Attack on the Turks Near Mulebbis

Wednesday 13th March 1918

Yesterday 1st/5th Battalion took part in an attack. Operations have been underway since 8th March when 53rd (Welsh) Division, 10th (Irish) Division and 74th (Yeomanry) Division attacked the enemy on the high ground above the Jordan Valley north of Jerusalem. Yesterday 75th Division joined 162nd Brigade in attacking north-east of Mulebbis.

The 1st/5th Bedfords paraded at 5.30 a.m. and marched to the jumping off point for the attack, which began at 7.45, preceded by artillery fire. The Bedfords’ attack was completely successful though a severe storm blew up during it , which, as the adjutant noted, made observation very difficult.

About 9 a.m. the 1st/4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment and 1st/10th Battalion London Regiment passed through the Bedfords to launch the enxt phase of the attack. The Northamptons gained their objective without opposition. The Londoners were held up at Mejdel Yaba(1) but a barrage by artillery helped them to take the place by 12.30 p.m.

During the afternoon the Bedfords worked on creating second line defences. It was too rocky to dig trenches so small enclosures called sangars were made from the stones. The Battalion relieved the Northamptonshire Regiment in the front line last night.

These offensive operations have given the army a good base for future offensive operations.

Source: X550/6/8

(1) This Arab Village was depopulated by the Israelis in 1948 and the Israeli town of Rosh Haayin now stands on the site. 

Setting Up a New Home

Colonel Brighten and his tent from History of the Fifth Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment (TA)

Sunday 20th May 1917

Yesterday 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, near Gaza in Palestine, had to set up their new bivouacs behind the lines. Their allotted area consists of about 200 yards of a dry gully with four small branches about 40 yards long off it as well as the flat ground between these arms. For the next few days, much sanitary work including the erection of incinerators, latrines, baths and the dugouts will have to be sprayed with fly solution.

The Battalion, with the 1st/11th Battalion, London Regiment (54th (East Anglian) Division), 1st/1st Battalion, Herefordshire Regiment (53rd (Welsh) Division) and 6th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers (53rd Division) are all in the same area and are placed under the orders of the General Officer Commanding 53rd Division (Major-General Stanley F Mott) in a general reserve, organised for tactical purposes as a composite brigade under the command of the Bedfords’ commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel E W Brighten.

Source: X550/6/8

The Second Battle of Gaza Ends

Saturday 21st April 1917

We understand that no further attack was made against Gaza yesterday. Indeed, as a result of being weakened by fierce counter-attacks some of the gains of 19th have had to be given up. We understand that the battle has occasioned 6,000 casualties, in other words half a full-strength division. The 53rd Division are presently on Samson Ridge and 52nd Division at the foot of Outpost Hill. Much to their disgust 54th Division, out in the open, on machine-gun-swept sands were ordered to retire back to Sheikh Abbas. For the moment, it seems, attempts to take Gaza have come to an end.

Sources: X550/6/8

The Battle of Gaza Continues

Friday 20th April 1917

Yesterday British and Imperial forces began their attack on Gaza at 5.30 in the morning. They had to overcome around ten miles width of Turkish defences. 52nd (Lowland) and 54th (East Anglian) Divisions were to swing north from the Mansura Ridge to attack Ali Muntar before moving on to Gaza itself. Meanwhile 53rd (Welsh) Division was to overcome the coastal defences on Samson Ridge and Sheikh Ajlin on the seashore.

We understand that the Welsh, still severely depleted from the battle in March, were successful in their attack, but lost another six hundred men and it took until early afternoon to do it. On the right of the Welsh the Lowland Division met heavy opposition in places and was unable to secure all its initial objectives. It was a similar story for the East Anglians, the 10th Battalion, London Regiment and 4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment both suffered many casualties and the 1st/5th Bedfords, in brigade reserve, threw in D Company to support them. Again, it was early afternoon before much progress was made.

It was around nightfall, 6 o’clock that the attack was called off for the day. We understand that the Bedfords were thrown into the front line to help man it against counter-attacks during the night, the battalion holding around a mile of the front in hastily-dug pits, each holding seven riflemen at intervals of twenty five yards. Lieutenant Wilkin and Second Lieutenant Brereton were both wounded and forty other ranks became casualties(1). It is not known whether the the attack will begin again soon or whether a siege is now prospect.

Last night the 8th Bedfords were relieved from the front line south of Loos and are now at Maroc. During these recent operations the Medical Officer, Captain Black and also Second Lieutenant Taylor and seventeen other ranks were killed, four officers and 91 other ranks have been wounded.

Last night 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment made their way from Couin up to the front near at Arras and are now under the command of VII Corps. They are presently just south-west of the village of Beaurains.

Sources: X550/3/WD; X550/6/8; X550/9/1

(1) Second Lieutenant Leonard Leader Brereton would die of his wounds in Cairo on 29th April.

The Second Battle of Gaza Continues

Friday 20th April 1917

Yesterday British and Imperial forces began their attack on Gaza at 5.30 in the morning. They had to overcome around ten miles width of Turkish defences. 52nd (Lowland) and 54th (East Anglian) Divisions were to swing north from the mansura Ridge to attack Ali Muntar before moving on to Gaza itself. Meanwhile 53rd (Welsh) Division was to overcome the coastal defences on Samson Ridge and Sheikh Ajlin on the seashore.

We understand that the Welsh, still severely depleted from the battle in March, were successful in their attack, but lost another six hundred men but took until early afternoon to do it. On the right of the Welsh the Lowland Division met heavy opposition in places and was unable to secure all its initial objectives. It was a similar story for the East Anglians, the 10th Battalion, London Regiment and 4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment both suffered many casualties and the 1st/5th Bedfords, in brigade reserve, threw in D Company to support them. Again, it was early afternoon before much progress was made.

1st/5th Bedfords on Mansura Ridge from the history of the battalion by A M Webster

It was around nightfall, 6 o’clock that the attack was called off for the day. We understand that the Bedfords were thrown into the front line to help man it against counter-attacks during the night, the battalion holding around a mile of the front in hastily-dug pits, each holding seven riflemen at intervals of twenty five yards. Lieutenant Wilkin and Second Lieutenant Brereton were both wounded and forty other ranks became casualties(1). It is not known whether the the attack will begin again soon or whether a siege is now prospect.

Last night the 8th Bedfords were relieved from the front line south of Loos and are now at Maroc. During these recent operations the Medical Officer, Captain Black and also Second Lieutenant Taylor and seventeen other rankls were killed, four officers and 91 other ranks have been wounded.

Last night 2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment made their way from Couin up to the front near at Arras and are now under the command of VII Corps. They are presently just south-west of the village of Beaurains.

Sources: X550/3/WD; X550/6/8; X550/9/1

(1) Second Lieutenant Leonard Leader Brereton would die of his wounds in Cairo on 29th April.

The Second Battle of Gaza Begins

Lord Ampthill [X550/1/82]

Wednesday 18th April 1917

Speaking with Lord Ampthill this evening he brought me up to date with the position of the 8th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment south of Loos. At five o’clock this morning, as soon as it was light, an attack from three points was made by D Company on the strongpoint which had stopped A Company’s attack yesterday and which threatened the battalion’s right flank. During the night B Company had relieved C Company in the front line and D had relieved A Company. Unfortunately, this attack failed “through the devastating fire poured on to them from concrete emplacements by hostile machine guns”.

B Company bombed down to their right to connect with D Company but as the strongpoint was not taken the two companies could not link up. Hostile artillery fire continued all day and at periods it became intense. At least three more prisoners taken during the day.

Of more import is the news from Palestine where British and Imperial forces have been attacking Gaza once again, after the unsuccessful attempt to take the place on 26th March. Yesterday three divisions – 52nd (Lowland), 53rd (Welsh) and 54th (East Anglian) all made attacks. 54th Division, of course, includes 1st/5th Bedfords, part of 162nd Brigade.

52nd and 54th Divisions were given the task of attacking the area south and south-east of Gaza were to take a line from Sheikh Abbas through Mansura to Kurd Hill. The Welsh attacked south-west of Gaza across the Wadi Ghuzzee towards the Samson Ridge. We understand that all attacks were successful and that preparations are now under way to attack the town of Gaza itself. By wire the adjutant of the 1st/5th Battalion informed me that the Bedfords had been successful in taking their objectives on the Mansura Ridge and were then consolidating. It is frustrating to know that this battle has been going on again today but we will not discover the result until tomorrow!

Sources: X550/6/8; X550/9/1