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Chapter IV
El Arish and Magdhaba

The General Staff had been seriously handicapped in the prosecution of the offensive against the Turks, owing to the eternal water problem. It is interesting to note the different requirements of the Commanders in Chief on the Egyptian and Western fronts. Sir Archibald Murray, in his despatch at the end of 1916, says: "Had only rain fallen an earlier move could have been made, but as it was the water supply for the striking force was not adequately secured until 20th December." Sir Douglas Haig, in his despatch of the same date, lamented how the deluge on the battlefields of the Somme had prevented him from maturing his plans.

The failure of the enemy in his attack in August had finally sealed his hopes for the conquest of Egypt; his line was now withdrawn round El Arish.

The enemy remained in the same position for the most part until the end of 1916, while the British lines of communication were being improved and the indispensable railroad was gradually creeping nearer and nearer towards the forward zone. Sir Archibald Murray's despatch vividly describes the effect of the operations in Sinai in 1916.

"During the year the force has gradually pushed across the Sinai Desert, fighting when necessary, organising and constructing incessantly in the heavy sand and hot sun.… Our success at Romani was undoubtedly a contributing factor to this advance, but the main factor was work, intense and unremitting. To regain this peninsula, the true frontier of Egypt, hundreds of miles of road and railway have been built, hundreds of miles of water piping have been laid, filters capable of supplying 1,500,000 gallons of water a day and reservoirs have been installed, and tons of stone transported page 190from distant quarries. Kantarah has been transformed from a small canal village into an important railway and water terminus, and the desert, till then almost destitute of human habitation, showed the successive marks of our advance in the shape of strong positions firmly entrenched and protected by hundreds of miles of barbed wire, of standing camps where troops could shelter in comfortable huts, of tanks and reservoirs, of railway stations and sidings, of aerodromes and of signal stations and wireless installations, by all of which the desert was subdued and made habitable, and adequate lines of communication established between the advancing troops and their ever-receding base."

The General Staff was anxious to give battle to the enemy and inflict a decisive defeat upon his desert force before he should withdraw across the frontier into Palestine.

On 20th December, when our preparations were complete, our airmen reported that the enemy was in full retreat towards the frontier, thus depriving the General Staff of its desire. To inflict as much damage as possible, the Anzac Mounted Division and the Imperial Camel Corps were at once sent to take El Arish and Masaiid. El Arish is an old historical town of great strategical importance, described in one history as being the inevitable jumping-off place, either for an invasion of Turkey from Egypt or vice versa.

As our mounted troops advanced, the enemy evacuated El Arish and retired south-east up the Wadi-el-Arish Water-course to the strongly fortified town of Magdhaba, about twenty-three miles away, thence retreating with their main force towards El Auja, on the frontier, where the strategic railway from Beersheba had its terminus. From the reports from the airmen it was deducted that the enemy would hold Magdhaba with a large rearguard force, estimated at 2000 strong.

The Squadron left El Arish at midnight on 21st December, proceeding with the Brigade in the wonderful night march that brought it to Magdhaba in the early morning. The stronghold was surrounded with much difficulty, and the regiments of troopers in extended order began to close in against the defences.

Two sections of guns supported each regiment and two page 191sections remained in reserve. The work of the guns during the first phase was limited to sniping enemy movement with long range fire and harassing the exposed parts of the position. The nature of the ground surrounding the stronghold prevented the guns from advantageously supporting the advance during the first phase. At a mile's distance Magdhaba looked absolutely flat, but in reality it was a convex position with five redoubts so cunningly placed that each supported the other and swept the line of approach.

The enemy appeared determined to hold on, but slowly and surely the cordon tightened until the gallant troopers were ready to deliver the final assault By this time the machine guns had worked forward, ready to support the assault over the open ground. At the given signal the troopers leapt forward in a brilliant charge, and the gunners opened a heavy covering fire, which caught a large number of Turks who ran back. The end quickly came. Just as the troopers were approaching the final trenches the Turks threw up the sponge and surrendered.

Immediately the position had been made secure the N.Z. Mounted Brigade, less the Auckland Regiment, commenced the return march to Bir el Masmi, a distance of twenty-three miles. This march will never be forgotten by any of the troops. Marching in fours and having to keep close touch, so as not to lose the way, the fine, powdery dust caused by the continuous stream of horses rose in clouds that almost choked both man and beast. This was the third night in succession without sleep, and the dust seemed to glue the eyelids together and make it impossible to keep awake. Many and varied were the experiences of that ride: it was quite a common thing for a horse and its rider to fall into a hole or over a bank.

Bir el Masmi was a very welcome sight next morning, and the Squadron remained there until the 27th and then moved to Masaiid, three miles west of El Arish. The operation to Maghdaba took the troops off the sand for the first time for twelve months.

It is interesting to remember that Napoleon's fiag once floated over El Arish 120 years before it was captured by our troops. Napoleon's task was not unlike General Murray's.

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His dream was to reach Gaza, and thence to march to Constantinople by way of Damascus and Allepo. Napoleon's further dream was to proceed back to France from Constantinople through Vienna, after having crushed the Hapsburg Dynasty.

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