Chauvel Order for a Reconnaissance to Hod el Gedaidia, 14 May 1916, page 2.

The aim of this reconnaissance was to establish any Turkish presence around Hod el Gedaidia. After the Turkish raid at Romani, it was essential to discover the Turkish presence, the numbers of Turkish forces deployed and so establish their intent. In addition, with an eye on future operations, the location of water sources and potential volumes were to be discovered by this reconnaissance.

Posted by Project Leader at 2:10 PM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 17 September 2008 2:47 PM EADT

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Bir el Mazar

Sinai, 17 September 1916

 General Staff HQ, Anzac MD, AIF, War Diary Account

The transcription:

10 September 1916

2100 - A & NZ Mounted Division Order No. 41 and other instructions for expedition to Bir el Mazar issued. Date 14th to 16th September. Troops 2nd Light Horse Brigade, 3rd Light Horse Brigade, 2 Batteries Royal Horse Artillery, No. 1 Imperial Camel Battalion from No. 2 Section. Enemy's total force estimated at 2,800 men with 10 guns, in an entrenched position.

11 September 1916

In accordance with A & NZ Mounted Division Order No. 40 the following moves took place:

0500 - 2nd Light Horse Brigade less 5th Light Horse Regiment left Et Maler for Hod el Hassaniya.

0930 - 3rd Light Horse Brigade left Hod el Hassaniya for Hod Amara arriving 1225.

1200 - New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade less Machine Gun Squadron, Wellington Mounted Rifles and Field Ambulance, arrived at Et Maler from Hod Amara.

12 September 1916

1600 - General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division visited New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. No. 7 Company, No. 1 Imperial Camel Battalion arrived Romani.

13 September 1916

Ayrshire and Inverness Batteries left Romani for Hod Amara.

1000 - Hong Kong and Singapore Camel Mountain Battery less one Section, arrived at Romani and came under orders of General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division.

1030 - Lieutenant General Lawrence, Commanding No. 3 Section, Canal Defences, visited General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division at Divisional Headquarters.

1100 - Order received from No. 3 Section that operation were to be postponed for 24 hours, and instructions to that effect issued to units.

1615 - Orders issued for Hong Kong and Singapore Battery to leave Romani at 1000 tomorrow, and march via Hod Amara to Willegha, where it will come under orders of No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps.

2035 - Orders for march of No. 7 Company, No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps to Hod Amara issued.

14 September 1916

0600 - No. 7 Company, No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps left for Hod Willegha via Hod Amara.

1000 - Hong Kong and Singapore Camel Mountain Battery left Romani for Willegha.

1200 - Instructions from No. 3 Section that after the operations, Nos. 4 and 7 Camel Companies will remain attached to A & NZ Mounted Division; Nos. 5 and 6 Companies will return to Mageibra. Hong Kong and Singapore Camel Mountain Battery will return to Railhead.

2110 - Instructions issued that 2nd Light Horse Brigade will water at Hod el Ge'eila instead of Ganadil as detailed in Operation No. 41 paragraph 4.

15 September 1916

0100 - Information received from No. 3 Section that Bir el Mazar will be reconnoitred and bombed from the air on morning of 16th September.

0900 - A & NZ Mounted Division Order No. 42 issued containing timings and instructions for march to and attack on Bir el Mazar, also special instructions to Brigadier Generals Commanding Brigades and Officer Commanding No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps.

1100 - General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division and Staff left Romani for Hod Amara.

1530 - General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division and Staff arrived at Hod Amara.

2355 - Divisional Headquarters A & NZ Mounted Division,  3rd Light Horse Brigade, Ayrshire and Inverness Batteries, Royal Horse Artillery, left Hod Amara for Salmana. No. 7 Company, No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps had left an hour previously.

1900 - 1st Light Horse Brigade left Romani for Bir el Abd.

2000 - No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps left Bir Bayud for Willegha. 2nd Light Horse Brigade left Hassaniya for Ge'eila.

16 September 1916

0315 - Divisional Headquarters A & NZ Mounted Division,  3rd Light Horse Brigade, Ayrshire and Inverness Batteries, Royal Horse Artillery, arrived at Salmana.

0500 - 1st Light Horse Brigade reached Bir el Abd.

0535 - 2nd Light Horse Brigade reached Ge'eila.

0600 - One deserter from 8th Machine Gun Company, at Mazar rode in to 10th Light Horse Regiment. He stated that all guns but two Anti-Aircraft had gone to El Arish.

0745 - Hostile aeroplane reconnoitred Salmana; it opened machine gun fire, one man in 10th Light Horse Regiment being killed.

0900 - General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division visited 2nd Light Horse Brigade at Ge'eila and No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps at Willegha.

0910 - Message from No. 3 Section that New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade had been ordered to hold itself in readiness to move if required.

1445 - Report received from Royal Flying Corps that an aeroplane was down in El Sugra. One troop, 1st Light Horse Brigade was sent to assist in saving the machine.

1500 - Aeroplane reports camp at Bir el Mazar very quiet and no troops seen to south or east.

1550 - Orders for concentration of force at rendezvous 3½ miles east of Salmana issued.

2030 - Head of column passed starting point about 3½ miles east of Salmana.

17 September 1916

0100 - Column arrived at point of deployment, i.e., western end of first march east of longitude 33 degrees 15 minutes.

0115 - Despatch received from Imperial Camel Corps stating that country was clear for 9 miles east of Bir el Geisi. "Did not strike Kasseiba but scoured country containing many tracks, am moving on."

0350 - Divisional Headquarters arrived at point 3½ miles east of Point of Deployment. From here 3rd Light Horse Brigade moved off to attack from South-East. 2nd Light Horse Brigade less 6th Light Horse Regiment with 5th Light Horse Regiment well in advance, moved direct on Bir el Mazar. The 7th Light Horse Regiment less 1 Squadron (reserve) were on the right of the 5th Light Horse Regiment, the point of junction being the caravan route.

0500 - Two Troops and Lewis Gun from 6th Light Horse Regiment moved forward on left of 5th Light Horse Regiment. One Squadron 6th Light Horse Regiment was escort with guns, one Squadron holding high ground on wither side of defile north of Hill 157, and the remaining two Troops, acting as flank guards during the march, were in position on high ground to north and south of Sabkhet el Mustabig.

3rd Light Horse Brigade was now in position south east of and overlooking Bir el Mazar.

One Troop which had been attached to gain touch with Imperial Camel Corps at Bir el Malha, were unable to do so.

Owing to the bad light it had not yet been possible to select positions or targets for the guns.

0515 - 7th Light Horse Regiment located small enemy post which was rushed by our troops, six soldiers of the Syrian Camel Corps being captured.

Advanced Troops of 7th Light Horse Regiment pursued and captured a further 8 camel men and their camels.

0530 - To the south and south east of Mazar, 9th and 10th Light Horse Regiment were in position on a two mile front. The enemy maintained a continuous sniping fire, with occasional heavy bursts accompanied by shrapnel.

0615 - Ayrshire and Inverness Batteries, Royal Horse Artillery, having moved forward, came into action against a series of trenches facing north west and south west and crowded with Turks near the tomb of Abu Gilban.

0730 - Batteries still in action, partly enfilading hostile trenches and effective in keeping down rifle fire.

0800 - Ayrshire Battery opened on hostile guns at rang of 2,800 yards.

After 30 shells had been fired at them, the hostile battery ceased fire.

0930 - 3rd Light Horse Brigade found that enemy were in strength and well entrenched.

Retirement was therefore decided upon, in accordance with previous instructions. As soon as the withdrawal began, the enemy opened a brisk fire. The No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps and Hong Kong and Singapore Camel Mountain Battery did not arrive at allotted point in time, owing to exceedingly heavy going and condition of camels. When withdrawal was ordered they were three miles to the south. The 8th Light Horse Regiment covered their withdrawal.

0945 - Word having been received by 2nd Light Horse Brigade that 3rd Light Horse Brigade were withdrawing, they commenced to retire.

1130 - After the 3rd Light Horse Brigade and No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps had cleared the area covered by the 2nd Light Horse Brigade about 1100.

Orders given for Ayrshire and Inverness Batteries, Royal Horse Artillery to withdraw. they retired by alternate batteries being covered by 5th Light Horse Regiment which later acted as rear guard during the march back to Salmana.

1215 - Column started for Salmana, horses were watered on the way back at a pint 9 miles east of Salmana, the water having been brought up to that point by camels, the convoy being escorted from Bir el Abd by the 1st Light Horse Brigade.

The ammunition columns had also remained at this point.

Before withdrawing, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade picked up four Turkish stragglers, and four more were also caught by the Imperial Camel Corps. Altogether 22 soldiers, including 1 Officer, 15 camels, 1 donkey and 8 Bedouins belonging to a hostile tribe (Ayayda) were captured. Our casualties totalled 1 Officer and 3 Other Ranks killed and 19 Other Ranks wounded.

2000 - All troops back at Salmana where they bivouacked for the night, 1st Light Horse Brigade less 1 Squadron moving to Bir el Abd. Divisional Headquarters at Salmana.

Orders issued for return of all troops to their former station.

18 September 1916

0315 - 2nd Light Horse Brigade left Salmana for Hassaniya.

0330 - 3rd Light Horse Brigade and Machine Gun Squadron New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade left Salmana for Hod Amara.

0530 - Ayrshire and Inverness Batteries, Royal Horse Artillery left Salmana for Hod Amara.

0600 - 2nd Light Horse Brigade arrived at Hassaniya.

0630 - General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division and Divisional Headquarters left Salmana for Romani.

0730 - No. 7 Company, No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps left Salmana for Hod Amara, acting as rear guard to the retiring columns.

0830 - Ayrshire and Inverness Batteries, Royal Horse Artillery arrived at Hod Amara.

1000 - 1st Light Horse Brigade left Bir el Abd for Romani. No.1 Battalion, Imperial Camel Corps less No. 7 Company moved back via Bayud to rejoin No. 2 Section Mobile Column. Hong Kong and Singapore Camel Mountain Battery moved in to Railhead at Negiliat, where instructions were received that they were to move on to Romani.

1445 - General Officer Commanding A & NZ Mounted Division reached Romani where Divisional Headquarters was opened.

1745 - 1st Light Horse Brigade arrived at Romani.

19 September 1916

0530 - Salmana patrol, 3rd Light Horse Brigade report capture three Syrian camel men deserters from Bir el Mazar with their camels. They reported that Bir el Mazar was being evacuated when they left at 0100.

 
Additional Reading:

Anzac Mounted Division, AIF

Bir el Mazar, Sinai, 17 September 1916

Bir el Mazar, Sinai, 17 September 1916, Roll of Honour 

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1919

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Tuesday, 24 November 2009 6:17 AM EAST

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Bir el Mazar

Sinai, 17 September 1916

RHA HQ, Anzac MD, AIF, War Diary Account

The transcription:

Units Engaged

The Batteries employed were the Ayrshire and Inverness Shire with their 2nd and 3rd Light Horse Brigades, Ammunition Columns and also that of the Leicestershire Battery, 1st Light Horse Brigade.

Preliminary Moves

On Monday 11th September, the Inverness Battery marched out from Romani to Hod el Amara relieving there one section of the Somerset Battery which came back to Romani.

On Wednesday, 13th September, the Ayrshire Battery marched out to Amara.

On Saturday, 16th September, both batteries and Royal Artillery Headquarters marched with 3rd Light Horse Brigade to Salmana where they arrived at 3 a.m. and remained for the day.

The three (1st, 2nd and 3rd) Light Horse Brigades Ammunition Columns assembled at Bir el Abd by 6 a.m. on 16th September.

The March

The batteries marched at 5.15 p.m. for the first Rendezvous, 4½ miles east of Salmana on the telegraph line reaching there without incident about 1900. Here the 2nd Light Horse Brigade joined the troops from Salmana, the whole forming the main Column for the advance on Mazar.

At 2030 the main Column moved off eastwards over good ground for the first 5 miles, the batteries keeping up easily with the Light Horse. Later the going became rough sand dunes covered with scrub, and the guns found difficulty in keeping their place in the Column. A steep and narrow defile was passed about 12 miles east of Salmana, when hard, level ground was again found, about 12 midnight, after the moon had risen.

Deployment

Hear here was the Second Rendezvous whence General Royston's Column of 3rd Light Horse Brigade moved off south eastward to meet a battalion of three mountain guns of the Camel Corps and attack Mazar at 0500 from south and southeast in conjunction with them. He had orders to withdraw if he encountered severe resistance, without getting seriously involved.

With this Column was sent an Artillery Officer to endeavour to communicate targets and to facilitate co-operation with the main Column. He carried a helio and got touch with Divisional Headquarters about 0700, but was unable to do more than indicate his own position.

Intercommunication

All troops of the Light Horse Brigades also carried small red flags to wave, so as to mark progress and to show their positions to the Artillery in rear.

Action

At 0230 the main Column moved on 3 miles to west end of Sabkhet el Mustabig, where it arrived at 0400.

0400

Here the road opened out on to a hard flat plain apparently about 1 mile wide north and south and two miles east and west. The guide, a Sergeant of the Sinai Police, said that Mazar was close and that this Sabkhet would be under machine gun fire from the redoubts in daylight.

0450

Two Artillery Officers were sent out to look for likely positions for the guns but little could be done until dawn appeared. However one position was chosen and the Ayrshire Battery was brought into action at 0450 before it was light enough to shoot, in a position whence it could have shelled Mazar, had it been where it was supposed to be. But when it became light, the range was found to be too great.

0500

At 0500 the guide pointed out to me from the hill where Divisional Headquarters was being established what he said was the tomb at Mazar. This was in a East South East direction and at a distance of 4 miles. In the dim light I thought I made out a camp near the tomb and therefore took the Inverness Battery about 1½ miles South East to a place which looked like a position form which the camp could be shelled.

I recalled the Ayrshire Battery to a position of readiness near Divisional Headquarters and set out myself to reconnoitre the new position for the Inverness Battery.

0530

At 0530 the Inverness Battery was in actin facing the supposed position of Mazar, but there was absolutely no target then visible although the light had improved. There was also no sound of firing from that direction and only one or two desultory rifle shots from the east.

After some consideration, it appeared to me certain that the guide had been wrong and that the position of Mazar was really considerably further to the North East.

I therefore galloped back to Divisional Headquarters, ordering the Battery to follow. I found that Divisional Headquarters had moved and left no word to say where they had gone to, but their telephone wire guided me and both batteries to their new position which was reached about 0615.

0615

A message had just come in from 5th Light Horse Regiment describing "a good Artillery target", so two S.O.'s were despatched to reconnoitre positions near the Caravan track to north east.

It was now quite evident that the position of Mazar was as shown on the map and that the AA guns which had now begun to fire, were near a conspicuous hospital which could be seen to the north east.

I therefore took the two batteries straight off in that direction and brought them into action ½ mile south of the Caravan track against series of trenches facing north west and south west and full of Turks, near the Tomb of Abu Gilban.

0730

The Ayrshire Battery opened fire about 0730 at 3250 yards range, and the Inverness about 0723 at 4000 yards range.

Rifle fire was coming from the trenches apparently against General Royston's Column to their south and some of the trenches were taken partly in enfilade by the shells which certainly were effective in subduing the rifle fire.

Whenever pauses took place in the shelling, movement was visible in the trenches and rifle fire broke out again, but it was invariably stopped by bursts of shrapnel.

We could, however, see no signs of General Royston's men and so it was difficult to so-operate with success. The light was such that red flags could not be seen anywhere till about 0700, and never with the detached Column. The early morning sun shone directly over the enemy's position into our eyes and it was impossible to make out anything at any distance to the east before 0700.

AA Gun Target, 0800

Lieutenant Colonel Wilson of 5th Light Horse Regiment pointed out by their flashes the positions of the two AA guns on to which the Ayrshire Battery turned fire about 0800 at the short range of 2800 yards, but no information could be obtained as to the result of this fire. The AA guns at first returned the fire of the battery but only two of their shells came anywhere near it and they did no damage.

After firing about 30 rounds at these guns, and when the AA guns had ceased firing, the Ayrshires again fired on the trenches near the Tomb, in co-operation with the Inverness Battery.

Withdrawal, 1200

About 12 noon orders were received from General Chauvel to withdraw the guns, which was done by alternate batteries, the 5th Light Horse Regiment covering their retirement from the left.

The retirement took place without trouble and undisturbed by any hostile fire and at 1230 the return march to Salmana started from Mustabig Lake with the rest of the Division.

Return March

About 1500 a halt was made to water at a point 9 miles east of Salmana. There was however great difficulty in getting water at all there, and though the horses and men of the Ayrshire Battery and the Inverness men got some, it was found impossible to water the horses of the latter battery.

Both batteries reached Salmana about 1945 on 17th September and Hod Amara on 18th by 1000.

The Inverness Battery horses were without water from 1700 on 16th to 2030 on 17th during which time both batteries did no less than 40 miles. So the horses were rather exhausted, but they have already improved and considering everything did their work extraordinarily well and with very few casualties.

The Ayrshire Battery lost 1 horse died and 1 missing, and expended 111 shrapnel shells.

The Inverness Battery lost 4 horses died and 2 missing, and expended 156 shrapnel shells.

The three Brigades Ammunition Columns moved with the 1st Light Horse Brigade and the water convoy to a point 9 miles east of Salmana on the night of 16th and remained there until the return of the column on the afternoon of 17th.

 
Additional Reading:

Anzac Mounted Division, AIF

Bir el Mazar, Sinai, 17 September 1916

Bir el Mazar, Sinai, 17 September 1916, Roll of Honour 

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1919

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Tuesday, 24 November 2009 6:17 AM EAST

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Chauvel Order for a Reconnaissance to Hod el Gedaidia, 14 May 1916, page 1.

The aim of this reconnaissance was to establish any Turkish presence around Hod el Gedaidia. After the Turkish raid at Romani, it was essential to discover the Turkish presence, the numbers of Turkish forces deployed and so establish their intent. In addition, with an eye on future operations, the location of water sources and potential volumes were to be discovered by this reconnaissance.

Posted by Project Leader at 1:01 AM EADT

Updated: Monday, 15 September 2008 7:04 PM EADT

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Chauvel Order for a Reconnaissance to Bir el Bayud, 13 May 1916, page 2.

The aim of this reconnaissance was to establish any Turkish presence around Oghratina, Hod es Sagia and Bir Bayud. After the Turkish raid at Romani, it was essential to discover the Turkish presence, the numbers of Turkish forces deployed and so establish their intent.

Posted by Project Leader at 6:54 PM EADT

Updated: Monday, 15 September 2008 7:06 PM EADT

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