Through Palestine with the Twentieth Machine Gun Squadron Part 13

The Sections were now withdrawn from "outpost" and the Squadron moved into Muslimie station, where a certain number of buildings appeared to be available, and capable of affording protection from the wet weather, which showed signs of coming on.

Unfortunately, after clearing out several buildings, these had to be relinquished to a regiment of the 15th Brigade, which came up to take over the station. The Squadron, however, was allowed to use, as billets, some old railway trucks which could not be moved, owing to the points being blown up. It was expected, at one time, that the Division would proceed to Alexandretta, on the coast, for the winter, but this did not eventuate.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Muslimie Junction Station.]

About this time we had to say farewell to our old friend, Capt. Powell, C.F., the Brigade Padre, who was compelled to go into hospital after repeated attacks of malaria, and was eventually invalided home to England.

Capt. Powell had been with the Brigade since its original formation as the "7th Mounted," and was a great favourite amongst all ranks.

The following brief record of the events and doings of the Squadron during its long spell of duty at Aleppo (and Muslimie) may be interesting to some members:--

1918.

Nov. 13--"No. 3" Section absorbed in "Nos. 1 and 2".

" 15--Inspection of horses by Corps Commander.

" 17--Memorial service in main station building.

" 18--Headquarters attached to "Nos. 1 and 2" Sections.

" 22--Inspection of Transport by Divisional Commander.

" 28--Inspection of horses by G.O.C. Brigade.

" 30--Ration strength: 4 officers, 122 O.R.s, 208 animals.

Dec. 4--Divisional Commander inspects horses.

" 5--Preparation for visit of "C.-in-C.".

" 9--Capt. J.B. Oakley and Lieut. E.P. Cazalet, with 60 reinforcements, arrive from base. Capt. Oakley becomes Second-in-Command of Squadron.

" 10--Four officers and 80 O.R.'s proceed to Aleppo mounted for-- " 11--"C.-in-C.'s" procession, and return to camp.

" 17--Thanksgiving Day.

" 24--"B" Echelon (and donkeys) arrive.

" 25--Anthrax in Brigade.

" 27--One case of anthrax in Squadron.

1919.

Jan. 3--Inspection of Transport by Divisional Commander.

" 4--"No. 1" Sub-section proceeds to Aleppo with two troops "S.R.Y." to escort "C.-in-C." by train to Jerablus.

" 6--Return of party.

" 20--Short range practice.

" 25--Cla.s.ses opened in Brigade for shorthand, engineering, lectures, etc.

" 27--Coalminers leave for "demob.".

" 28--G.O.C. Brigade inspects horses.

Feb. 1--Cla.s.sification of horses: A.30, B.33, C.II.42, D.8.

" 3--Divisional Commander inspects animals and first line transport.

" 11--Orders to move to Aleppo. Dismounted party with surplus equipment proceeds by train.

" 12--Squadron moves to Aleppo.

" 14--Corps Commander visits lines during stables.

" 19--Sec.-Lieut. Arden appointed Brigade Educational Officer and promoted Captain whilst so employed.

" 20--Move to old 19th Squadron camp.

" 23--Twenty-two farmers proceed "homeward" ("demob." camp at Kantara).

" 26--Divisional Commander visits lines during stables.

" 27--Eleven O.R.'s to "Homeward".

" 28--An Armenian ma.s.sacre; Squadron proceeds to centre of town, four guns in position, one sub-section ("D") to Brigade Headquarters for night.

Mar. 1-3--Fifteen O.R.'s "demob.".

" 6--Move to camp in the centre of Aleppo.

" 11--Twenty-seven horses evacuated to M.V.S.

" 17--Farewell parade to the G.O.C., Desert Mounted Corps, Lieut.-Gen.

Sir H.G. Chauvel, K.C.B., K.C.M.G.

" 19--Fifteen reinforcements arrive from base.

" 20--Twenty horses and 26 mules to Corrals (paddocks formed by the Division to take the surplus animals resulting from demobilization).

" 27--One sub-section short-range practice.

" 29--Eleven horses and 32 mules to Corrals.

" 31--Squadron strength: four officers, 124 O.R.'s, 185 animals.

Apr. 1--G.O.C. Brigade inspects horses.

" 3--One sub-section short-range practice.

" 15--"Stand-to" 05.30-08.00, one sub-section mounted, six guns on limbers.

" 16--Ditto (as precaution against further ma.s.sacre of the Armenians).

" 22--Practice scheme with Brigade.

" 23--Issue of summer clothing.

" 30--Divisional Horse Show.

May 1-2--Ditto. Squadron won Special Prize with pack mule "Pansy," and had one limber and G.S. wagon in final; Pte. Carruthers also qualified for jumping finals.

" 31--Squadron strength: four officers, 75 O.R.'s, 189 horses and mules.

June 18--Inspection of horses and transport by Divisional Commander.

" 30--Peace celebrations. The Squadron, reduced to the strength of one sub-section, took part in "march past". Strength: three officers, 48 O.R.'s, 30 horses, 23 mules.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

The following, by a member of the Squadron, is typical of the life in the ARMIES OF OCCUPATION. He says:--

"Although these (the Armies of Occupation) officially have only existed since February 1st 1919, they have in reality, on certain fronts, been in operation since November 1918. The 5th Cavalry Division, pressing hard on the heels of the flying Turk, entered Aleppo on the evening of 26th October last. Trek-tired and weary, the Fighting Division under Major-Gen. H.J.M. MacAndrew, C.B., D.S.O., wound its lengthy column over the Kuwaik-Su Bridge and entered the ancient Turkish stronghold. Some of the units were at once stationed close to the town, taking over the barracks and vast stores and depots vacated by the enemy, whilst some of us, not so lucky, were pushed forward to Muslimie, the important junction of the Mesopotamian and Palestine Railways; and there formed a line of outpost defence, just 300 miles due north of the line held six weeks previously.

"LOW VITALITY OF TROOPS.

"On the 4th November the Armistice with Turkey was signed, and shortly after several cavalry units were sent still further north to Killis, Jerablus (on the Euphrates), and Aintab, and the outpost line near Aleppo was thus no longer required. Now followed a period even more difficult to put up with than actual war itself. A trek of over 400 miles in a s.p.a.ce of two months, following that nightmare of a sojourn in the Jordan Valley, had reduced the vitality of both man and horse to a very low ebb, and consequently the sick roll in both cases was large. Malignant malaria contracted in the valley took toll of many brave lives, and an outbreak of anthrax, coupled with debility, caused havoc among the horses.

"LIFE AT MUSLIMIE.

"Railway communication not being completed, and roads rendered unfit by heavy rains, delayed the pa.s.sage of canteen stores, and the rations had perforce to consist chiefly of mutton caught, killed and eaten the same day. Shall we ever forget the taste of it? Of course, we _did_ get goat sometimes as a variation. Xmas Day was on the horizon and no hope of any puddings, but most units were able to produce some kind of Xmas dinner, and a pudding concocted from local ingredients. Followed special trains to the 'Palmtrees'

Concert Party in Aleppo, and a fox hunt on New Year's Day. Whist drives and 'sing-songs' helped to break the deadly monotony of the long winter evenings, and during the day there was plenty to occupy one; roads to make in the mud, stones to be carted, buildings and shelters erected, and more than all, the attempt to get a little of the dirt off one's animal, and a little more flesh on his bones.

After the 130 degrees or so of heat (in the shade) in the Jordan Valley, the cold in Syria, during the winter, seemed intense, and ice had frequently to be broken before the morning wash. The snow on the Taurus Mountains was not rea.s.suring either, and firewood and coal became almost un.o.btainable.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"SEEING THE NEW YEAR IN.

"The only beverages obtainable at this time were native wines and army rum, and as the former consisted chiefly of sweet Alicante, methylated cognac and Arak, one became quite a connoisseur of the latter and the different methods of making rum punch.

"One Quartermaster-Sergeant in particular made quite a reputation for himself as a punch mixer, and I know that among his favourite ingredients were oranges, lemons, figs, condensed milk, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, boiling water.

"New Year's Eve saw (and heard) an officers' dinner, and all those from far and near flocked to a small building near the station, and under the able Presidency of popular Lieut.-Col. Wigan, of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, and the direction of a Yorkshire vet.

and a Captain of the Deccan Horse, the Old Year (and in some cases two Old Years) was seen out amid a score of toasts, the fumes of aromatic punch, and the strain of a buckshee piano. Personally, I crossed eight sets of Bagdad railway track in three strides.