Life in the Jordan Valley

With the approaching heat of a Jordan summer and the dreaded spectre of malignant malaria before them, the medical officers of the Brigade at once began to wage war on mosquitoes by draining swamps, and treating standing water with crude oil, which floated on the top and killed the young mosquitoes as they rose up to it. These and other precautions were maintained throughout the summer, with the satisfactory result that the incidence of malaria, in the area thus treated, was wonderfully small.

The Jordan Valley at Jericho lies 1200 feet below sea level, and its fine dust on the plain and thick jungle near the Jordan are infested by scorpions, centipedes, and snakes, pilgrims of the night mainly amongst the men's bedding. Swarms of flies infest the Valley by day, when the intense heat makes the rocks unbearable to the touch, and movements of men and horses raise clouds of blinding dust.

On the return of the mounted troops from Amman, the defences covering the Jordan were strengthened, and for some time the W.M.R. was engaged in assisting to form a bridge-head at Ghoraniyeh, page 208 digging trenches, erecting wire entanglements, and furnishing protective posts covering the works. The 1st A.L.H. Brigade held the line, and on April 11th they were attacked in strength, but the enemy were driven back with heavy losses. In this fight our old friends of the Somerset Battery did some particularly fine shooting, due principally to the exact correctness transmitted by its observation officer, Lieutenant L. G. Mahon, an Aucklander, who had previously left with the 8th N.Z. Reinforcement Draft and had served in France. Next day the W.M.R. assisted to bury the dead.

About this time a number of decorations were awarded for gallant conduct in the field, Lance-Corporals K. S. Summerhayes and G. Bartells receiving Military Medals.

On April 18th the W.M.R., less the 6th Squadron, advanced with its Brigade across the Jordan to the Ghoraniyeh Bridge-head to co-operate with other troops in a demonstration against the enemy at Shunet Nimrin, with the object of ascertaining his strength there, and to make him believe that a further attack was being made on Amman.

Next morning the Regiment reconnoitred towards the foothills of Moab, near Shunet Nimrin, where it located the enemy in strength, and later the Brigade demonstrated against the enemy, compelling him to reinforce his position. Having completed its mission towards evening, the Brigade withdrew to bivouac at Jericho and resumed its duties of guarding the fords over the Jordan.

About this time the Egyptian Expeditionary Force was deprived of some of its finest seasoned troops, transferred to France, including the 52nd and 74th Infantry Divisions, nine Yeomanry Regiments, five and a-half Siege Batteries, ten British Battalions, and five Machine-gun Companies. In May a further fourteen Battalions of Infantry and in July and August ten British Battalions followed, Indian troops replaced some of these, but they had not seen active service, and it was necessary to train them.

The batteries and certain other troops were not replaced at all, and it will thus be observed that the E.E.F. was reduced very considerably, numerically and otherwise, and in consequence only minor operations could be attempted till the Infantry had been trained and reorganised.

On April 23rd the Regiment moved its bivouac to the Judean foothills south of the site of the once great city of Jericho of the time of Christ—"the City of Palm Trees"—which Antony gave to Cleopatra, from whom it was purchased by Herod the Great, page break

1. At the entrance to a cave high up in the cliffs above the Jordan Valley, Front the top: Lieutenant Ebbert, M.C., Captains Hardham, V.C., and Williams, M.C., Lieutenants Jago and Easther. 2. The advance on Amman: Turkish party surrendering to a W.M.R, patrol. 3. After the fight at Damieh, Jordan Valleys Turkish troops captured by the W.M.R. being escorted to the rear. {Note the dust.) 4. Transport abandoned by the Turks in the final advance against Amman. 5. Ready for inspection at Solomon's Pools.

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1. The old amphitheatre at Amman. The Officers from left to right are: Captain Isdale. N.Z.M.C., and Majors Batchelar and Wilkie, W.M.R. 2. The W.M.R. on trek in the Nile Delta during the Egyptian Hots. 3. One of the guns captured by the W.M.R. in the final operations against Amman. Lieutenant Scholes, who is standing beside the gun, was subsequently awarded the Military Medal for his gallantry when this gun and others were captured.

page 209who died there. Ruins of reservoirs, aqueducts, and other structures cover a large area in the vicinity, and by the numbers of them it is evident that the town was large and flourishing.