OFFICER'S LETTER FROM. PALESTINE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17239, 15 February 1918, Page 8

OFFICER'S LETTER FROM. PALESTINE.

THE ADVANCE ON BEKRSHEBA. Tho Minister of Defence lias received tlio following letter from an officer now in ho-v !iii.ili in Egypt, giving an interesting , oo-c-oiiiit of the operations in i'alctitiue:--

"Having iirriwid at the convalescent stage, 1 Miiiiio write to t.ll you .something of the suwKsftil operation*oorl r General Allenby's command. The Aii/.au Division was ordered uroiind tho right Hank of tho (Jazai.iuoraheba line, then held by tho enemy (October 24), and, after various stages and camping.-, on tlie night of October 50 wo inarched 30 miles, reaching at daybreak the hills overlooking Beoruheba from tho east, uiul a general advance was at once ordered. TV I <■! Saba was the Nnw /ealanders' iJJ=t objective, and after pushing back a few outposts tin; whole division deployed on the plains below—a sight that I shall never forget—with the Fifth ISngado (Australians) on our right, and the remaining brigade of tho division in support." "To the Auckland Regiment, fell the task of taking tho ttaba redoubt, which was accomplished by live o'clock in tho evening. The Somerset battery, which is attached to our brigade, did good work preparatory to the attack by tho Aucklanders, the landing of their shells being remarkably accurate. The .second squadron, Wellington Mounted Rifles, was sent in us support, and under an eager major reached the front line just in time to take part in tho linal assault. Considering th<j strong position and tho strength of the enemy, o-ur casualties in that engagement must bo regarded as light. "In the meantime, tho Australian Division had made a successful thrust at licerslioba, and at tliree o'clock the enemy oould bo observed making for tho hills north of Boerslioba in largo number.-:, the Australians entering Bcersheba the same- evening (October 31). By next evening the town was tho receiving depot for all tho wounded in and around that locality. It is impossible to speak too highly of the arrangements made for the care of tho wounded. A fullyequipped hospital staff was ready to take possession of suitable buildings at Beersheba immediately upon it? being captured. " On the following day our brigade was sent out in the direction of the Hobron road to prevent any surprise attack from reinforcements that might have been in that locality, but no attempt was made by the enemy. The watering of our horses gave us most trouble. The poor brutes had to go 30 hours without water on more than one occasion. Once wo parted with them for the purpose of watering them —ono man to four horses—whilst the remainder of the brigade hold the positions demounted. It was on this occasion that the shrapnel gnnfiro was pretty effective, on some of us. mvself being ono of tho unfortunates. This was on November 5. At that time we were within a few miles of Sharia, trying to forco our way across country to tho enemy's rear —a movement which was very successfully continued next dav. I had set my heart o:f taking part in tho capture of Jerusalem, and had hoped to be at tho triumphant entry to that old city on tho occasion of its being once more in the hands of the Christians. Now that great event has taken place; I must be content with visiting it later on. It is good to bo alive these days, and to have tJie honour of taking part in the restoration of the Holy Land from tho grip of tho infidel."

SOLDIERS SENTENCED

THREE GET TWO YEARS' HARD LABOUR. Three soldiers at Trentham camp, having been convicted by District Court-martial of disobeying tho lawful commands of their superior officers, hsi.vo each been sentenced to imprisonment with hard labour for two vears. Their names are as follow: —Private L. Batten. Details, Trentham camp; Private 11. Jordan, Details, Trentham camp; Private J. Calpin, Details. Trentham camp.