A WAR STORY

Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1929, Page 7

A WAR STORY

THE CAVALRY ACTION NEAR SIIWAIBDA.

During the operations round Basra in the early stages of the 'Mesopotamian campaign the 16th Cavalry and the 33rd Queen Victoria’s Own Light Cavalry, 500 sabres in all, witli four guns of'ri. Battery 8.H.R., were concerned on March 3rd. 1915, in a demonstration west of our entrenched camp at Shaiba. The force was hardly engaged during its twelve miles march out in the morning, but when it began to withdraw about 2 p.m; the enemy, who was over 2,000 strong, followed up and endeavoured to get round both flanks.

Near the village of Shwaibda these Arab horsemen—all carried rifles, their other weapons being sword, lance, and pistol, as fancy dictated—began to close in.

Our cavalry at first kept them at bay with rifles and machine-guns. Our guns, even with their eight-horse teams were difficult to move quickly in. the heavy sand, but they opened fire when the dust-clouds and the mirage permitted. A large body of Arabs, swinging wide round our outer flank, gained the cover of a wood.

FIRING FROM SADDLES. When a neeessary'cliange of direction caused our squadrons to close in and mask the guns, the enemy promptly pressed forward on three sides, and a sudden charge of Arab horsemen from the wood was met by a squadron •of the 33rd. Cavalry, which charged across to meet them. A fierce, confused mounted combat ensued, and the colonel of the 33rd. was wounded.

A dozen Arabs,' firing from their saddles, reached the . battery, but the horse-gunners killed some and drove off the rest with their revolvers. Eight horses were hit, and, for the moment only, a gun and a waggon had to be abandoned.

But now the guns and cavalry, though still engaged with the Arabs, had reached our two companies of supporting infantry. They passed through and reformed in rear of them; the enemy, taken under a hot fire fled. O'ur losses in this action were not heavy, but included many British officers of the two Indian cavalry regiments.