OCCUPATION OF JERICHO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16848, 13 May 1918, Page 6

OCCUPATION OF JERICHO.

m ■ . PUSHING BACK THE TURKS. NEW ZEALANDERB PARTICIPATE An interesting'description of the opera tions leading up to the occupation o Jericho, in which New Zealand troopi participated, is given in a letter writtei by a member of the Wellington Infantry The writer says that the New Zealandera who left Bethlehem on February 17 camped that night at Obeid. jf&i, daj they received orders to. move off at 6.3 C that night to support the London Scot tish, who were to attack a very strong lurkish position at daylighl the following morning. The London Scottish arrivec before the Turkish position at 5.30, but, after firms about six shells from a mom* tain battery and firing a few abots from the rifles, the enemy evacuated the posi taon. The New Zealanders remamed ir their positions expecting an attack, at am moment. ■.'■.,;* ' m "At 3.30 p.m.," the letter proceeds, we moved off on foot, leaving one man with ev*ry four horses. The' previous evening the Canterbury and Auckland Regiments and the Ist. Australian Light Horse had arrived, and were * stationed about six miles nearer Jerusalem. ' They had instructions to join us at * am" when we were to make an attack o& a strong Turkish position, on a high ridge. We arrived before the position just before daylight and split up into small parties to attack from different positions. 4 The No. 2 Troop, 2nd Squadron—of which 1 am one—under Lieutenant Ricketts-, advanced up a steep ridge, and found when we got to the top that the Turks had gone. It was now daylight, and after a short rest we moved off again, and at 7 a.m. came up to the enemy, who were entrenched on a high ridge, with machineguns and rifles. "Unfortunately, the Canterbury, Auckland and Australian troops . had missed their way in the rough ranges and had not arrived, so the attack was left to the Wellington Mounted Rifles. We eot into very heavy fire, and had to take cover, as there was about SOOvds of flat in front, of the position,, and it was impossible to make a frontal attack without assistance from the other regiments or artillery. This was at eight o'clock, and we kept quiet till mid-dav, when the other £roops armed, and the Turks immediately retired along the ridge. We had five men wounded. The Turks suffered more severely The other boys now brought up the led horses and we pushed on about two nyles, and had a rest behind a ridce which the Tommies had captured earlier in the day.

" This was at Mantel, and we were now in position to support the Scottish on the right flank. Thev had, also pushed on -some dietaries. They attacked the Turkish position in the afternoon, and it was a sight to see. In one of their previous engagements thev had to retire leaving some of their wounded. Knd the lurks had stripped the clothes off them and the Scottish hadn't forgotten it. ineirartillery kept up a constant fire on the position, and so prevented the enemy from using his rifle-fire, and the Scottish charged up the face of the hill and got right on to them. The Turk cannot stand the bayonet, and at once held up his hands, hut the Scottish, remembering how their mates had been treated took no prisoners. At 5 p.m. we were ordered to unsaddle, and the horses must have felt relieved, as they had not had their saddles off for three days and two flights. I had a couple of hours' sleep also, which was the first I had had for three nights. "We were all saddled and readv'to move off at four o'clock next morning. "February 21, but it was six o'clock before our outposts reported all clear, so at 6.30 we pushed on again in pursuit of the Turk who was going for his life. At 9.15 a.m ' we arrived in the Jordan Vallev. at the end of the Dead Sea, about two miles from Jenehp. A he Ist Australian Light Horse and the Canterbury Regiment had been B * nt ' on. before us, and had entered Jericho a* ,"™ am ' with very liit,e opposition. At 1.30 we put down our horse lines and put up our «biwys' in preparation for a night rest, which we badly needed. In the meantime the Turk had retreated across the Jordan River, and was amusing himself by sending a few sheilas across our way, but heliadh't got the range, so we didn't take any notice of them. Aa soon as we had tea, 1 went to bed and had a good sleep."