Berkshire and The War: the "Reading Standard" pictorial record. Volume 4. p 960

Berks Royal Horse Artillery -€” continued.

... inhabitants of the same fished dejectedly for their clothes and belongings. One driver was observed to spread seven cigarettes and four matches on the ground to dry, while big tears rolled unrestrainedly from his eyes.

The next part of this history deals with the tightest corner that the Battery ever experienced, and a "scrap" that lives in the memory to the exclusion of all others. Pushing up into the hills at Tahta and Fokker, the 6th Brigade suddenly found itself in a precarious position. Either they had exceeded their objectives or the brigade on the right, the 22nd, had retired without warning. Whichever
was the case, the 6th Brigade found itself surrounded on three sides and even occasionally receiving fire from the rear. The Berks Battery had somehow taken its guns into those Judean hills; how it was accomplished will never be quite clear, for goat tracks were the only highways amid that stony, mountainous wilderness. In such a place the Turk had ample hiding room , and it seemed that his cunning would at last bear fruit, for there was no doubt that the 6th Brigade was in it up to the neck. For two days and nights they were to all intents and purposes shut in by the enemy, and it was only the cool, steady cour­age of officers and m en alike that eventually saved the situation. The gunners had an experience that rarely comes twice to any battery. The enemy were almost at point-blank range, although hidden by the crest of a steep, rock-crowned ridge, and the shelling had to be of the haphazard variety with the shortest of fuses. The pagan shouts of the enemy and his calling upon "Allah"€ were plainly heard in the gun positions, while rifle and machine-gun bullets swept every exposed yard of ground. Bombardier Nugent was shot dead by a bullet from the flank, and other men were wounded by shots which did not come from the front. Then there came a time when all the ammunition was used and it seemed impossible to get any more. For hours the guns were idle and the Yeomanry were also getting desperately short of small arms ammunition. Eventually the B.A.C. tried the expedient of bringing it up by pack mules, under cover of darkness, and this proved partially successful. The Ammunition Column afterwards tried to retire from their hiding place, but it was necessary to use a track under enemy fire, and they were considerably cu t up. Many horses and mules were lost, necessitating the abandonment of a large proportion of the wagons, which were, however eventually recovered. One section of the battery was withdrawn, and the other left to its fate, but help was at hand. The 22nd Brigade was getting back into position, and the arrival of an infantry division, probably the 74th, completely turned the tables, the Turks falling back further into the hills, thus enabling the British line to be straightened out. Most of these infantry wore no boots. They had wrapped their feet in sand-bags, and were thus better equipped for climbing those formidable hills.

A Lucky Escape.

There were some strange experiences among the Berks men during this action, and one that will serve as a typical illustration is the remarkable escape from death of Driver B. Simmonds, who was the wheel-driver of an ammunition wagon. He had just dismounted, in fact, still had one foot in the stirrup, when a "whizz-bang" hit the wagon and exploded, killing both wheel horses and severely wounding Driver Withers, the centre driver, who was still mounted. Although somewhat shaken, Driver Simmonds was absolutely unhurt.

The Ammunition Column had been anxiously awaiting the return of one of its water-carts, which had been to fill up, but they waited in vain, for the cart was found with the horses dead in the harness and the driver dying by their side. Turkish artillery was not often very effective, but short ranges and easy targets had given it an opportunity which rarely fell to its lot.

Among the honours secured by the Battery during this campaign were a D.S.O. for Major Landsberg, the M.C. for Lieut. Ansbacher, the D.C.M. for Sergt.-Major Brown, and Military Medals for L. Somner, C. Sweetzer and S. Coolman, while Trumpeter McGuirk also received the latter award for gallant conduct at Beersheba.

After these experiences the Battery moved back to Akir again, and afterwards down the line to Mejdel to recuperate and "brush the dust off", as it were. The Ammunition Column was in even greater need of sorting-out and reorganisation, for it had received a pretty severe battering. Remounts were in great request, for many horses had been killed or lost, including some of the old favourites which had been mobilised with the unit.

Rum and Water.

Christmas was spent at Mejdel, and if there was not much in the poultry line and the other kindred good things associated with the day, there was at least a sufficiency of the "cup that cheers", not necessarily meaning tea. Mrs. Grundy and the other cranks who were shocked at the thought of Tommy getting a rum ration ought to have shivered in a bivouac at Medjel [sic], with the rain pouring through every crevice, blankets soaked with water, and the neighbourhood a fair imitation of the Norfolk broads, and heard the word go forth, "Rum up". Then was the Quartermaster a "decent chap", for perhaps the first time in all his reviled existence, and eager sprinters scurried back to their "boat-houses"€ with a hand over the cup to stop too much rain going in. New Year's Eve was a famous festival in the Ammunition Column, for there were many "braw laddies" from the land of pine and heather attached to it, and Hogmanay was celebrated with song and ballad far into the night. Protestations from Brigade Headquarters were of no avail, and the powers that be went to bed to sleep as best they might.

A popular battery man was lost at this time in Wheeler-Corporal Reavell, who died suddenly, presumably from heart-failure.

Early in January the Battery moved still further south, to Deir-el-Belah, a place they had become acquainted with at the time of the Gaza fighting, and a rumour started that the division was destined for France. Week after week passed by, however, and there were no further developments except the fetching of remounts and considerable reorganisation, which events at last dispelled the persistent rumours. There was plenty to distract and amuse at Belah, and quite an enjoyable time was spent, except for the fact that the rain seem ed in no hurry to stop, and time and again turned the horse lines into quagmires. Tents had been provided, however, and the camp was on good yellow sand, so that there was not much discomfort for the men, provided they had sufficient foresight to dig trenches round their tents. Football became a very popular pastime, and all the units of the Brigade could field very strong teams, the Hants Battery having the finest of all. An inter sub-section competition was arranged between the four sub-sections of the Battery and the two of the Ammunition Column, and provided considerable excitement. It was ulti­mately won by "€œA" sub-section of the Column, with the favourites, "D" of the Battery, runners-up. Mainly through the kindly interest of General Barrow, ...

A Divisional Cup

... competition was inaugurated, and so keen was the competitive spirit that seventeen teams entered. The Hants Battery and the B.A.C. became hot favourites, but these two teams met in the second round, and the Hants, winning by a solitary goal, were considered certain to take the cup. The Berks Battery, however, very much despised as footballers, had been training assiduously, and defeating first the Field Squadron R.E.'s and then the Lincolnshire Yeomanry, found themselves in the semi-finals. In this round they were matched against the R.A.M.C., while the Hants and Leicester Batteries were the other semi-finalists, so that three of the four teams were from the artillery brigade, a fact which called comment from General Barrow. Never will the thousands of spectators forget the three great games which the Berks Battery played with the R.A.M.C. before a decision was reached. No goals were scored in the first, after extra time, and the second match resulted in a draw of two goals each, extra time again being played. In the third encounter the R.A.M.C. led by two goals to one five minutes from the finish, but the Battery got on terms, and in the resultant extra time completely outplayed the medicals, winning in the end by five goals to two. The crowd at the final match between the Berks and Hants Batteries was fully 3,000 strong, and the Hants were expected to win without any trouble. Aided by the wind they led by a goal to nil at the interval, but an astonishing thing happened in the second half. Taking the game into their own hands, the Berkshire team played like champions, and the equalising goal scored by "Jack"€ Hands caused an indescribable scene of enthusiasm. This was surpassed if anything, however, when Giles, the popular Wallingford footballer, shot through a crowd of players and won the cup within three minutes of the finish. This football success has been described in some detail, because it really was a fine performance, far surpassing the expectations of the team's supporters.

Before the final was played the division had moved twice, first to the grassy slopes of the Alimuntar Ridge, outside Gaza, and then to Sukeriya, further up the line. At Gaza there was an excellent opportunity of witnessing the effect of the many bombardments, the place being a maze of shell-holes. A race meeting was held, at which the celebrated Frank Wootton rode two winners, and some convivial times were spent, parties of the Berks Battery and Berks Yeomanry paying one another visits, according to which camp had replenished its canteen.

At Sukeriya there was more rain, much rain in fact, and the first week was spent in shifting camp from one quagmire to another. This was a clay soil instead of sand and walking resolved itself into a game of transplanting considerable portions of Palestine. After a fortnight or so of this, the division moved right back to Belah again. Presumably there was some reason or other for the move, but it was difficult to see exactly what it was, unless the staff were practising a new kind of strategy. The phenomenal rains had about spent themselves by now, and a pleasant time was spent at Belah, amid the palm trees. Concerts and other recreations were organised, and a little cricket was indulged in, but the ground was hardly suited to this kind of sport, sand being hardly a good substitute for the turf of old England.

Berks Yeomanry Exodus.

Then came the great exodus, when two out of every three Yeomanry regiments, including the Berks and the Bucks Hussars, left for France, their places in the division being taken by regiments of Indian cavalry. It was now styled the 1st Mounted Division, each brigade consisting of one British Yeomanry and two of the picturesque Indian regiments. They were mostly Lancers, and were soon to prove themselves worthy successors of those whose places they had taken. For six weeks the battery, with the rest of the division, remained at ...