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Remembered Today:

Jordan Valley Day


michaeldr

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To my surprise, I can't seem to find any reference to the VC action of Badlu Singh (Post #1) in books (Covered six so far) describing the events at the Jordan River fords, south of Beisan . Very strange! Still trying to solve the issue of location of some of the sites mentioned, but the picture is gradually becoming clearer. 

 

Quite strange that Falls's OH includes a sketch of the events of September 24th in that area (Just South), but not of the events of the 23rd, that seems to me to be the climax of these events. Maybe the war diary of one of the units involved has a sketch of the battlefield of that day. 

 

Eran

 


Falls_skMap36Masudi.jpeg.jpeg.c5632bad6cc2bb9bb6c80a95f6898159.jpeg 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Trying to figure out all the details (locations etc.) of these events that involved on the EEF side mostly the 11th Cavalry Brigade, 4th Mounted Division. The Brigade included the Middlesex Yeomanry,  36th Jacob's Horse and the 29th Lancers (Deccan Horse).

 

I have the Historical records of the Middlesex Yeomanry (Stonham & Freeman) and Michael was kind enough to send me the relevant pages from the 36th Jacob's Horse. I'm trying to find the relevant pages in Prince of Wales's Own, The Scinde Horse (About the 29th Lancers, Deccan Horse). Does anyone have this book and can scan for me the few pages about these events?

 

Does anyone have the War Diaries of: 4th Mounted Division, 11th Cavalry Brigade, Middlesex Yeomanry,  36th Jacob's Horse, 29th Lancers (Deccan Horse)? Does any of these include a map of the activities of September 23th?

 

Eran

 

Edited by Eran Tearosh
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11 hours ago, Eran Tearosh said:

Michael was kind enough to send me the relevant pages from the 36th Jacob's Horse. I'm trying to find the relevant pages in Prince of Wales's Own, The Scinde Horse (About the 29th Lancers, Deccan Horse). Does anyone have this book and can scan for me the few pages about these events?

 

Eran,

Just to clarify - the four pages of scans which I sent you are titled '36th Jacob's Horse'

But in fact the chapter comes from the Col Maunsell's book 'Prince of Wales's Own, The Scinde Horse'

 

regards

Michael

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Thanks Michael, I wasn't aware of that. So weird!!

 

The 29th Lancers played an important role in the events of September 23rd on the west side of the Jordan River, including the VC action of Badlu Singh - 

and in their own book there's no reference to their own actions, including a VC? Strange!!

 

Thanks and best regards,

 

Eran

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I'll check out the Deccan Horse this evening

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Eran - if you PM me an e-mail address I will photograph (scanner's kaput) the relevant pages of the Royal Deccan Horse history, but I fear you will be disappointed, as Badlu Singh is only mentioned as having been killed and posthumously awarded a VC: there is no mention of him otherwise and not even a citation!

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  • 1 year later...

Eran,

Risaldar Badlu Singh belonged to the squadron of the 14th Murray's Jat Lancers, which was disbanded in 1922 and its strength merged with 20 Lancers. Consequently their regimental history has been, by and large, ignored or missed out. Badlu Singh and the six who accompanied him in this charge belonged to Jhajjar Tehsil (now a District) of Haryana (then part of Punjab). His Victoria Cross is part of the Lord Ashcroft collection at the Imperial War Museum.

 

14th Murray's Jat Lancers was a cavalry unit with largest establishment in the then Indian Army. During WW 1 while the main body operated in NWFP (1914 - 1916) and Mesopotamia (1916 - 1918), one of its squadron (additional) was affiliated to 29 Lancers (DH) throughout the war. This was so because both the units recruited Hindu Jats. 14th Murray's Jat Lancers was a purely Hindu Jat unit which recruited its troops from Rohtak District of then Punjab and Meerut and Bullundshahr districts of United Province.        

Best regards

Yogi

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  • 2 months later...

Everyone,

 

Long long due, but finally I'm able to give more solid answers to the points that remained open on this event. 

 

Earlier this week we (The Society for the Heritage of WWI in Israel) had quite an amazing day - first we participated in the moving ceremony at Semakh, an event that Michael wrote about it in this thread: 

 

The second part of the day was dedicated to the actions of the 11th Mounted Brigade (4th Cavalry Division, Desert Mounted Corps) at the Jordan River's fords on September 23-24 1918. This part started by a talk (accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation) at Kibbutz Sde-Eliyahu, before an audience that included society members and local residents (Who heard for the first time that they actually live on a WWI battlefield...). The talk was followed by a battlefield tour along and above the relevant section of the River Jordan.  

 

The main questions that remained open were today's name of Makhadet Abu-Naj and the identification of the mound that is the location of the VC act of Badlu Singh.

 

The first one if fairly easy - Michael sent a great map in Hebrew (post # 16), that shows the place, just north-west of Tel Abu e-Naj. It's called for a few decades Maavar Z'air, Z'air pronounced in Arabic Z'rer. I couldn't find a map in English with this name, so I marked it's location on this (This area is a few kilometers south of Beit-She'an):

110622396_MakhadetabuNaj.jpg.86e8ae02fe9b0fb25fbac6f337298b0b.jpg

 

 

Although I had a year ago high hopes about local help, the local people of this area were eventually not able to assist me on finding the location of the VC act, and I had to 'dig' the answer myself. In "A History of the British Cavalry 1816-1919" (by The Marquess of Anglesey), Volume 5, I found this quote (page 303) "The position ran through dense scrub, with its centre occupying a mound and a few houses" (the source is General George Barrow's book, 'The fire of Life', page 206). 

Here's a section of the military map of this area:

559427661_-1.jpg.e7056a5af55899e3fa008eaa578c2f19.jpg

 

1090279080_.jpg.90c3e968c1de31e36007bb9772ec7ee6.jpg

 

As you see, there are no houses on the original map (1878) and not on the November 1917 reproduction and the May 1918 2nd edition. However, in the overprint, in purple, dated 1st September 1918 (less than 3 weeks before the commencement of the Megiddo Offensive), we find that due to air photography and intelligence - a new 'Village' is added, east of Khan es-Samariya, halfway between that village and the River Jordan. That fits exactly General Barrow's description, and there's a small mound just next to that new village (Probably not more than a few houses at that time, just like Barrow wrote) - Tel er-Rhian. This small mound is today on the east side of road 6678, opposite the entrance to kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. 

 

I guess that settles the issue of the location of Badlu Singh's VC act. Strange coincidence, but a few nights ago I found that earlier this month, a statue of Badlu Singh was unveiled in his native village, Dhakla, in the Jhajjar district.  Is that coincidence, or what?!

 

566.jpg.fadaf05936c85ca88a6412fce98b69b2.jpg

 

Eran 

map for GWF.jpg

Edited by Eran Tearosh
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On 06/08/2017 at 04:04, stevebecker said:

Mates,

 

An interesting account is given by the Turks about one such action when the remains of the 13th Depot Regt (only a Bn size unit) was attacked by what seams like Indian Cavalry;

 

shown 1918 Allied reports Yilderim Army Group (500 men) reported a battalion was routed by a British force of cavalry and armoured cars Forty six were speared and virtually all the rest numbering 470 were taken prisoners.

 

The only details on where this happened shows the 13th Depot Regt moved from Baalbek to Nazareth in July 1918 (shown with 3xBns + 137th MG Co).

 

So was the attack some where near Nazareth in Sept 1918 to be speared?

 

I should add the 13th Depot Regt was shown by British reports with the 11th Corps July 18 with 8th Army.

 

This was incorrect as the 11th Corps was in the Caucasus and had been disbanded into the 11th Caucasus Div, late 1916.

 

The 8th Army at that time had the 22nd Corps and the German Asia Corps.

 

Cheers


S.B

 

Steve,

 

Somehow, I missed your question about this attack, when this thread started.

 

Its the action & charge of the 2nd Lancers, in the early morning hours of September 20th. Armoured Cars were involved (11th Bty) and the Ottoman force indeed wad the 13th Depot regiment. The Indians were using their spears, as you can see in this famous painting, describing this charge:

 

962878508_1280px-Charge_of_the_2nd_Lancers_at_El_Afuli_-_in_the_Valley_of_Armageddon_5_am_Friday_20th_September_1918_Art.IWMART2501.jpg.b9ae0ee06333a29f51d839a78e60f0af.jpg

 

648334772_--20.jpg.c6dbaf0e2576a12aefb875f6eea089e4.jpg

 

Eran

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Ertan,

 

Many thanks mate, nice to hear from you in sunny Israel .

 

This is what I have on the 13th Depot Regt Ottoman Army 

 

13th Infantry depot Regt (depo alay)
15th Corps Feb 18 to shown 11th Corps (possibly 22nd Corps) July 18 with 8th Army
Maj Frey (German officer) commander 1917-18 

 

shown Feb 1918 Allied reports 15th Corps 1918 - shown June 1918 Allied reports at Baalbek - shown July 1918 Allied reports at Baalbek shown 11th Corps (possibly 22nd Corps) - 3xBns + 137th MG Co - shown Aug 1918 Allied reports moved to Nazareth July 1918 - shown 1918 Allied reports Yilderim Army Group (500 men) reported a battalion was routed by a British force of cavalry (2nd Indian Lancers) and armoured cars (11 LAMB) where 46 were speared and virtually all the rest numbering 470 were taken prisoners at Birket El Fuleh 20 Sept 1918

 

I should add that I record these depot units around Palestine during the war;

 

Galician Front to Palestine Syria Nov 1917    15th Corps 1916-17 12th Corps 1918    Galician to Damascus            10th Infantry depot Regt
Palestine - Turkey        Urfa            12th Cavalry depot Regt
Palestine & Syria Nov 1917        Jerusalem            12th Infantry depot Regt 
Palestine    15th Corps Feb 18 to shown 11th Corps (possibly 22nd Corps) July 18 with 8th Army    Baalbek to Nazareth 7-18             13th Infantry depot Regt
Palestine    8th Army    Nazareth to Haifa 7-18            17th Infantry depot Regt
Palestine        Damascus            19th Infantry depot Regt
Palestine    12th Corps 1918    Adana            20th Infantry depot Regt
Damascus / Palestine        Damascus            71st depot Bn 1914
Damascus / Palestine        Damascus            73rd depot Bn 1914
Deraa / Palestine        Deraa            75th depot Bn 1914
Jerusalem / Palestine        Jerusalem            80th depot Bn 1914
Nablus / Palestine        Nablus            81st depot Bn 1914
Palestine 1918        El Hudeira            8th Army deport Bn
Adana Southern Turkey near Aleppo Palestine        Adana            Adana Depot Regt
Palestine        Haifa             Haifa deport unit
 

Cheers

 

S.B

Edited by stevebecker
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