Our Boys with Ailenby.

Free Lance, Volume XVIII, Issue 984, 14 May 1919, Page 9

Our Boys with Ailenby.

The Storming; of Damascus and the March to Baalbek. to The New Zealand * * Free Lance from Beirut, in Sy--ria,' by the shores of the Mediterranean, at the middle of March, a New Zealand soldier gives a graphic account of General Allenby's operations in Palestine and Syria which ended in the storming and capture of the ancient city of Damascus. He opens with the statement: "I am again in God's own country. -Baalbek ("The Town of the Sun") •■where we spent most of the winter, is the coldest town in Syria. Snow and ice there in plenty, and 1 can assure you I felt it after two years in the desert. But life is sweet once again here on the beach just outside Beirut, the waters of the Mediterranean being, never too cold to swim in. Though it is still winter with us the temperature is much the same as in Auckland during the summer months. "Let me tell you briefly what we have done from the middle of June 1.918, which saw the wind-up of the Australian portion of the Camel •Corps. Through General Allenby's -successes the desert had been left behind and with it the camel. The loth and 16th Companies of NeAv Zeawejre brought together and for a time, to our great joy, we .thought we were going to be formed into a cavalry regiment and to carry swords once more. But instead of rthat the orders came for the 15th and 16th to form a machine-gun squadron attached to the new sth Australian Ljight Horse Cavalry Brigade. This ■change at first caused some discontent in the ranks, but after training under the expert instructors of the Scottish 26th Machine-Gun Squadron enthusiasm revived and the new squadron was fit to take its place in the field by September 1918, when General Allenby was preparing for his final advance in Palestine against the Turks. This Ne*w Zealand Machine-Gun Squadron attached to the sth Australian Light Horse took an active and 'gallant part in the subsequent operations during which the retreating Turkish army was driven back along the Nablus road, through Samaria, past Nazareth and the shores of tlie Sea •of Galilee. At Tiberias, on the shores of this inland sea. the troops were welcomed by the whole populace turning out to acclaim their arrival. The crossing of the Jordan was obstinately disputed by the enemy with artillery and machine-guns, but the British prevailed and pushed on to Damascus. Here they were received with heavy rifle fire and machine-gun fire from the trees and buildings on the outskirts. The British artillery was then brought up, and after heavily shelling the enemy's cover the cavalry were to be seen galloping with drawn swords into action. The action was sharp and decisive. By night the ' Turks were in full retreat, the main exit from Damascus was choked with waggons, motor-cars, lorries, etc., etc. "broken and abandoned, while soldiers and civilians, mixed up with horses, battle and sheep, were pouring out in a confused stream all rushing for dear life. Next morning there was a general surrender, "when nearly 20,000 "Turks and Germans laid, down their arms. Our soldier correspondent, with pardonable pride writes : — "If the 2nd New Zealand/Mounted ■Gun Squadron that had been in existence only from August, last till then never does another thing it fully justified its creat i on, for it . was. mainly through its efforts and success that the collapse of the Turks toolk place at Damascus that afternoon and led "up to the big. surrender on the following day. Other New Zealand units have done well in this war, but I venture to say that few have surpassed "fche success of this unit at Tul Keram and Barada." As for Damascus he says that although one of the largest and oldest cities in those parts and though possessing many fine buildings, an electric tram service, and being the centre of a rich agricultural district and sur-

rounded by beautiful, gardens and orchards, yet poverty and filth prevailed; children being naked and dying of starvation in the streets. "On the 27th October out Brigade with orders to proceed to Aleppo, passed . through the squalor of the city and, moving north, reached a plain covered with vineyards and orchards as far as the eye could see, and now for the first time in history, this north road was being traversed by a victorious European army. It was along this very same road that the Scriptures tell us the Wise Men of the East, 2000 years ago, followed the guiding star to Bethlehem as they carried their gifts to the child Jesus. 5 ' At Horus the troops received the welcome news that Turkey had signed on armistice. Therefore the march to Aleppo was cancelled. Part of bhe squadron remained at Horus, two sub-sections proceeding to Rayah (the junction of the Damaseus-Horus line), while the rest with Brigade headquarters and a- Light Horse Regiment took over the control of Baalbek, one of the best known towns in Syria. It lies at an altitude of 3850 ft above the sea. level between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. The wonderful ruins of Baalbek are famous the wide-world over. Our soldier waxes enthusiastic over them. ''Tradition," he says, "states that the gigantic. blocks of masonry employed in the construction of the monuments of Baalbek were transported by mastodons which existed in the time of Cain and Abel. Also, it was here that the famous town of Babel (Baalbek) was erected. One sees here the ruins of the mighty temples constructed by tlie ancients and dedicated to their divinities. They have excited the admiration of all ages alike by the artistic perfection of their sculpture and their prodigious strength. Many of the blocks weigh as much as 720 tons and tremendous pillars of great height are still standing. There is one colossal block of stone hewn out of the solid rock whose dimensions are: 69ft long, 16ft. wide, 14ft. high, and which weighs 915 tons. It is calculated that the combined efforts of 40,000 men would be required to place the stone in position. "Christmas Day, 1918, witnessed the first Christian service held within these walls for 1500 years."