Title: Official War History of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment 1914-1919

Author: A. H. Wilkie

Publication details: Whitcombe and Tombs Limited, 1924, Auckland

Part of: New Zealand in the First World War 1914–1918

License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence

About this time our 52nd and 75th Infantry Divisions were on the right flank, closing in on Jerusalem. The Holy City was strongly held, and with the view of making the enemy believe that a further advance was intended to the north of Jaffa, it was decided to secure a bridge head over the Nahr El Auja and to clear the enemy from the northern bank of the river for a distance of two miles from the coast. The enemy were not in strength in the immediate vicinity there, their main force being within striking distance further back, but they held the only known crossings and bridges—four in number—over the river: a ford close to the sea about four feet deep, a crossing for infantry at the Jerisheh Mill, two miles inland, a stone bridge which connected the Jaffa-Jablus Road one mile further north-east, and a mill dam over which men could cross on foot beside it. The capture of the posts across the river was not considered to be a difficult task, but the question of defending them with a small force against a much stronger one had yet to be put to the test.

The New Zealand Brigade, which was detailed to carry out the enterprise, was relieved in the line by the 161st Infantry Brigade on the 24th, and the attack commenced at one o'clock that day.

The C.M.R., as advance guard, quickly cleared the ford at the mouth of the river, and at 2 p.m. one Squadron took up a line guarding the left flank, whilst another occupied Sheikh Muannis. Following close up, the 6th and 9th W.M.R. Squadrons pressed forward against Khirbet Hadrah (one mile and a-half east by north of Sheikh Muannis) and the bridge at Jerisheh, which was taken by 3.30. At the bridge and dam Lieutenant Black's troop captured 22 prisoners. On the positions being secured, Headquarters and the 2nd Squadron, which had remained in reserve at Sheikh Muannis, advanced to Khirbet Hadrah, where 25 prisoners, two machine guns, 17 rifles and 8000 rounds of small ammunition were captured.

For the defence of the captured positions, the 161st Infantry Brigade established posts, each of a half company of the Essex Regiment, at the bridge near Jerisheh and at Sheikh Muannis, and they held the outpost line formerly occupied by the N.Z. Brigade, whilst the latter established posts in front of the Infantry; the 11th A.M.R. Squadron at Khirbet Hadrah overlooking the bridge on the Jaffa-Nablus Road, the 3rd A.M.R. Squadron further north-east, the 2nd W.M.R. Squadron (Lieutenant W. R. Foley) six hundred yards north of Sheikh Muannis, while a C.M.R. Squadron covered the ford at the mouth of the river. A section of machine guns accompanied the respective squadrons. Major Whitchorn temporarily commanded the mounted posts, and the remainder of the Brigade returned to bivouac.

With a deep river in rear and a strong hostile force in front, our troops in the line were to be kept busy. Early next morning the A.M.R. became heavily engaged, and although they maintained a stout defence, their forward posts were eventually compelled to withdraw to the squadron lines. The enemy, who were advancing in strength, directed heavy fire on the position, and it became necessary to retire the led horses, and some time later the 3rd Squadron, which had been almost surrounded, withdrew to the Infantry line at Khirbet Hadrah.

Meanwhile Lieutenant Foley had sent a patrol, under Lieutenant Hollis, to reconnoitre to the north, where it soon gained contact with a strong enemy force marching rapidly down the coast. The Turks were also massing against Auckland on the right.

By 5.30 a.m. the 2nd W.M.R. Squadron was heavily engaged in front of Sheikh Muannis, and about half an hour later its led horses were retired to the village to escape shell-fire.

The Turks continued to advance, and at seven o'clock the W.M.R., south of the river, with Major Spragg in command (less the 2nd Squadron) pressed forward along the Nablus Road to support the troops on our right. When approaching the bridge south of Khirbet Hadrah the Regiment was heavily shelled and took up a covering the bridge. About the same time a C.M.R. Squadron was sent to relieve the 2nd W.M.R. Squadron at Sheikh Muannis, but owing to the change in the situation at Khirbet Hadrah both squadron were ordered to cover the Infantry post at Sheikh Muannis. The attack on Khirbet Hadrah rapidly developed. Heavily shelled and greatly out-numbered, at 8.15 a.m. the Infantry at Hadrah began to withdraw, covered by the fire of the A.M.R. Squadrons.

By this time the Turks were attacking all along the line. The 2nd W.M.R. Squadron had remained at Sheikh Muannis with the C.M.R. Squadron, whilst the remainder of the C.M.R. covered the ford on the left.

At 8.27 a.m. the 3rd A.M.R. Squadron commenced to withdraw from Khirbet Hadrah to the bridge. A little later the 11th Squadron, after checking the Turkish advance, was compelled to withdraw gradually to a position on the south bank of the river, where it covered the bridge. The Turkish attack then developed towards Sheikh Muannis. The 2nd W.M.R. Squadron defended stubbornly, and checked the advance for some time, the fine work of Trooper Kelland in holding an advanced machine-gun post under heavy fire being particularly noticeable, but eventually the Squadron was compelled by weight of numbers to withdraw to Sheikh Muannis.

Hadrah had fallen at 8.30, and up to that time no artillery support had been given, but at that hour the Somerset Battery shelled the advancing Turks, and a few minutes later the batteries of the 161st Infantry Brigade opened fire.

The Turkish artillery commenced to shell Sheikh Muannis at 8.45, and at 9.30 two thousand Turks advanced rapidly from the north. They attacked Sheikh Muannis with great vigour, and at the same time bodies of Turks were pressing forward to capture the ford at the mouth of the river to cut off the retreat of the defenders. The position was indeed serious. It was a case of get out or be cut off. Sheikh Muannis soon became untenable, but the W.M.R. and C.M.R. Sqadrons held on there till the Infantry had retired to cross the river in boats, when the two squadrons began to withdraw under orders with all speed to recross the ford.

The possession of the latter was of vital importance to us at this stage, and to strengthen its defence the 6th and 9th W.M.R. Squadrons had been transferred from the position covering the bridge near Hadrah to cover the crossing at the mouth of the river.

The difficult task of withdrawing from Muannis was carried out with great skill, assisted by the fire of the Somerset Battery, the latter shelling the village from a distance of only 1400 yards, the Commander of the Battery, Major Clowes, directing its fire from an observation post north of the river, he eventually re-crossing to the south by boat.

Whilst the mounted troops from Sheikh Muannis and some of the A.M.R. from Hadrah were crossing the ford they were subjected page break

1. Part of the battlefield after Bir El Abd. 2. Captain Herrick instructing his Lewis gun crew at Romani. 3. Turkish troops bivouacked in a hod during their advance on Romani. 4. Types of Bedouin and bints. 5. The exposed flat over which the W.M.R. advanced against the Turks at Katia.

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1. W.M.R. horses under cover at Bir El Abd, from which position they were later driven by high-explosive shells. 2. Captain Jack Sommerville (on left) and Captain (Dr.) Wood. The latter was mortally wounded at Katia while attending the wounded. 3. Captain Levien returns from a "stunt." 4. W.M.R. Officers photographed on returning from the Battle of Bir El Abd-Romani operations. Left to right: Back row. Lieutenants Coleman and Fossett. Majors Spragg and Wilkie, Lieut.-Colonel Meldrum, Major Armstrong, Captain Scott. Front row: Captain Wilder, Lieutenants Herrick, Williams, Levien, Pierce, Allison, and Hall.

page 177to heavy rifle and machine-gun fire. Casualties were inflicted on them, and it was at this stage that Lieutenant Foley, of the W.M.R., was seriously wounded and Lieutenant Living-stone, of the C.M.R., was killed whilst assisting wounded men to cross the river. At the same time a C.M.R. Squadron, under Major Hurst, was carrying out some particularly fine work in checking the Turks advancing down the sand ridges towards the crossing. Adopting rear-guard tactics, and covered by the fire of the mounted troops south of the river, the Canterbury Squadron and machine guns withdrew towards the river when the ford had been cleared, the Turks being held up within four hundred yards of the stream, which they made no attempt to cross.

The strength of the enemy was estimated at 4000. Towards evening the 161st Infantry Brigade relieved the mounted troops in the outpost line, but the Mounted Brigade remained in close support during the night.

For their gallantry during this operation, Lieutenant Foley was awarded the Military Cross and Trooper Kelland the Military Medal, and the following also were conspicuous by their good work:—Lieutenant Hollis and Corporal Fred Smith.

In addition to Lieutenant Foley, eleven other ranks were wounded and four horses were killed and six wounded.

During the next few days the New Zealand Brigade was heavily shelled in the vicinity of Jaffa, and the town was bombed by eight hostile aeroplanes, many natives being killed and wounded in the main street.