Chapter XV.
How the Regiment Went Up to Jerusalem and Through the Wilderness to Jericho.

The XX Corps, after much gallant fighting, had entered Jerusalem on 9th December; and by repeated attacks, culminating in heavy fighting on December 26th to December 31st. the 60th Division had forced the enemy northward along the Judean plateau for a distance of some eight miles from Jerusalem. But the Turks still occupied in strength the land of Moab, across the Dead Sea, and still held the Dead Sea and

Jaffa Gate.

Jordan Valley and the 'Wilderness' country up to within five miles eastwards of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Along this eastern line the 53rd Division held him in check. For the further protection of Jerusalem and of our forces to the north, and to stop the large grain supplies that the enemy was receiving from Kerak and the country to the east of the Dead Sea by way of motor boat transport, landing near the mouth of the Jordan, the Commander in Chief decided to occupy Jericho. For this purpose the Anzac Mounted Division was ordered to the vicinity of Jerusalem.

On February 9th the Wellington Mounted Rifles left its bivouac at Richon and marched to Bethlehem, and engaged in close reconnaissance of the 'Wilderness' east of Bethlehem.

A few days later the rest of the N.Z. Brigade followed, taking a route away from the main Jaffa-Ramleh-Jerusalem road. The march took the Regiment across the plain past the garden colony of Deiran (Rechoboth), past Akir, the ancient Ekron of the Old Testament and one of the capital cities of the Philistines, and into the foot-hills, striking the old Roman road from Ascalon to Jerusalem, where it enters the Wadi es Sunt, the Valley of Elah. Close by is Tidnah (the ancient Timnath. the native place of Samson's wife), and the road passes by Tell Zakariya, the Azekah of Joshua's time, where he routed the Philistines in the midst of a hail storm. Beyond the narrow pass at Zakariya the wadi opens out into a level valley, cut in two by the steep bed of a stream. Here David slew Goliath.

The Regiment then followed the Roman road, which had been repaired by the Turks, and emerged on the Judean plateau a little south of Bethlehem on February 17th, camping close to the huge rock-cut reservoirs called King Solomon's Pools. Originally built by King Solomon for the supply of water to Jerusalem, they were rebuilt by Pontius Pilate, and the pools still show large areas of wall covered with Roman plaster.

The weather on the plains had been wet, but here on the bare Judean hills, 2,500 feet above sea level, the cold was severe.

Orders being received that no move would be made on the 18th, the opportunity was taken to send all available men to Jerusalem, and the padres proved invaluable as guides, for they one and all, enthusiastic students of the Holy Land, were well conversant with the city and its site from constant study, Operations began on February 19th, and the troops available were the 60th Division, with one brigade of the 74th Division, together with two Brigades of the Anzac Mounted Division (the 1st Light Horse and N.Z.M.R.). The Infantry Brigades were in position covering Jerusalem, and were to attack eastward into the 'Wilderness,' following the road from Jerusalem to Jericho; while the two mounted Brigades were to concentrate in the vicinity of El Muntar, the hill of the 'Scape Goat,' upon which lay the enemy's left. The mounted page 194men were to push over El Muntar and, following native tracks, to assist the attack of the infantry by falling upon the enemy flank and threatening his retreat through Jericho.

Preceded by the Wellington Regiment as advanced guard the Brigade followed down the steep and narrow Wadi en Nar, marching all night; and daylight on the 20th found it strung out in single file over a rocky bridle track about a mile east of El Muntar. All night the men had been clambering over rocky tracks leading their horses, following

The Damascus Gate, Jerusalem.

what was marked on the map "Ancient Road." No wheels nor guns were taken, no supplies but such as could be carried on man and horse, and the reserve ammunition was conveyed by a small camel train of light active camels.

As day broke it was seen that the country east of El Muntar fell down in deep jagged ravines towards the Dead Sea some three thousand feet below; and the Turk soon made his presence felt by opening fire on the advanced guard. It appeared that he was holding a strong position on the far side of a broad level basin away down below, and it was 7 a.m. before the Regiment came into action.

The last 1,200 feet of descent was made in full view of the enemy, who must have been considerably shaken at seeing some eight miles of horses defiling down the hills right in his rear.

Major Acton-Adams, who was temporarily in command of the Regiment, advanced against the enemy holding a strong hill (288), with the 8th and 10th Squadrons in front and the 1st in reserve, but seeing that the going was too rough for the 10th he brought it in and sent the 1st forward over better country. The Auckland and Wellington Regiments were on the right, and a vigorous attack was made against a strong position well supported by machine guns and a battery of artillery on the hills behind.

Modern Jericho.

The infantry attack down the Jerusalem-Jericho road was progressing well, and by mid-day the enemy gave way, retreating across a great gulch to the hills about Nebi Musa, the so-called tomb of Moses.

The bottom of the valley from which this attack was made is at about sea level, and the Dead Sea is 1,300 feet below sea level, so there still remained a further descent of over a thousand feet to reach the Jericho plain.

There were two narrow defiles down which it was possible to descend, but the Turks stubbornly defended these with machine guns and a battery of artillery until dark. During the night the 1st Light Horse managed to scramble down, and by dawn, when the Regiment sent the 10th Squadron across the gulch on foot, Nebi Musa was found to be abandoned.

At 5.30 a.m. on February 21st the Brigade began the last | descent, with Canterbury leading, and the valley was reached at. 9 a.m.

The sick and wounded men from the previous day's fighting, had a painful time following the column in the camel cacolets, and on several occasions they had to be removed from the camels and carried over the worst places. As always was the case, our ambulance men were magnificent; quietly, expeditiously and as gently as possible under the circumstances, their patients were brought down safely. Usually sick and wounded were evacuated at once, but this time the country was so rough that the Mounted Field Ambulance decided to bring them on with the hope of getting motor ambulances when Jericho was captured. Luckily this hope was fulfilled, though there was an unavoidable delay of a few hours till the road was repaired, it having been blown up in several places by the retreating enemy.

The 10th Squadron now rejoined from Neby Musa, and the Regiment immediately pushed on to Jericho. The 1st Light Horse who had clambered down during the night had ridden hard after the Turk, but he got away across the Jordan. The 8th Squadron were detached to repair the road, and rejoined in the afternoon. The regiment took up the line of the Jordan bank from the Dead Sea to the vicinity of the Ghoraniyeh crossing, where the enemy were holding the bridge over which passed the road to Es Salt and Amman. The 1st Squadron, who were in advance, took up their quarters in the monastery of Makhadet Hajla, commanding the Hajla and El Henu fords over the Jordan, and fraternised with the somewhat unwashed coterie of monks who lived there. The Turkish artillery near the Ghoraniyeh bridge was very active, and even shelled single riders crossing the plain.

So fell modern Jericho, a degenerate city full of loathsome disease.

Of all the cities of the east that our men had passed through, Jericho appeared to be the filthiest and most evilsmelling.

The inhabitants, numbering some five hundred, are of a very poor class said to be descended from slaves. It is an extremely unhealthy town, and no white man lives there in the summer page 197time. There are three small hotels, a Russian hospice, a Greek church, a small block of Government buildings and a mass of mud huts. All the principal buildings were found to be filled with dead and dying Turks, victims of the dreaded typhus. The climatic conditions down by the Jordan were very different from those experienced by the Regiment during the last three months. The sun was partially obscured by clouds, and there was not the extreme heat that was to be experienced

The Dead Sea.

here later. The whole plain was covered with a short grass, and the hills looked green in every direction. After the cold and rain the Jordan Valley was altogether delightful; later it was to be thoroughly hated. Now it was warm, restful and free of the heat, mosquitoes and dust which were to play such havoc with the forces in the summer. The Valley of the Jordan is simply a great crack severing the Judean mountains from the great Arabian plateau. It lies nearly 1,300 feet below sea-level, or nearly 4,000 feet below Jerusalem, and at its widest part is not more than twelve miles broad. On either side tower the mountains, on the western the mountains of Judea, and on the east the mighty wall of Moab.

Looking southwards down the length of the Dead Sea, with a stiff westerly gale blowing overhead and great masses of cloud and mist shrouding the mountain tops, reminded one of the New Zealand Sounds.

Close to modern Jericho could be seen some thirteen or fourteen "tels," obviously ruins of ancient cities or fortresses. The greatest of them is Tel Es Sultan, the Jericho of Joshua. Across the plain in many places lie the remains of Roman aqueducts and reservoirs, showing that the great fertility of the "City of the Palms," as it was called in Herod the Great's time, was no legend. But where once stood the mighty palm forest, 8 miles long and 3 miles broad, now struggle patches of brambles and wild thorn.

The Mosque of Omar.

Jericho is fed by a perennial spring, now called Ain es Sultan (the King's well), which comes from out the rock immediately by Joshua's Jericho. It is the spring of the prophet Elisha, who purified its waters by throwing in a handful of salt, as told in the Second Book of Kings. This procedure was easily understood by the men who had been daily witnesses of the medical orderly "chlorinating water" by throwing in a handful of bleaching powder. Apart from a small irrigated patch close to Jericho, the western side of the Jordan Valley is now a barren wilderness.

The 22nd was spent in patrolling. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon the western side of the river was reported clear of the enemy, and a Canterbury patrol succeeded in getting to the Jordan, though the Turk was strongly holding the bridge and all fords.

At 6 p.m. just as darkness was falling, began the long ride back to Jerusalem, this time by the road, leaving the Aucklanders to guard the Valley. Half way through the wilderness a halt was made, and men and horses absorbed much needed supplies, which had been brought to meet the column by camel transport. Bethlehem was reached at 5 o'clock on the morning of the 23rd, after passing through the village of Bethany and on round the shoulder of Olivet, where on the clear dawn of a winter's day there burst upon view, with her long battlemented walls and her towers and domes silhouetted against the sky, the city of Jerusalem, seated upon her hills. This view, above all seen of the Holy City, will our men ever remember.

Leaving the shoulder of the Mt. of Olives, the way dips down into the Valley of the Kedron, past the Garden of Gethsemane, and, rising, passes round the north-east corner of the city and brings one past St. Stephen's gate, the Damascus gate and the Jaffa gate to the main road to Bethlehem.

The following day as many of the men as could be spared from the multifarious duties of the camp were granted leave to visit the Holy City. A few went, but the majority had not recovered from their exhaustion of the previous four days' heavy work. Jerusalem appears to consist of two cities, ancient and modern, ancient Jerusalem being that portion page 200which lies within the walls. Here the streets are impassable for vehicles, very narrow and in many places built right over, giving one the impression of walking through tunnels. In many places the streets consist of a series of steps, so steep is the hillside on which portions of the city are built. It is within the city walls that one finds the Mosque of Omar, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Place of the Wailing. Modern Jerusalem, consisting of all the town outside the walls, dates back only about seventy years. There are many fine buildings, convents, churches, hospitals and schools, but little of interest to a sightseer. The dirt, poverty and begging gave a bad impression, though as time went on, the associations of the place grew on all.

The Jordan.

Bethlehem, where the Regiment was camped, has practically no modern quarter, and the place of most interest was the Church of the Nativity. This is said to be, of all Churches built at the Christian triumph, the only one that remains in any completeness.

Conquerors of Palestine in olden days destroyed all monuments of Christianity, but seem to have overlooked this building, and it remains to-day practically as first built.

On the 25th a return was made to the old camp at Ayun Kara, halting for one night at Zakariyeh. Here the old train-page 201ing continued; squadron and troop drill alternating with bayonet fighting and physical training. A fair amount of leave to Egypt was now being granted to all ranks, and there was no lack of candidates for the leave parties. On arrival in camp a message was received from General Allenby congratulating the Regiment on its work during the Jericho operations, and specially mentioning the manner in which the rough country had been traversed. In his despatches he states, with reference to the mounted men in these last operations "……The mounted troops had encountered considerable opposition, and had been much hampered by the difficulties of the ground. Two miles south of Neby Musa the enemy held the high ground at Jebel el Kalimum and Tubk el Kaneiterah. Compelled to move in single file over tracks which were exposed to machine gun fire from the enemy's position, and which had been registered accurately by the enemy's guns at Neby Musa, the progress of the mounted troops was necessarily slow. By 2 p.m., however, the enemy was driven from his position at Jebel el Kalimum and Tubk el Kaneiterah. The further advance of the New Zealand Brigade was hampered by the ground, and was finally checked at the Wadi Mukelik, the only possible crossing over which, was subjected to a heavy fire from Neby Musa.,…… On no previous occasions had such difficulties of ground been encountered. As an instance of this, a Field Artillery Battery took thirty-six hours to reach Neby Musa, the distance covered as the crow flies being only eight miles."

The departure of two officers and six men to join the Auckland Mounted rifles, who had remained at Jericho, pointed to something more doing in that direction. Preliminary orders for a move to Bethlehem were received, and on March 13th the Regiment was off again. A halt was made at Junction Station till the 16th, and the move was then continued to Zakariyeh. But it was now the season of the "latter" rains, and the journey was much hampered by the ceaseless downpour. The track from Junction Station was a quagmire.

The camel transport broke down hopelessly, and much baggage was lost. At Zakariyeh the whole countryside was a mass of mud and water. Camp lines were formed as well page 202as possible, but bivvies were useless owing to the soaked condition of the ground, and the majority of the men sat by their horses all night with their waterproof sheets wrapped round them. Luckily it was warmer than it had been.

The march was resumed on the 18th, and Bethlehem was reached late in the afternoon. These may seem to be short marches, Ayun Kara to Junction Station ten miles, Junction Station to Zakariyeh eight miles, Zakariyeh to Bethlehem twenty miles, but until Zakariyeh was reached the route lay through the bottomless black mud of the plains.

At Bethlehem the Regiment's camp was in the bottom of a valley between the town and Beit Jala, a very wet and boggy place with a scarcity of firewood, and great difficulty was experienced in getting sufficient even to make tea, for though camped in a large grove of olive trees, none were allowed to be cut down. It was a great temptation but the rule was well kept.