The Anzacs Capture Jericho

[TerryK]

The following is a summary of a chapter from my recently-published book 'Devils on Horses: In the Words of the Anzacs in the Middle East 1916-19 (Exisle, 2007).

By Christmas 1917, Jerusalem was secure and strong forces were established across the Auja river. General Allenby decided to occupy Jericho and capture the line of the Jordan River north of the Dead Sea. Lieutenant General Chetwode was put in charge of the coming operation, which was to begin as soon as the wet weather cleared. Allenby attached the Anzac Mounted Division to Chetwode’s corps. The 60th (London) Division, with the Wellington regiment under command, was ordered to capture the key features of El Muntar and Jebel Ektief. As soon as the way was clear, the Anzac division’s horsemen would make their way past El Muntar and follow tracks to the Jordan Valley floor, from where they would gallop for Jericho to cut off the enemy’s line of retreat. The Turks were to be pushed back across the Jordan River. The Turkish 7th Army had between 3,000 and 5,000 men deployed between Jerusalem and Jericho. They had concentrated their defences on the road between those towns, believing that the broken country to either side would be impassable to the EEF.

The Wellington mounted riflemen left their bivouac area at Richon le Zion on 9 February 1918 in pouring rain. Two days later the WMR joined the 60th Division at the Greek monastery of Mar Elias, between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The rest of the New Zealand brigade left Richon le Zion on 15 February. The brigade arrived at Bethlehem two says later.

The attack began two days later. The Wellingtons crept forward at night around the southern flank of the Turkish defensive position on El Muntar. By dawn on 20 February, the Wellingtons had reached a valley east of the hill. Soon afterwards, the British infantry captured the hill. At dawn the rest of the Anzac division caught up with the Wellingtons, who had discovered that the Turks were defending a track between Mar Saba and the floor of the Jordan Valley. An attempt to outflank the enemy position failed and, shortly after noon, the regiments left their horses under cover in a ravine and began their dismounted assault. The two hills were in New Zealand hands within a few hours, but effective enemy fire and very difficult ground halted further progress. That night, the 1st LH Brigade reached the floor of the Jordan Valley. At 8 a.m. on a foggy, wet morning, the leading troop of the 1st LH Brigade galloped into Jericho, followed ten minutes later by the first New Zealanders. The two Anzac brigades pushed east as far as the banks of the Jordan River, leaving several squadrons in Jericho to protect

intelligence officers as they arrested a number of suspects and established a stay-behind espionage ring.

The operation was a complete success. Three New Zealanders were the only fatalities in the Anzac Mounted Division.

On 22 February the 60th Division left outposts on the cliffs overlooking the valley floor and withdrew to Jerusalem. The Anzac horsemen followed them, leaving the Auckland regiment, a section of machine gunners and a battery of horse artillery in the valley for several weeks.

The rest of the New Zealanders reached Bethlehem just before dawn on 23 February. Three days later they were back in their old bivouac area at Richon le Zion.