IN THE HOLY LAND

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3096, 29 May 1917, Page 6

IN THE HOLY LAND

WITH THE NEW ZEALAND HOUNTEDS

"THEN UP WENT THE WHITE FLAG"

Trooper Alfred, Ames, of the N.Z. Mounted Rifles, now engaged in business in Palestine, in a letter to his father, Jlr. James Ames, of Wellington, writes chattily about the campaign of which w'e iu-0 lieariiijr so little, but about which rumour has been busy in England, to judge by recent cable messages:— "We 'have just returned from Palestine (sounds funny, doesn't it?) after a three days' stunt in the saddle, and experienced very cold weather. We crossed over the bolder into Palestine at a place called Rafa, and got into good fertile country, with plenty of grass and stock in the fields—a thing wo had not seen for many a long month. It was quite a to see decent country after so much sandy desert. The name moruiiig wo got into touch with the Turks. Thev had taken up a great position—a good big hill, with trenches dug all round the bottom. We had- to surround this position before our big guns opened fire. Then the word to fire was given, and the bombardment started. All kinds of guns opened fire on them from the surrounding hill-tops, whilst our aeroplanes hovered overhead like 'hens watching their chickens, at the eami) time giving Monsieur Turk a few bombs. The Turks replied with machine-gun and rifle fire. This lasted until 5 p.m., when our mounted men advanced on this strong position, and ftp went the white flag! The Turks are good fighters until you get near. tlifein. So long as they are in a trench they will tight like rats. We found a good many dead in the trenches, and a greai many wounded. Our casualty list was not a very big one. During the bombardment our troop (Wellington men) were on the side of the nil'.. abont 1000 yards away, and we put the lead in good and hard. 1 fired about id rounds, and the barrel of my riHe bewune. finite hot with'the exercise it got. Only oue of our troop got hit. *ow tor, a. little inuident which ■ followed the capture of this hill. About half-way between our po3itiou and the enemy s some of us came upon an officer s dnj-out, which had evidently belonged to a. lurk--ish officer. Into this several of us jumped, and were fortune enough to diecover iu it a bis box of bottles of rum and wine, also biscuits. Although looting is forbidden we could not resist the temptation of having a tnste, as we had had a very hard day, and only a bit ot biscuit and cheese to eat. lou can imagine how a small decoction of wine did go, besides. which we helped ourselves to some bully beef, which was also very palatable. To wind up a very strenuous day our troop was told oft to escort Turkish (with ii few German) prisoners back to our lines, between 20 and 30 miles away. These prisoners numbered about 1540. The Australians were ou one side of them, and we- were on tho other. The Turks seemed to 1* very poorlv equipped as regards clolhIna and some of them had no boots at all Our camels carried the wounded. Some of those poor beggars must have had a very unpleasant trip as the came is very rough to ride at the beat ot tmes/and I don't think I was ever so tired in my life as I was at the, end of thit iournev Our casualties, in this action 1 were" afterwards estimated at 600." ■