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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Bethlehem 1917


michaeldr

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"O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!"

Many of us have sent and received greetings at this season showing views of Bethlehem.Att. is a picture of how it looked to the German Squadron No.302 on 23rd November 1917 from a height of 3000 meters; [top is north-west, bottom south-east]

The road crossing the top left corner comes from Hebron [10.5 miles] and goes on to Jerusalem [6.5 miles]

The large complex of buildings on the hill near the centre of the photograph is the Church of the Nativity built over the cave/stable where Jesus was born. Originally a Byzantine building, it was largely rebuilt in Crusader times.

The picture is from the collection of Hauptmann Erich Steiner [now deposited with the Dept of Geography - Aerial Photographs Unit, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem] and appears in Kedar's book 'The Changing Land Between the Jordan and the Sea'

Happy Christmas

Michael D.R.

post-5-1072343009.jpg

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What a great photograph.

I visited Bethlehem about four years ago, on a whistle-stop tour of the Jerusalem area. The Church of the Nativity is now surrounded by a squalid concrete sprawl. It is hard to believe that the empty and rugged country you can see on the photograph has been utterly destroyed by modern development.

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  • 1 month later...

Hello All,

Can anyone tell me what the British Forces were doing in and around Bethlehem at the time of the photograph, as I am aware of three men who died and were buried in Bethlehem Cemetery between December 1917 and September 1918.

Ken.

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Ken,

Kedar’s book is more about aerial photography than military history, however he gives the following info; Maj-Gen Mott’s force entered Hebron from the south on 5th Dec 1917, encountering no Turkish forces, they entered Bethlehem on 9th, again without encountering any resistance, and immediately continued northwards to Jerusalem.

I presume that Kedar got this from the Official History (?)

Hopefully one of our Egypt/Palestine enthusiasts can give you more definite info

Regards

Michael D.R.

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