PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19857, 30 January 1928, Page 9

PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

PART PLAYED BY ANZACS. OFFICIAL BRITISH HISTORY. AMAZING MOUNTED WARFARE. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received January 29, 5.30 p.m.) A. and N Z. LONDON, Jan. 28. The hardships of the Australian Light Horse and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles in their desert campaign are described in unvarnished style in the British official history of the war in Egypt and Palestine, to June, 1917. It is highly appreciative of the Dominion troops, and it describes as a sporting failure General Chauvel'ij attempt, to carry Bir el Abd in August, 1916. The book pays a tribute to the Mounted Infantry., to whose tenacity and physical endurance the victory at Romani was largely due. It later ascribes the overthrow of the redoubt at Rafa to the outstandingly dashing assault of the New Zealanders. It gives a very detailed description of tho two battles at Gaza, and includes a reference to the controversy regarding the retirement in the first battle after the more advanced troops, including the Anzac Mounted Division, had actually reached the Gaza streets. The history quotes the Australian official history, which says that General Chauvel made a strong protest against the order to retire. The British footnote on this point says: "No written protest is on record. General Sir Philip Chctwodc says it was made to him verbally, either by messenger or by telephone." The history constitutes .an amazing record of how the tremendous difficulties of the desert were overcome by engineers and scientists, notably the water supply, the transport, and the handling of the wounded. Referring to the purely military aspect of the conquest of the desert the author says: " It was made chiefly notable by the work of the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Horse. The young nations laid the foundation of a record which will not be forgotten in the history of mounted warfare.''