, one of whom was severely wounded, and a miscellaneous collection of booty. The Borderers did not lose a man.