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[Page 79]
to be made, as the road was barred by 8 lorries, of which the foremost was on fire. The attempt to save the lorries by fire extinguishers was unsuccessful, however, the remaining lorries were able to be get out of the way. As some of the lorries had been completely abandoned with the motor running, and would have been lost unless taken charge of by the Squadron, the Squadron Commander ordered all supernumerary drivers to man them.
After these lorries, which had plenty of room, had been loaded with barrels of petrol lying around, the journey to WADI SARAR was continued with an additional 2 lorries, and WADI SARAR was reached after midnight.
The road EL TINE-WADISARAR offered a sad spectacle with material strewn along the whole road, stationary lorries, broken up carts, dead horses, camels, bullocks and sheep, lying around, with fugitives and wounded here and there.
On the 10/11, several Officers drove back to TINE, partly to fetch the machines, partly to transport the tents which had arrived only as far as TINE. The remainder had been burnt including one machine of the Squadron, with still two Observer machine guns in the Observer's seat against the express wish of the Squadron Commander. The other 5 machines arrived at RAMLEH on the 9/11.
A quite extraordinary performance was accomplished by 2/Lt. TEMMANN, although several times wounded by bomb splinters during an air attack on TINE (1 stomach wound, 1 bullet in the lung, 2 splinters in the thigh) during a new bombing attack, he had himself lifted into his machine, started with it towards RAMLEH, which place, he, also, reached, in the attempt to land, his strength left him; the machine was seriously damaged. As the Doctor considered operation necessary 2/lt TAMMANN was brought by machine to DAMASCUS.
The one-seater still in TINE belonged to 302 Squadron, its pilot could not get the motor to run at once, and thereupon the machine belonging to 304 Squadron flew off. Capt. WALZ flew this machine over to RAMLEH, gave it up to 302 Squadron and flew with the one-seater to 304 on to WILHALMA.
The transport reached RAMLEH, to go on from here to the new Aerodrome at WILHELMA.
The order to go back to AFOULE then became known; as the roads through WILHELMA were so sandy, that wagons of 303 were stuck there for over 1 day. Lieut. BERTHOLD, naturally decided to go back through JERUSALEM.
In RAMLEH, a part of the material had to be taken from the train and the lorries again loaded, as owing to a collision 2 railway wagons had become unserviceable and new wagons could not be obtained. A part of the material, Depot cases and Wireless material was damaged and partly unsuitable for further use. The transport through JERUSALEM, NABLUS to AFOULE could therefore only be carried out by road.
After inspecting the Aerodrome at WILHELMA, the Squadron Commander, drove by car to the transport of the Squadron, and superintended the bringing back of material. After the Squadron Commander had found out for himself where the rest of different sections of the Squadron were and given the necessary orders for the next few days and seen their execution commenced, he went to the 'Commander of the Airman' to report on the state of the Squadron, the measures that had been taken, and to receive new orders.
The Aeroplanes, 1 D and 4 C, machines reached the new Aerodrome, AFOULE, by Air; the material, already in WILHELMA, went by rail, by several small stages to the new Aerodrome.
On the 12/11, at 1500 the transport column halted on the hill of LUBAN, about 18 km. South of NABLUS, and collected before descending the steep hair-pin bends. The last lorry, driving rather fast, went over the side of the road.