A DESERT ENGAGEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1917, Page 6

A DESERT ENGAGEMENT.

ROUNDING UP BEDOUINS. CHARGE BY NEW ZEALANDERS. Of the operations ir. which the Now Zealanders have been engage-.d in the Arabian desert, less has been heard than of their doings in any other field of action. Some interesting information is, however, contained in a letter received by an Auckland resident from a s<?ldier fighting there. Writing under date February 15, he says:— "Wo left El Arish on January S, about 1 p.m., and travelled all that night till we came near the border of Palestine. Our regiment had to "round up the Bedouins. As far as the eye could see through the grey of daybreak tyiere were glimmers of their campfires. They live in little bivvies made out of a hind of blanket. We collected 100 of them, and put them in a heap. The Turkish redoubt, a strong position, was about two miles and a-half away. A guard wa? placed over the Bedouins. Then some of lis went out to reconnoitre beyond the Turkish position. While this was going on the Turks turned their mountain guns upon us. but the shells burst far short of us. Then we galloped right round the redoubt, traversing about two miles of fiat country exposed to tno enemy. We got round-'them, only i couple of our men being hit. I am giving only an account of the doings of our own little lot. There were also Australians, camel corps, and Yeomanry, on the front and sides of the redoubt. "We took up a position, and gave 'Johnny' an hour or so of rifle pellets. Our guns were putting in shells oi the redoubt from the time we started our gallop into action. As wc were doing no good from 1 our then position we withdrew and went further round. We could not use the horse to approach the redoubt, as there was a mile of flat ground to go over, tho only cover being a slight rise 150 yds from the redoubt. We advanced to this rise on foot, a troop at a time. Our machine-guns and shrapnel shells were covering our advance. Wo hung on here, getting an occasional casualty, but kept up a continuous fire on f Jio entrenched redoubt. "At half-past four word was boh" passed round to retire. The aeroplanes dropped a message to the effect that Turkish reinforcements were only fve miles away. After the Yeomanry and the Australians had retired wo were ordered to prepare for a bayonet charge, and across that 150 yds of flat we weK. It was a hot affair. Our machine-sun men deserve a lot of credit for the way in which they kept up the covering fire during the charge. The Turkish trenches were rising white with dust and smoke from their fusillade. The incident was soon over. When the Australians saw us charging they turned round and joined in. A great many of our mm were hit, but we got off lightly considering.