INTO PALESTINE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 959, 8 March 1917, Page 8

INTO PALESTINE.

HARASSING ABDUL. Mr E. F. Maynard, of Sumner, has received an interesting letter from Trooper Stanley Maynard, describing operations with the New Zealand Mounted Brigade against the Turks in Sinai, and on the borders of Palestine. Trooper Maynard describes the action at Magdhaba on January 4, and says that the charge made late in the afternoon was the prettiest thing he had ever witnessed. The Turk could not put his head above the parapets owing to the intense and accurate machine-gun fire. Tn this action, the New Zealand brigade was the first to cross the borders into Palestine. "A few days later," states the ■writer; "the brigade left Rafa and joined up with the division on the Turkish side of El Arish. At dawn an advance was made. The country was absolutely different to the monotonous old desert. It was beautiful, undulating and cropped, with trees here and there, the whole landscape resembled good country in New Zealand. About 8 a.m., the artillery came up and put a few shells into tlie enemy's position. Aeroplanes were cruising about at this stage. The N.Z.M.R's had the job of taking Abdul's line of communications, and after doing this closed in behind to complete the circle surrounding the Turks' redoubts. ... I shall nv\ev forget the gallop across the Hats—it was great. When we got round we set up a station behind a mud building which commanded a view of the enemy's position. . . . The batteries came in closer, whilst our men began to storm, bid the enemy's fire did not lessen. Prisoners reported that a strong reinforcement of . Abduls were coming up, and were not an hour's march away. Of course most of the fellows in the tiring line did not know this, but we did, and being right in the rear of the position, knew that we were in for it. I can assure you that we had our glasses glued eastwards, and when our Hank reported a strong force advancing, we began !o wonder just how we were going to gel out.

However, about 10 minutes later ' we charged. As of old, Abdul gave up the ghost as soon as he saw cold steel, hut that was not until the chaps were right on the trenches. He had his head well down when the charge was on. The intense rifle fire stopped all of a sudden as "Aussv's" and N.Z.M.R.'s met from both sides of the hill. ft appears (hat meanwhile the Turkish reinforcements coming got wind of the proceedings, and apparently thought we were going to liang on to the redoubt, so thev camped for the night. I believe that a few of the Camel Corps, a squadron of the Bth Light Horse, and the "Wellington Regiment drove these reinforcements back next morning. Anyway, we made a clean gettvway with four mountain guns, numerous machine guns, rifles, and ammunition galore. Altogether 1000 Turks were captured. Killed and wounded were estimated at GOO—a very successful day's work.