TEN MEN STOP BATTLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 770, 17 September 1929, Page 9

TEN MEN STOP BATTLE

BRAVE BRITISH SOLDIERS IN PALESTINE STAND BETWEEN THE FOES (United Service) LONDON, Monday. The way in which a battle in Palestine was stopped by a British noncommissioned officer and nine men of the Green Howards (Yorkshire) Regiment, is related by a special correspondent of the “Daily Mail” at Nazareth. He describes it as one of the most dramatic incidents of the recent trduble. The non-commissioned officer’s party—the only force available—was hurriedly dispatched from Nazareth to a neighbouring village to hold some armed Arab raiders in check, pending the arrival of reinforcements. The ten British soldiers found strong forces of Jews and Arabs facing each other in battle array with dead on either side. Notwithstanding the strength of the combatants the non-commissioned officer unhesitatingly and courageously marched his little detachment between the rival forces. There he defied them to fire on the British flag. SIXTEEN ARABS KILLED The Arabs drew: back. The Jews, who were the weaker of the two sides, were glad of the interruption and retreated. Presently more men of the Green Howards arrived on the scene. The Arabs grew more belligerent and began firing, luckily without doing any harm. Ultimately a party of Lancers dashed up in armoured cars and began to encircle the raiders for the purpose of securing their arms without bloodshed. One armoured car broke down and some Arabs broke away. Forty Green Howards pursued them, and a running fight ensued. The Arabs lost 16 dead and many wounded. Later they surrendered their arms and ammunition, and pledged themselves not to take part in further disturbances.