Through Palestine with the 20th Machine Gun Squadron | Page 7

horses appreciated it too! Later, the moon
having risen, a long halt was made, after which the road towards
Beersheba was resumed. Every mile or so, by the wayside were now
passed remains of Turkish camps, dead animals, overturned wagons,
abandoned ammunition, etc., etc. The enemy had evidently left in
"some" haste. But there were still isolated parties of the enemy in the
hills, from which direction shots could be heard from time to time.
BEERSHEBA AT LAST!
After a long and gruelling journey, during which everyone was dead
tired and the horses badly in need of water, the outskirts of the "town"
of Beersheba were at last reached. Here the Squadron halted, whilst the
units in front "watered". It then became known to us that Beersheba had
already been occupied by the Australians, who, no doubt, had come in
from the flank. As regards the "water," this was contained in a long
stone trough, and, although it was thick with mud, it was all that could
be had. Yet, of this filth the animals drank deeply, not having tasted a
drop of liquid _for 24 hours_!
After "watering," a camping-area for the night was allotted to the
Squadron near by. The animals having been off-saddled and fed,
everyone was glad to be able to lie down in his clothes and snatch some
sleep during the few remaining hours, until it was time to "stand to" in
the morning. Before daybreak the Squadron saddled-up and moved off
into the plain outside the town. Here it halted in "Line of Sub-section
Column" and dismounted. No sooner had the sun risen, however, when
machine-gun fire broke out from all directions. At once the order was
given to extend for rifle fire. Everyone expected to see the dust thrown
up all round by the thousands of bullets which were being fired, and
prepared for a great mêlée, but--nothing happened! A perfect tornado of
fire and nothing whatever could be seen! After a few minutes, to the
surprise of all, everything was quiet again! The explanation was

obtained afterwards: all that had happened was that a Boche plane had
appeared over our outpost line. He must, certainly, have had a hot
reception!
Then "lines" were put down, animals off-saddled again and a much
needed wash-up and shave indulged in--after watering and stables. To
feel clean once more and to be able to have a sleep in the heat of the
day, which at this time was intense (in spite of the cold nights), was a
treat enjoyed by all.
Beersheba was very disappointing. Instead of being a town, as
Europeans understand that term, a place where one can buy such things
as cigarettes and something to eat, nothing at all was obtainable, and
the only buildings in it, that were not mud huts, were empty.[2]
During our stay at Beersheba, enemy planes, often flying quite low,
paid us several visits, for whose benefit one Sub-section always had its
guns mounted for anti-aircraft work. On one of these raids two men and
several animals, in an Australian Field Ambulance a couple of hundred
yards from the Squadron Camp, were killed. One man had a "narrow
shave". He was standing beside his horse when the plane appeared, and,
for safety, he jumped into a trench that happened to be at hand still
holding the reins. The animal was killed, but he himself escaped
without a scratch!
FOOTNOTES:
[2] _Beersheba--"Well of the oath": See Genesis, chaps. xxi and xxvi, v.
23 and 32._
THE COASTAL SECTOR.
To the 21st Infantry Corps in front of Gaza, had been given the task of
attracting enemy reserves to that neighbourhood, thus to lighten the
task of the troops on the right of the line, in the capture of Beersheba.
On October 27th, a bombardment of the elaborate Gaza defences had
been commenced, assisted by the Navy, and on the night of November
1st-2nd, "Umbrella Hill" was captured, followed in the early morning

_by the whole of the front-line system of trenches_.
OPERATIONS AT TEL KHUWEILFEH.
After a day's rest, the 7th Mounted Brigade started off again (on
November 2nd) at 08.30. "C" Sub-section reported to the "S.N.H."; "D"
Sub-section to the "S.R.Y." The Transport ("B.1" Echelon) just arrived
as the Squadron was timed to move off, and rations had to be issued out
on parade. [It may here be mentioned that the transport had had a
"rough time," and without having accurate knowledge of what was
happening to the Brigade, owing to the many difficulties of
communication en route, did splendidly in arriving even when it did.]
The railway being crossed, the Brigade "carried on," along a sort of old
track north of Beersheba for about 10 miles, where a halt was called. A
short description of the country hereabouts would not,