In Palestine

Wednesday 1st May 1918

The last six weeks have seen an almighty effort on the part of the enemy here on the Western Front and we have been reporting on these dramatic and drastic events t the exclusion of all else. Given this fact it is useful to be reminded that this is truly a World war with British and Empire soldiers in action in Africa, in Italy, in the Balkans, in Mesopotamia and in Palestine.

The 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment has been in the front line facing the Turks for much of the last six weeks and, while there have been no great battles in which they were involved, they have been involved in patrolling and minor actions and taken their share of artillery fire and snipers. The adjutant wired the casualty figures for April. which demonstrate this fact. During the month three other ranks were killed and twenty-one wounded, of whom nine remain at duty. The biggest problem, as ever in a hot climate, dogged with flies, has been disease. Ninety-seven men were admitted to hospital last month, of which twenty-five have returned to duty.

Source: X550/6/8