A WAR EPISODE

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1932, Page 3

A WAR EPISODE

MOUNTED® IN ACTION. »? ;>• ■■ -A : THE CAPTURE OF AMMAN. The last great battle of the Palestine campaign opened on September 19, 1918, with the break through in the coastal sector, land' ’ the advance, through that breach, of the Desert Mounted Corps. But this time the Desert Mounted. Corps' -’was mintts one of its and best-known" divisions • -the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division. Away, out on the rght this Division, with .two; infantry brigades and some artillery—the whole known as Chaytor’ s Force—; was stationed in the Jordan .Valley- impatiently awaiting the time when it should crunmenoei to advance. CHAYTOR’S FORCE ADVANCES. During September 20, as the result of extensive, patrolling, Gener T Chaytor, tli© New Zealand commander, became oorivinni-d' that the enemy on his front whs • about to withdraw. Orders were therefore’ Issued for the advance of the force. By the even-: i\g of September; 22 Cha.ytors Force had captured all the Turkish defences in the Jordan Vrlltey west o‘f that river, and had .scoured the,,,river erodings. The ‘ next day the pressure on the retiring enemy was continued and by evening the N.Z.IVJj.R. Bigude was in possession of.Es Salt. 9 .. Orders were liow received- from General ’" ADapby" dimming GenereJ Chaytor to continue his pressure . cm the enemy and also, to endeavour ( to cut- off his retreat- northward fro’" Amman. By nidi if’ll on Sepbnrbp" 24, the Ist and 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigades were concentrated five rules east of EsjSalt and the N.Z/M.R... Rrig-d 0 occupied Suweile. From that place 100 men of the Auckland rnent, with picked horses, were, sept forward during the day to cut the railway north of Amman. This detachment completed its mission and was bade within eleven hours, ha vine covered 20 miles of trackless country.

Next day the advance against An.man began at 6 a.m.. with 2nd A..L.8 Brigade on the right, the N ( .Z.M.B. Brigade on the left, and Ist A.L.'H. Pvj cr,"dp in reserve. The artillery with the force was. limited to two mountain batteries which made little impression rpqn th e Turkish madhine.guns. Nevertheless the-advance was rapid till thN 'troops began to press in on the town, when the resistance stiffened. ■CITADEL CARP -TED WITH THE BAYONET. The Canterbury 'Regiment attempted ta- advance mounted, but, bein£ checked Sv the Citadel, -attacked it .ph foot, ultimately, carrying it -with t W Bay-diiet '■ •hi, the meantime o.n e of the reserve regiments- sths* put in dn the' left.: and. it the same .time, some Turkish, san.'.ars' on the. right . WeiA 1 eapthred. Tb° Ipfenoe then began to crumble. At ilio p.m. the 'sth A.L.H. Regiment entered the town, and shortly afterward the Canterbury Regiment galloped in, making for a.tho station.- • A general advance all along - the frqn followed and all was quickly pv?r. ?W % .third time Amman" wa« in onhands and there were- 2553 prison ol- -' Tho, attack (had succeeded in cutting off the Turkish rearguard in Amman,, (he remainder of - the -garrison Raying scaped by train during ,the previous evening.