FIGHTING IN PALESTINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1918, Page 6

FIGHTING IN PALESTINE.

DESCRIBED BY A WAITARA SOLDIER. HOW LIEUT. PATTERSON LOST HIS LIFE. Under date of May sth, Sergt. Cliff Tate, writing to Mr T. Buchanan say?: We have had rather a severe stretch since my last to you, and one or two rather exciting periods. Sinco Captain Pierce (of Stratford) received his well deserved promotion and left the troop and I joined up at Jaffa, I have been mimi£ a Troop Officer. Although entailing more time it has been goou experience, and I do not half like coming back to the orderly room again, even for such a short time as three weeks, but there is reason in all things, I suppose, and, in any case, we are in "reserve"— meaning a standing camp—and I am therefore not missing anything. I»uthe Amman affair I was attached with my troops to the Engineers an a demolition party. This promised to be very interesting, but wc dogged with bad luck in the sihapc of rain, and the raid had repeatedly to be lieid over. The first set-back was hi bridging the flooded Jordan, and when this hazardous task had been completed by the Anzac Engineers, our people did not lose much time in carrying out the business. Auckland distinguished themselves in the pioneer work, and even with the delay of days in crossing we often found evidence of the fact that. Jaeko had been taken by surprise. The whole thing was bluff on our part, and purely by cheek we lolloped to do much damage before he could draw on his reinforcements, and perhaps link ourselves up with the Hedjaz.

IN THE MOAB HILLS. Our party had a -very tidy lot of explosive, etc., and we started out with the limbers in great style. The Moab hills were no joke, however, and with the fresh rainyi storms coming on our troubles commenced, and we reluctantly had to rely on camels for transport. Now the camel is a handy beast on the desert-or is good going anywhere, but in rocky country, and slippery at that, he is "209 per cent worse than a toad bullock, and a 9 an incentive for choice language about likes the bun. Of the hundreds of camels floating around, our particular portion was 24, and I think I handled and rehandled lovingly and otherwise every bally projecting part of their blessed carcares. For two days and nights we pushand pulled these 24 masses of stupidity over slippery tracks, muddy patches and up and down steep wadis until finally we gave them up as a bad job and commandeered a batch of pack-horses. Our original plans had to be somewhat curtailed, and we were not called upon to do a great deal in the demolition line. We had the pleasure, however, of putting a bit of "hate" into a small bridge which fell to our lot. TREACHEROUS TREATMENT. My word, it can foe cold on these Moa,l> hills—a biting mountain chill! I rejoined the squadron for the return journey to the Jordan, and this part of the stunt is better forgotten. When the hitherto friendly natives (I refer particularly to the Circassian clement) found that it was not our intention to establish ourselves in their lovely lands, they let us down in a very treacherous manner. Our squadron was allotted the very unenviable portion of the column known as the rearguard The column was to pass through the Circassian village of Ain-cs-Sir and down a narrow track along the bed of the Wadi Sir. The going was very slow, and it was 6 a.m. before we received word to withdraw our post. The Turks were now coming on strongly, and "ven hid we otherwise been left alone, our hands must have been full to have kept them off. However, scarcely had we left the village when we were enfiladed from, all sides by a heavy rifle fire. AVe had been ambushed by the treacherous Circassians, and in a very siiort time there was "hell let loose"! It was a rotten wet morning, and the majority of Mir horses soon became unmanageable.

A FATEFUL HOUE. I'l never forget the ensuing hour. Things were slightly mixed <hy the time a stand could lie made, hut when our boys settled down to it they soon evenp(l up the score and were able to hold up the Turkish advance and to punish the Arabs about 40 of the latter went West, but they did not atone for the loss of sueh fine 'men as Major Somcrville (our OC. Squad Ton) who was fatally wounded and died next day; Lieut. Dave Patterson, of Tarata, and several other good men. Wo lost four out of our troop. Our splendid, and the two mentioned certainly gave their lives gamely in no small measure assisted the column to get safely out of a rotten corner. After our withdrawal to the <iver we took up a stand on a prepared line, here we have been carrying on a desultory fire (more or less) action since. The infantry, as usual, have borne the greater brunt of this later line to line ngntmg, and liave, with the co-operation of the mounted?, made some severe demonstrations On one occasion the Light Horse made a very daring raid round the Turkish position to Es Salt, this diverting the attention of the enemy from the infantry, who were making a frontal move. What the final result of this was I do not know, hut the Tommies had a hard time. During these operations we Were attached to the infantry, and later our regiment worked in touch with the different Indian Lancers. INTERESTING LANDMARKS. Naturally we have had ample opportunities of bathingOin the celebrated Jordan, «nd we also landed a dip in the ,?cad Sea. Not a little interesting are the different monasteries scattered around the country. They are often built in the most weird and inaccessible positions, and in some cases date back many hundreds of years. One, a monastery of St. George, near our last bivouac, originated as far back as 300 A.D. Situate at the foot of a deep wndi and built in the side of a cliff, it presents a weird picturesqueness seldom seen. Then there js a somewhat similar one built on the side of the Hill of Temptation facing the Jordan Valley- How on earth the Monks mjnaged to get the material there licks me. Invariably these placees have their j targe collection of skulls, mostly of pilgrims, hut in some ease of celebrities in their particular spheres. When we passed through Bethlehem on our way to the Jordan a good nwnbrf of our bojs were aecommodated at the Monastery of The Knights of Malta, a hospice of rouoh repute and a line big pines. Just now we are possied near Sohimon'a Pool, about nine miles from Bethlehem on the one aide, and the same fllstemee from Hebron on the other. The utmos-

imigginess of the valley and I shall be sorry when our short "reserve" or "rest," as it is termed, is finished. A PLACE OF WHIRLWINDS. Our last bivouac was a great spot for whirlwinds. First one batch of Wvvies went up in the air to the amusement of onlookers, and in turn the amused had to chase their OM[n gear when the whirlwind changed its course. The wind was no persons, and up went a cook shelter, followed by officers' bivvies. It was great fun/" > H. Alexander and E. Reek joined up a short time ago, and both are in my troop, as also is Southcombe (a Wanganui rep.). This keen atmosphere makes the boys feel IP' 1 ! a game of footer, but there wtH be no opportunity in this stoney vicinity. Down in the valley the boys got hold of a. dandy little native dog. I stuck a disc on him "50403 Jericho Lass," and intended hanging on to him but some "Ossies" took a fancy to him the other day, and he is now posted as missing. I have had a mania for mascots lately. Found a giant grasshopper and put a disc on him "IT A Norman." Used to keep him tied up to our O/R. tent pole, hut Norman wa» never reliable in his movements, and seared stt many "clients" that I gave him his liberty. Thi9 country is the limit lor insects and reptile life. Snakes are all the go :]ust now. Would like to send you a little tortoise but out at the question, 1 think. The miter sends Ma klni regards to »•