WAR ANNIVERSARY

Hokitika Guardian, 16 December 1933, Page 6

WAR ANNIVERSARY

CAPTURE OF JESRUSALEM

ALLENBY’S FORMAL ENTRY

Sixteen years ago last week the world was thrilled by the news that, as a climax to the victorious advance of the Palestine force through the plains of Philistia, and the Judaean hills, Jerusalem had passed once more into Christian hands, after 400 years of Turkish misrule. An officer of the Australian Mounted Division, who served through the campaign and was present at General Allenby’s entry, recalled yesterday some of the episodes in that important event. “We had been engaged in cavalry fighting to the north of Jerusalem,” he said, “and, finding a mounted .force unequal to the task of dislodging the enemy from the steep rocky valleys, the high commfind decided to send us back to the plains among the Jewish winegrowing viiliages for Christmas. With our squadron leader I was detailed to go down to look lor a suitable camping ground for our unit. As we were crossing the main Jaffa-Jerusalem road we met a staff car and were tokl that Jerusalem had at dawn that morning surrendered to the British.

“The last Turk had evacuated the city during the night and early that morning, the Mayor, with a small escort under a white flag, had come out and handed over the keys and a formal letter of surrender; from the Turkish commandant to a sergeant of the London Division. As far as our informants could tell us, the road to Jerusalem was clear. After a brief tussle between military duty and excusable curiosity we weakened and turned into the hills up the long grade that runs for 20 miles up to the Holy City. We were not stopped on the way and so came to the rather uninspiring approach to Jerusalem that leads to the Jaffa Gate. Here we were held up by a guard, who insisted that Jerusalem had yet to be taken officially aiid no British troops were to be allowed to enter the sacred precincts. “Having come so far we were reluctant to retire disappointed and so did the next best thing and went on south to look down at Bethlc’nam from the hills. We returned just in time to meet the official party, led by General Shea., commanding the London Division, who had been ordered by General Allehby to make a formal entry. Making ourselves inconspicuous in the crowd we watched him enter with his small guard of smart if muddy Londoners. It was an amazing sight. The streets, the windows and the housetops were packed with a multi-coloured throng of every conceivable nationality and shade of religious thought, and their greeting was almost hysterical. One did. not notice in the crowd the sullen Arabs who were to cause so much trouble after ■ the Armistice.

“Meanwhile, three British divisions were moving to push the enemy off the Mount of Olives and to clear the roads to Jericho aud Nablus. But we still had the day’s work to do and hurried down to the plain again, meeting on the narrow road the great columns of transport and guns moving up with rations and material. Among them was a squadron of the famous Tenth Light Horse, the first mounted troops and the first unit from the Antipodes to enter the city.

The formal entry.by General Allohby took place two days later, on December 11. We made our second visit with permission and could enjoy this second spectacle in a less selfconscious frame of mind. Representatives of every unit in the force lined the approach to the Jaffa Gate and, as before, the roads and roofs were packed with the inhabitants, with, the crowd swelled by the villagers for many miles arouhd. Jerusalem seemed to have recovered its usual sedate calm and, probably overcome by the stupendous significance of the occasion, they made no wild demonstration.

“As the Commander-in-chief came to the line of fighting men he dismounted from his horse and walked briskly to ward the Jaffa Gate, where he was receded by the recently appointed British Military Governor, already nicknamed Pontius Pilate by the troops. Years ago the Kaiser had made a formal entry at this same spot, and, in keeping with his grandiose ideas, a huge breach had been made in the walls. Allenby ignored this and went in without show and with a -small retinue through the little side gate and crossed quickly to the terrace of the Tower of David. There he stood, obviously impatient at the long delay, while proclamations were read in six different languages, with promises of facilities for lawful business and protection for the sacred places. But with true British courtesy he received the notables of the city and then hurried away to the more serious business of war.”