THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15948, 9 July 1917, Page 7

THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

OPERATIONS REVIEWED PRAISE FOR NEW ZEALANDERS. GENERAL STR A. MURRAY'S REPORT. (By Cable—Press Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association.) (Router's Telegrams.) (Received July Bth, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 6. General Sir Archibald. Murray, in despatches covering the period from October Ist, 191G, tp February 8 th, 1917. mentions 19 Australians and 43 New Zealanders. He specially comments on tho Australian and Now Zealand mounted forces' skilful occupation of El Arisli and Mnsmi on December 20th, eending -with Major-General Chauvet's fine march on Magdhabah, where 1282 prisoners wero taken, the attackers losing only 154. killed or wounded. The brilliant dash of tho New Zealand mounted forces, which were included in' Goncral Sir Philip Chetwodo's column advanced on Rafa on January ;9th, was an outstanding feature of the action, which resulted in tho capture of the entiro Turkish force of 1600 men. The main factor in tho success of conquering the Sinai desert has been intense and unremitting work. Hundreds of-miles of roads and railways were built, and filters wore installed supplying 1,500,000 gallons of water daily. Quantities of stone were transported from distant quarries and Ivantara was transformed into an important railway and water terminus. Hundreds of miles of barbed-wire entanglements, aerodromes, wireless stations, and sanitation works were necessary to make tlie desert habitable. The work of the Camel Corps, including the Australian and New Zealand units, was excellent throughout, and the corps had done a great part of the work in supplying tho troops. General Murrav pays tributes to the excellent organising powers of Lieu-tenant-General Dobell, who maintained his troops in the waterless desert, well ahead of tho railway; to General Chetwode, who was in command of the Desert Column, for his great foresight and decision, and to MajorGeneral Chauvel for his skilful leadership.