The Second Battalion Royal Dublin Fusiliers in the South African War Part 17

1. _Water._--It is antic.i.p.ated that in all probability it will be difficult to obtain good drinking water in sufficient quant.i.ties on some of the marches into the interior. All ranks are therefore cautioned to husband their drinking water as much as possible. Troops and followers should be forbidden to draw water from the camel tanks without permission from the officer in charge, and be cautioned against drinking water from any but authorised sources, as some of the water on the route is brackish and liable to bring on diarrhoea.

Each unit will detail an officer or selected N.C. officer to be in charge of the water camels, who will see that their supply is only drawn on by order of the officer commanding, and that great care is taken to prevent wastage. Whenever possible, water tanks and bottles should be replenished; halts will be made for this purpose.

Water-bottles will be filled overnight. On arrival in camp, the sources of water supply will be pointed out by the staff officer, and sentries posted to see that the right people draw from the right source.

2. _Country and Inhabitants._--It should be remembered that the country through which the column will march to Dthala is in the British Protectorate, and that the inhabitants and their property must not be interfered with. All supplies must be paid for, and foraging is strictly forbidden.

3. _Camps._--On arrival at the camping-places, the staff officer will point out the sites for the camps of the different units to N.C.O.'s detailed for that purpose. Officers commanding units will see that their respective camping-grounds are cleared up before departure.

4. _Transport._--On arrival in camp the transport in charge of each unit will be picketed near its camp.

5. _Order of March and Baggage._--Each unit will be complete in itself, being followed by first line transport, viz:--

1. Signalling equipment. 2. First reserve ammunition. 3. Entrenching tools. 4. Water camels. 5. Stretchers. 6. Great-coat camels.

All followers not required with the above are to accompany the baggage of their corps. The transport officer will act as baggage-master, and all baggage-followers and baggage-guards will be under his orders. He will see that the baggage moves off the ground in the following order, viz:--Field hospital with its baggage in rear of fighting portion of column; ammunition second reserve and ordnance park; staff baggage, including supplies; regimental baggage with supplies in regimental charge in order of march of unit; supply go-down; spare animals in transport charge; rearguard.

(By order) S. M. EDWARDS, _Major_, _S.O. Aden Column_.

_January 2nd, 1903, Sheikh Othman._--On January 2nd, 1903, the column a.s.sembled at its rendezvous, Sheikh Othman, some ten miles from Aden.

_January 3rd, Bir Sayed Ali Wells_ (2-1/2 _miles north of Firush_.)--An early start was made, though as it was the first day's march as a column it was not intended to go very far. The going, moreover, was bad. It takes time to accustom oneself to marching through deep sand, just as it takes time to acquire the 'heather-step'

in August. However, every one did well, the water was good and fairly plentiful, though somewhat scattered, and the spirits of the little force rose high at the possibilities of the prospect before them.

_January 4th, Bir Salim._--The water at this camp was good, but insufficient in quant.i.ty, necessitating the watering of the animals some mile away.

_January 5th, Shaika._--Another good march, the only incident of which was the breaking down of the treasure-camel, an important item of the force.

_January 6th._--Owing to the necessity of making very early starts, long before daybreak, Lieut.-Colonel English gave orders for bonfires to be built overnight. These proved a great success, and enabled the packing-up in the morning to be accomplished with facility and dispatch.

_January 7th, Alhaja._--This place was reached after a long and trying march, but the water proved bad in quality and small in quant.i.ty.

Captain Harrison, however, luckily joined the force here with a good supply from Aden, so all was well.

_January 8th, Hadaba._--Another tiring march, but a spring in the river-bed provided a plentiful supply of good water. As there were 1300 human beings and animals to provide for, it can easily be understood that the problem of the water-supply was a never-ceasing care to the staff. Its solution would have been still more difficult had not the O.C. column arranged that the Bombay Grenadiers and native hospital should march a day behind the rest of the force.

_January 9th, Arrado._--A short march, and more water than was expected.

_January 10th, Dthala._--There was a difficult pa.s.s to ascend before the column reached its objective; three camels were in consequence lost _en route_, one falling over a precipice and two dying from exhaustion. By 1 p.m., however, all difficulties had been overcome, and the camping-ground was reached without opposition.

_January 11th._--The remainder of the column arrived safely.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dthala Camp.]

The rest of the month was occupied in putting the camp in a state of defence, and the usual camp life. A force of 400 Turkish troops, with four guns and twenty-five mounted men, was encamped only two miles off at Jelala, and, as the condition of affairs, according to the political officer, Colonel Wahab, was very acute, it was necessary to observe the strictest precautions at all times. On January 30th the detachment of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers was relieved by one from the Hampshire Regiment, and marched off on their way back to Aden, under command of Lieutenant Haskard. Colonel English did not return, having received orders from Lord Kitchener to remain in command of the field force, whose total strength now consisted of 818 officers and men, and 735 animals.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dthala Village from Camp.]

_February 1st._--The situation now, however, became more serious.

Colonel English received a wire at 2.30 p.m. directing him to stop Haskard's return march at n.o.bat-Dakim, and another at 6 p.m. informing him that the whole of the Dublin Fusiliers were coming up, and also half the 23rd Bombay Rifles. On February 10th instructions were received to recall Haskard, who marched on the 12th, arriving at Dthala on the 14th. On the 18th, headquarters and the remainder of the Dublin Fusiliers left Aden, reaching Dthala on the 26th, when Colonel Hicks took over command of the column, Lieut.-Colonel English a.s.suming command of the battalion.

On March 22nd the Turks, however, evacuated Jelala, retiring behind Kataba. Jelala was at once occupied by two companies of the Bombay Rifles. Captain Rooth, Brevet-Major Carington Smith, Captains Garvice, Grimshaw, and Taylor arrived on the same day.

On April 27th a detachment, consisting of 100 Royal Dublin Fusiliers, two guns 6th Mountain Battery, and 100 Bombay Rifles, with supply and transport, the whole under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel English, occupied Sanah, where they remained until July 11th, when they returned to Dthala.

On May 18th a detachment of 100 men of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, under Brevet-Major Smith, joined a column under command of Colonel Scallon, C.I.E., D.S.O., 23rd Bombay Rifles, which proceeded on a punitive expedition to Hardaba. They met with some slight opposition, in which No. 7274 Private Martin, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was slightly wounded. The column returned to Dthala on May 25th, after suffering considerably from heat.

On August 31st a small flying column, under Major Delamain, left for the Bunna River. Lieutenant Wheeler, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, acted as Staff Officer to this force. On September 4th, Lieutenant Haskard, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, with thirty-five men, went out to Delamain with a convoy, returning on September 6th.

Considerable trouble had for some time been caused by the depredations of the Arab tribes, who had been killing camelmen, and generally making themselves obnoxious on the line of communications. Information was now received that these Arabs were beginning to get very excited, and that they contemplated an attack on a post under Captain Shewell, at Awabil. A force was immediately got together, and placed under the command of Colonel English. He marched on September 13th, only to find, however, on arrival that Shewell had beaten off the attack by himself, with a loss of one man killed and five wounded. Colonel English then returned to Dthala, which place he reached on September 19th.

On October 5th the same officer took command of another column, to punish the Dthanbari tribe and destroy their chief town, Naklain. The column consisted of Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 4 companies; 6th Mountain Battery, Royal Artillery, 1 section; Camel Battery, 2 guns; Aden Troop, 17 sowars; Bombay Grenadiers, 1 double company; 23rd Bombay Rifles, 23 men.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Frontier Tower. Abdali Country.]

Colonel English arrived before Naklain at 8.25 a.m. on October 7th, after pushing back the enemy, who disputed the pa.s.sage of a difficult gorge for some time. He then proceeded to destroy the place, and at 11.15 a.m. started on his return march. The enemy clung to his flanks, and kept up a long-range fire until 2.30 p.m., when he repa.s.sed the gorge mentioned above. His casualties consisted of one killed (No.

5710 Private Andrew Keegan), and six wounded, while there were in addition six cases of sunstroke. The column did not return to Dthala, but marched straight to Aden, where it arrived on October 14th.

The remainder of the battalion left Dthala on October 10th, reaching Aden on the 16th, where, on October 24th, it embarked on the transport _Soudan_ for home.

For his services in the Aden Hinterland, Lieutenant-Colonel English was awarded the D.S.O. It was never better earned. But no medal was issued to the regiment, in spite of the fact that for ten months they had been living under active service conditions, which necessitated unceasing vigilance by day and night. It is true they had not suffered many casualties, or seen much fighting, but as this was undoubtedly due to the excellent manner in which the operations were conducted, and to the precautions taken, it seemed a little hard that the coveted distinction of a medal should be withheld, although the little campaign is ranked in war services as active service.

However, the experience and the knowledge of the country gained will doubtless prove beneficial to all concerned, who still look back upon Dthala with affection, and speak of it with regret. On the night after Colonel English had dealt with the Dthanbari tribe, Major Carington Smith, who was in command of a small detachment, after posting his outposts was just thinking of retiring when he heard the sentries challenge; this was immediately followed by a rush of hors.e.m.e.n, headed by a most gorgeously dressed officer. Reining up almost at Smith's feet he informed him that his master, a neighbouring potentate, friendly to the English, had sent him and his men to a.s.sist in the repulse of the bloodthirsty Dthanbari tribe, who might be expected to attempt to rush the camp that night. Although not antic.i.p.ating anything of the kind, Major Smith was far too polite to say so, and after thanking his allies, suggested that they should take up a line of cossack posts in front of his outpost line. To this they consented, but before leaving declared their earnest conviction that an a.s.sault would be delivered. Shortly after midnight Smith was awakened by a fiendish din. Grasping his sword with one hand and his pistol with the other, he rushed out to meet the crisis. From every direction his allies came galloping in as fast as their horses could lay legs to the ground, while the detachment sprang to arms in a second, fully expecting to be attacked by every Arab in the Hinterland. Reining up his horse as before, the leader of the cavalry once more saluted Smith, and made the following report: 'Sah, I have honour to salute you, and inform your Honour that Dthanbari tribe have not yet arrived.'

The following description of the action at Naklain appeared in the home press:--

'AN ARAB DRIVE.'

'HOT FIGHTING IN THE ADEN HINTERLAND.

'The expedition, under Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel English, was sent out to destroy the chief village and crops of the tribe Naklain, as punishment for the shooting of Government camels and the looting of his Majesty's mails. The tribe is very warlike, and their country had never hitherto been penetrated.

'After leaving As Suk camp, the British column began to wind among the mountains, which rise very abruptly from the plain, and, as they met with no opposition for a considerable time, they began to think there would be no resistance. Suddenly, without warning of any sort, a ragged volley was opened on the advance-guard, apparently from some very broken ground, fifty to a hundred yards in front.

'This seemed to be a prearranged signal, for from the hills on both flanks the firing was taken up, the enemy constantly changing their positions after firing. The guns were brought into action almost at once, and the infantry, extending at the double, soon covered a wide front and swept along the hills parallel to the advance.

'MOVING FORWARD.

'After the surrounding hills had been sh.e.l.led, the whole column moved forward, the infantry pushing the enemy back step by step until the village of Naklain was reached. While parties of men were told off to keep down the enemy's fire from points of vantage, others proceeded to blow up the houses with gun-cotton, and the more inaccessible houses were sh.e.l.led.

'The crops were then destroyed by the men with their bayonets and swords. There was a fierce fire while this was proceeding, the enemy evidently not having expected such a reprisal. The work having been completed, the arduous retirement commenced, the enemy following the force up step by step the whole way back, at one time coming to comparatively close quarters and necessitating a most careful management of the rearguard.

'As Suk was reached after a trying march of twenty miles, the troops being under fire most of the time, with scarcely any water and exposed to a burning sun. The British casualties were seven men of the Dublin Fusiliers wounded (one since dead) and one native and one gunner slightly wounded.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: 2nd Lieut. H. St. G. S. Scott; 2nd Lieut. B. Maclear; 2nd Lieut. E. St. G. Smith; 2nd Lieut. J. P. Tredennick.

Bt.-Major E. Fetherstonhaugh; Lieut. A. H. D. Britton; Lieut. and Qr.-mr. Burke; Major S. G. Bird, D.S.O.; Lieut. Haskard; Lieut.

Wheeler; 2nd Lieut. R. F. B. Knox; 2nd Lieut. J. P. B. Robinson; 2nd Lieut. A. W. Newton.