NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE BATTLE OF RAFA.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14009, 13 March 1920, Page 3

NEW ZEALANDERS AT THE BATTLE OF RAFA.

i Specially written tor the Oamaru Mail. j It is not generally known what part was taken by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles in the first battle fought on the soil of the Holy Land during the late war. The New Zealand Brigade consisted of three regiI ments—Auckland, AVellington. and Canterbury—and was under the command of Brigadier-Genera! Chaytor, now Major-General Sir E. Vf. Chayton, and at present G.0.C., N.Z. Defence Force. This Brigade and the First and Second Australian Light Horse Brigades formed the Auzac Dii vision, which in turn formed part of tho Desert Column, or, as it was later called. Desert Mounted Corps. On the evening of January 8, 1917, a mounted force, commanded by Lient.-General Sir P. Chetwode, and consisting" of Australian Light Horse, Yeomanry, Imperial Camel Brigade, and New" Zealand Mounted Rifles, left Kl Aiish. and pushed on by night a distance of ;5o miles to a strong Turkish position at Rafa, situated near the sandhills, on the border-line between Egyptian' territory and Palestine. As the force approached Rafa the nature of the country changed from loose, sandy soil to undulating land covered with green grass, which gave firmer footing to the horses - , and formed a pleasant contrast to the shifting, sand of the desert over which the force had been advancing since leaving the Suez Canal. Arriving near the Turkish position before daybreak on the 9th, the New Zealand Brigade was sent to make an encircling movement to get into the rear of the Turks, while the remainder of the force attacked from the youth and south-east. The Brigade moved out into the wilderness, which was part of the grazing ground of Abraham of old, where they found some 'Bedouins living in the same primitive fashion as did the Patriarch of old, and these were rounded up ana tent under, escort to the rear. it mav not be generally known that it was fn this same district that Napoleon's army was led astray in February, 1799. "when marching to the attack" of Khan Yunus, a native village north of Rafa, Their, native guides misled the French, and they wandered on into the wilderness for 48 hours before finding out their mistake. When Napoleon and his staff came up, they rode right into the village, supposing it to be captured. When the Turks saw the small party riding boldly into the town, they retired in naste. thinking that the force was the advance guard of the French army. Once more Napoleon's luck stood him in goodi stead. The New • Zealanders were not soled astray, and. crossing the border line, were the first troops of the E.E.F. to enter Palestine: Making a. detour, they moved round into the rear of the Turkish position, and occupied a low ridge 2000 yards from the main redoubt. It was one of the few occasions in the vvar when a. large force of mounted men could be moving into action, and on this occasion the whole movement was carried put as if on a parade ground, artillery and men walloping into position and getting into action on perfectly open ground with a steadiness that could not have been surpassed in peace manoeuvres. The Turks were strongly entrenched, their main redoubt, Magruntein, dominating all the surrounding country. TBe attack was made, in the early morning, and was,.continued all day with but litle gain to our side.- 'During the. day information was- received that ' a.: large enemy relieving force was advancing from ShellaJ,' and the official despatch says:—"General Chetwode did not al-

low this threat, which complicated his situation, to affect the execution drill's purpose. He at once gave. orders for the "attack to be presesd with vigor. The troops, admirably supported by the artillery, advanced with great gallantry, and at 4.45 p.m. the New Zealand Mounted Rifles captured the redoubt with brilliant dash, covering the last 800 yards in two rushes, supported by machine-gun fire." So says the official despatch, but the man in the ranks has a different opinion as to what really occurred. The report current amongst those who took part in the fight was to the effect that after attacking all day with little effect the force was ordered to retire, some of the Yeomanry'actually withdrawing and being unaware of the result of the operations until they reached El Arish, 35 .miles away. Australians who were there have described to the writer the confusion that existed in the rear, where the ambulance and the transport were,'owing to the attempts to getaway before the fighting line retired, as otherwise they would have been iii danger of falling into the hands of the Turks if the latter pursued the retiring force.

Instead of being worried by the approach of the Turkish reinforcements, Colonel Meldrum (now BrigadierGeneral) , who was in charge .of the Wellington Mounted Rifles,' sent out one squadron in the direction of Khan Yufius to guard his rear, and threw the rest of his force into the fighting line. Shortly after 4 p.m. General Chaytor, although it is said that he knew that an order to retire was coming (if he had not already received it), ordered his brigade. to advance over the perfectly open ground on the Turkish position, and they rushed the trenches, capturing the niain redoubt, from the rear, although a fairly large number of casualties was sustained in the advance. The . Australians, seeing the New/Zealanders on the parapet, at first thought that they the Turks coming to counter-attack them, but they sooii recognised the slouch hats, and at. once pressed the attack oh the other redoubts, which were dominated from the one just captured, and the whole position arid garrison ' of 1600 men were captured. The. New Zealand Mounted Rifles were in the most* difficult position to retire from, as', they were between two forces of the enemy, and but for General Chaytor's prompt action .aserious reverse might- have been sustained. of. that the whole Turkish "force-holding the position fell into our 'hands, and the Turks retired without ahv serious fighting and took up a line north of the Wadi Ghuzzee extending from Gaza to Beersheba. [The significant point of the foregoing is that the-New Zealanders .were in reality the captors of an important position that the British commanding officer had deemed, unconquerable .with the forces' at his command. , *He hack .ordered his fore© to> retire, and this movement backwards was actually in process -when the New Zealanders on their own initiative captured the dominating redoubt and' Tendered all olse possible. It will be noted'.that the official report makes no reference to a. retirement having been entered upon, nor even of an order to retire having been given. The capture ,of the Turkish position is reported in such a. w-ay-as to, leave the impression that it-was ef-' fected in the ordinary • course of a. i aucerted plan, and Ihe New Zealanders are consequently cheated; of the full measure of honor that belongs to thein. —Ed. O.M.J