T H E C O V E N A N T E R
escorted into camp, like some Roman West York’s had passed beyond a saddle
emperor, by a strong body of mounted and in the track, overlooked by a hill in front
armed officers and men, who had ridden as well as on the flanks, when a machine
out some distance to ensure his safe arrival. gun and the snipers opened fire on the
The march up the valley from Serkhuma Battalion from the front and right flank.
was begun next day, the Battalion acting The platoon of ‘D’ Company leading, and
as advance guard to the column. We had two machine guns, accompanied by the
not covered many miles before we were Colonel, immediately occupied a ridge
sniped at from the hills on the left, and on the right and replied to the firing
piquets were put out. The pace necessarily from the flank. Meanwhile the column
became slow, and it was possible to see closed up in the valley and took cover
Kurds with rifles in their hands running in ditches and nullahs among the trees.
along the tops of the hills. The Pack The Pack Battery came into action from
Battery and our Machine Guns came into a position on the right some 400 yards in
action at different points, and soon made rear of ‘D’ Company. Aeroplanes came up
things rather sticky for the enemy, who promptly, and proceeded to bomb and fire
effected a hasty disappearance; later it was at the enemy. Meanwhile bullets began
reported that their casualties that day were to fly rather dangerously near the 1st
five killed and thirteen wounded. It was Line Transport of the Battalion and over
decided eventually to pitch camp short ‘B’ Company, which was taking cover in
of the original point intended; the site readiness to move on. Pipe-Major Gordon
necessitated ‘D’ Company less one Platoon was wounded by a bullet which shattered
and one Platoon of ‘A’ Company being his left forearm and entered his side, and
out on piquet during the night. To reach a mule received a bullet in the shoulder.
their position ‘D’ Company had to climb Another mule in the Pack Battery was killed
a hill so steep that it was found impossible about the same time. Shortly afterwards the
to get all the mules up. In consequence fire slackened, and the enemy appeared to
many men had to spend the night without be retiring up the hill. ‘A’ Company and
greatcoats, and the greater part of their the Sikhs had gone forward on the right
rations were lost on the way up. Next on to high ground, burning a village en
morning the Battalion had to do rearguard route. The Colonel decided to go forward
to the column. The day was uninteresting; with ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies and capture the
after a delay of three hours we left camp at hill in front. Major Ferrers then collected
11 o’clock, and had to proceed at a snail’s the remainder of the Battalion on the right
pace while withdrawing piquets en route. of the road. They had not been there for
We heard firing going on ahead of us, but twenty minutes when an enemy machine
knew nothing till we arrived in camp about gun opened fire from the hills on the left.
five o’clock and saw a village burning a This gun, we learned later, had been meant
quarter of a mile away. During the day an to synchronise its attack with the other,
aeroplane with engine trouble had to make but had been prevented from doing so by
a forced landing, which it did in front of our early start, which did not allow them
‘B’ Company. Unfortunately it crashed, sufficient time to get into position. The
and the pilot, who was uninjured, had no battery immediately opened fire on them
alternative but to set fire to it. at 1300 yards, and, together with air co-
In view of increasing opposition, and operation, they managed to silence the
the information received of the enemy’s enemy after about half-an-hour. To make
strength, it was decided that an early start things worse for the troops waiting to move
was to be made on the following day. in the valley, a heavy thunderstorm broke,
Reveille, therefore, was at 4.a.m., and the and hail dashed down for a considerable
column moved off at six, a Company of time. Eventually we were able to move on
West Yorks in front of us doing advance into camp at Banawi, which was on the
guard. Everything went smoothly till summit of a stony hill some two miles
about 10.30. By then ‘C’ Company and further on. The total casualties in the
‘D’ Company, less one Platoon, had been column that day were six wounded.
used up as piquets. The column had now Next day, in searching a village
reached a gorge where it was overlooked prior to burning it, thirty-six rounds
on both sides by hills just too far away to of ammunition for a Turkish field gun
be piquetted. It was and ideal place for a were found, as well as a good deal of rifle
complete ambush. The advance guard of
32
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