Through Palestine with the Twentieth Machine Gun Squadron Part 7

PART IV.

MARCH TO THE JORDAN VALLEY.

Before proceeding with a description of the Squadron's "trek" to the Jordan Valley, it might be desirable to enlighten the reader as to the actual position of affairs at the "front".

[Ill.u.s.tration]

After the capture of Jerusalem on December 9th 1917, the Turk made one forlorn effort to re-capture it. This attempt met with not the slightest success, and afterwards (in February 1918), he was driven down into the Jordan Valley, where he had to yield up the town of Jericho to us. Since then (in March and April), two raids had been made into Turkish territory on the eastern side of the Jordan in the hills (in which the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, and Ess.e.x Battery R.H.A. partic.i.p.ated), and on each occasion, the towns of Es-Salt and Amman were reached. A large number of prisoners were taken, together with machine-guns and ammunition, added to which several bridges were destroyed, and the Hedjaz railway from Damascus to Mecca cut, thus endangering the Turkish troops, which were operating against the Arab Sherifian Army, further south. Elsewhere on the front, the position of the "line" had not materially changed, and at the time of the "20TH MACHINE-GUN SQUADRON'S" tour of duty in the Jordan Valley, it extended from the coast north of Jaffa south-eastwards across country (through a point 18 miles north of Jerusalem), to the Jordan Valley, thence, due south along the eastern bank of the river to the Dead Sea.

Now, it will be readily imagined that when a unit has remained for any length of time in one place it has automatically collected large quant.i.ties of stores, equipment, etc., which naturally cannot be carried, when on the march. On this occasion the princ.i.p.al difficulty lay in the stock of "canteen goods" that we had acc.u.mulated. Fortunately the "R.A.F." came to the rescue and bought the whole lot, "lock, stock and barrel".

As has been stated, there was much sickness in the Squadron at this time, but many men were able to keep themselves out of hospital because of the fact that the Squadron was "at rest," besides, they preferred to rough it, rather than leave their duties. A "sick-parade" was now hurriedly called in order to dispose of those who could not be expected to take part in the next "trek". This parade, however, was _vetoed_ from the start, and was, in fact, unpopular. Only two men turned up! These, with the two officers previously mentioned (all of whom ought to have "gone down the line"

several days before), were accordingly sent to hospital. Many men were suffering from septic sores on their legs and feet; permission was asked (and granted), for these cases, to wear "slacks" or shoes, as might be necessary. Strange as it might seem, these men preferred to suffer and remain with the Squadron, when there seemed a chance that they might be able to come to grips with the enemy and do something really useful.

In these circ.u.mstances, it was not a _very_ smart Squadron that paraded that night, but its spirit would require a lot of beating! The _route_ lay past Yazur, on the Jaffa road, to Ramleh, which town they were approaching as day broke, and Ludd[14] could also be seen. The latter town will be remembered by all who had occasion to go to Egypt for leave or to take a course of instruction, also by reinforcements who joined the Squadron about this time, as it was the British railhead; the journey from here to Kantara on the Suez Ca.n.a.l being accomplished overnight. From Ludd, also, there is a branch line to Jerusalem, and a narrow gauge railway to Sarona. At Ramleh, turning off the road to the right, and pa.s.sing Lieut. Price's grave, we halted, off-saddled, watered and fed. At 14.00 a further march, arriving at the water troughs east of Latron at 17.00, camping for the night further up the road. Fairly on the way to the famous Jordan Valley, ill-accounts of which they had often heard, we were soon to find that these reports had not been at all exaggerated!

The next morning (June 30th), the road in front being very steep, rising continually, with often a drop of several hundred feet on either side, units started at half-hour intervals.

FOOTNOTES:

[14] _Ludd was the birthplace of St. George, the Patron Saint of England. A church built here, after his martyrdom, was destroyed on the approach of the First Crusaders. It was re-built, however, but was destroyed again by order of Saladin in A.D. 1191. Of this church, two apses, two bays and the crypt still remain, and to-day the eastern end has been restored by the Greeks, while the western end is used as a mosque! In the crypt (belonging to the Greeks) is shown the Tomb of St.

George.

Ludd = Lod of the Scriptures, a city of Benjamin, see I Chron. viii, 12; Neh. xi, 35; Ezra ii, 33; Acts ix, 32._

AN EXCITING MARCH ALONG THE EDGE OF PRECIPICES.

The necessity of this soon became evident. The road was crowded with motors of all kinds, and it was by no means a joke to ride a restive horse while leading an obstinate mule, along the brink of a precipice! At 13.00 Enab was reached, where the Squadron was allotted its ground, rather stony, but next to the water troughs, which, however, saved a lot of work.

The following afternoon (July 1st), the road being steeper still, the transport ("A" Echelon), went ahead of the Brigade. The Squadron started at 14.30 (units still moving at half-hour intervals), and proceeded along the main Jerusalem road through the new town, past the Damascus Gate (at 17.30), to the eastern side of the town, where the transport was pa.s.sed and the Brigade concentrated, the highest point having now been reached (2,590 feet above sea level). A halt of two hours was made, and at 20.00 the descent to the Jordan was commenced. Henceforth it was "down," "down," all the way, with roads just as precipitous as before, but the mountains being so high and steep on both sides, not a breath of air reached us. At 02.30 after a tiring march, and after pa.s.sing the "Inn of the Good Samaritan," we arrived at the water troughs at Talat-ed-Dumm (1,018 feet above sea level).

After watering, about half an hour later, the Squadron found its camping ground, a s.p.a.ce barely large enough for a section. In this cramped area the whole of the Squadron was crammed "as tight as sardines in a tin," with, literally, not an inch to spare!

Early next morning, when the sun began to rise, some idea was gained of what might be expected in the Jordan Valley. Although Talat-ed-Dumm, as already stated, is 1,018 feet above the level of the sea, shut in, as it is, among the mountains away from any breeze, the heat there is almost unbearable; the rays of the sun seem to take on a hundred times more power than ever could be believed possible, blazing down from right overhead, and leaving no shade, thus turning the place into a veritable furnace.

The Brigade did not continue the march again until 19.00, when it moved along the old Roman road. Still "down," "down," round sharp bends, and still along the edges of precipices hundreds of feet deep! At length a final, particularly steep slope, brought us to Jericho,[15] on the plain of the Jordan Valley, and _820 feet below the level of the sea_. A halt was made here for a short time, and then the Brigade marched north-east (through clouds of dust), to its camping area in the Wadi Nueiame, arriving at midnight. Here, on dismounting in the dark, _one seemed to be standing in mud_, but, upon closer examination, this was found to be merely several inches of fine dust! Sec.-Lieut. c.u.mmer, whose turn it was to be with the advance party that day, was waiting to show the Squadron its camping ground, which turned out to be as good as could be expected, and alongside a stream. A few bell-tents were already standing, which were appreciated.

FOOTNOTES:

[15] _The site of the present Jericho has only been occupied since mediaeval times. The ancient Jericho lay near the spring Ain-es-Sultan and the City of Roman times was more to the south-west. The Biblical references to Jericho are as follows: Deut. x.x.xiv; Josh. vi, 26; I Kings xvi, 34; II Kings ii, 4, 5, 11. Only a mound exists now, to mark the position of the ancient city, but excavations here have brought to light some interesting relics._

THE "BEAUTIFUL" VALLEY OF JORDAN.

The following are a few extracts from the notes of a member of the Squadron, which gives a vivid description of his experiences on the road to the Jordan. He says:--

"The sun was just setting as we approached Jerusalem, and the ancient walls of the Holy City were bathed in orange light against an opalescent sky. The long dusty column of the Brigade toiled its way up the steep hill into the city, and pa.s.sing close by the Jaffa Gate 'turned left' and followed the main thoroughfare towards the Damascus Gate. Outside of Fast's Hotel (a former German concern, but now famous throughout the E.E.F.) stands a group of officers and soldiers, watching our brigade pa.s.s, and cheering us on as we move into the dusk.

"Over the Mount of Olives, past the Garden of Gethsemane (the black points of its many cypress trees now silhouetted against the sky), what thoughts are ours as we cross this hallowed ground amid surroundings so deeply a.s.sociated with our religion! Some of us may never return, but yet we shall have followed to our fate along a path that still holds memories of that greatest sacrifice the world has ever known!

"Dark has fallen, and the stars s.h.i.+ne bright in a velvet sky. At length we approach the little Village of Bethany,[16] 'the town of Mary and Martha'; near which we dismount and breathe our horses for a s.p.a.ce; finding a little shop close at hand, we buy some fruit and 'take a pull' at the water-bottle.

"Leaving our last link with civilization we begin our long weary descent to the Jordan Valley. Before we have covered a mile, it is obvious that the road is falling steeply. 'Take a good breath now of the fresh air,' say those who have already experienced the Jordan Valley, 'for it's the last you'll get for many a day!'

"The road now enters a valley, or more rightly pa.s.ses between two lines of rocky hills, and for a time, as it is pitch dark, we stumble along to keep our places in the column. But soon, the eastern crest is silhouetted by the rising moon, and as the silver light pours down the slope we see the road before us, zig-zagging its way 'into the depths,' and there, a mile in front, the head of the Brigade worming its way, like a great black snake.

"So steep is it now, and so sharp the 'hairpin' turns, that although one hears the voices and sees the heads of troops on the winding road forty yards below, yet these are possibly half a mile ahead in the column! 'Down' and 'down' we go, _hotter and hotter it grows_, dustier and dustier the atmosphere!

"Great difficulty is now experienced in keeping touch with the regiment in front, for in such cases it is always the Machine-Gun Squadron that is in rear of the column and 'enjoys' the dust. In action or danger--quite another thing; up, then, just behind the leading regiment....

"Arrived at Talat-ed-Dumm, too tired now to eat or drink (having fed our animals) we lie, or rather, fall down on a blanket. In two minutes we are dreaming that we are back in the 'old country,'

sitting in that cool breeze under the great sycamore tree; drinking that fine old 'home-brewed,' and talking to the sweetest of all women. Far away in the distance is the rumbling of a coach; round the corner it comes into sight, the horses' hoofs thudding on the hard old Roman road! The guard raises his long coaching horn to his lips and blows a stirring call. Someone shakes us from behind! Lo!

we open our eyes and--gone is the lovely green country, the shady trees and the coach! 'Get up! Reveille has gone'.

"All day we rest here, and shall move on the latter part of our 25-mile journey as soon as dark has fallen. Horses to water--but luckily not far to go, and though two men have fainted with the heat already, the majority are still 'merry and bright'.

"About 11 o'clock Talat-ed-Dumm becomes literally an oven; no trees, no water, nothing but rock and dust--dust six inches deep; the only protection, a single piece of canvas between one and the pitiless sun! Gasping for breath, one reaches for the water-bottle, but it is quite warm. Still, a warm drink brings perspiration, and _that_ is cooling to a certain extent--in its after-effects!

"Night falls, welcomely, and saddled up the Squadron waits for the advance to begin and to drop into its place in the line of march as the Brigade moves past. Voices in the darkness, then shadowy forms, and, their horses' hoofs m.u.f.fled by the dust, Brigade Headquarters pa.s.ses by. Then the three regiments, one British and two Indian, each of the latter followed by crowds of donkeys looking ghostly white in the gloom. At length it is _our_ turn, and behind the last regiment we 'walk march' and once more get the clouds of dust for our portion. Now, along the level for a time--and then down again, down towards the valley, to many a valley of death!

"The impression we get, on leaving Talat-ed-Dumm, is rather different from that ascribed to tourists in the guide book to Palestine. '_It is with regret_,' it says, '_that we drag ourselves away from a spot of such historic interest, where so many of the patriarchs have rested_'. G.o.d help 'em! _we_ never wish to see it again. No wonder to us, now, that Naaman the Syrian objected to go down to the Jordan and wash seven times in it![17]

"The horses slip and slide as they pick their way down the old Turkish road, and once more the moon looks over the hills and floods her silvery radiance over all--the same moon that in two hours will rise upon the old homestead in Blighty. But here are we, among great mountains, rugged and cleft, fantastic shapes in high relief, in the moonlight. We might be in the moon itself! Not a sign of life, not a bird nor an animal!

"By mid-night we have dropped 1,100 feet, and gradually the ground grows less rocky, the hills on the right swing away, and on the left, just ahead, is the square-topped El-Kuruntal, the so-called 'Mountain of Temptation,' and the gateway of the Jordan Valley.

Reaching the plain the pace grows faster, and clouds of dust arise worse than ever. Our connecting files find great difficulty in keeping in touch, so that every now and then those in rear must gallop to keep up. A small wadi to be crossed makes the pace still more uneven. We cross the Wadi Nueiame and reach our camping ground. Again the putting down of lines; again supperless and tired out to lie down on a blanket in the dust, in that unnatural hollow 1,250 feet below the SEA-LEVEL, THE PLACE OF SWELTERING SUN, SAND-SPOUTS, SCORPIONS, SNAKES, SPIDERS AND SEPTIC SORES; OF SCORCHING WIND AND SHADOWLESS WASTE; THAT h.e.l.lISH PLACE--THE JORDAN VALLEY!"

FOOTNOTES:

[16] _See St. John, chap. xi._

[17] _See II Kings v, 10._

INCIDENTS IN THE JORDAN VALLEY CAMPAIGN.

A few days were necessarily spent in the Wadi Nueiame in exercising the horses and becoming acclimatized to the temperature, which rarely falls below 100, even at night, and is usually 120 in the shade (or over) during the day. On July 7th, "No. 1" Section paraded at 19.00 and proceeded to the east of the Jordan to relieve a section of the 21st Squadron in the line. "A" Sub-section took over the emplacements in No. 3 Post, and "C"

Sub-section those in No. 5 Post. The relief was completed by 23.00. The next evening, the remainder of the Squadron relieved the 21st Squadron in their camp at the Ghoraniyeh Bridge. One section only going at a time to avoid attracting attention and being sh.e.l.led by the Turks, who were posted in the hills. The new camp was within 100 yards of the Jordan,[18] nearly surrounded by cliffs, the tops of which were level with the plain above.

The cliffs themselves only being formed by the depression in the plain before it gives way to the lower ground in the immediate vicinity of the River Jordan and the east of it. The river at this point is actually 1,250 feet below the level of the sea!

[Ill.u.s.tration: Squadron Camp in the Jordan Valley. "No. 2" Section.]

On arriving in the camp, "No. 2" Section took over the machine-gun positions for the inner defences of the bridgehead. These had to be manned at night only, and were on the tops of the cliffs near the camp, commanding all the crossings of the river. Every evening just before dusk (sometimes in a severe dust storm), the four guns were taken up on the pack-mules by the gun-teams and brought back after light the next morning. "No. 3"

Section was in Divisional reserve, and liable to be called on at short notice to proceed to any part of the line. It provided also all the camp fatigues.

It was soon found that summer-life in the Jordan Valley was about the limit of discomfort; only those who have been there at that season can have any idea of what it is like. If only our turn had been in the winter, when according to all accounts the weather _is_ bearable! Needless to say that as much work as possible was done in the early morning and evening, but even this was extremely trying for all. Fortunately, water was available from a small stream just outside the camp. Rush-huts and bivouacs provided the best protection against the sun. Material for these was obtained from the banks of the Jordan, where, for a few yards on either side, there was luxurious vegetation--in striking contrast with the rest of the country; during the day men were allowed to bathe in the river.