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Similar attacks were carried out by our pilots on the 21st with unabated vigor. This day, attention was centered chiefly on the road leading from BALAATA to KHERBET FERWEH. Then, making a dawn reconnaissance of this area, Capt. A.R. Brown D.F.C. (pilot) and Lieut. G. Finlay D.F.C. (Observer), observed a column of about 5,000 of all arms retreating along this road towards BEISAN. They notified the aerodrome, using the wireless apparatus specially fitted to the machine for this purpose. A bombing formation was at once despatched to the locality with instructions to attack the head of the column and block the road on which there were several passes. This was followed by other machines at frequent intervals, and a continuous attack on this force was kept up for several hours. The column was brought to a halt, and subsequently the whole of its transport and equipment was captured as related earlier in this report. During the day machines from this Squadron dropped 6,600 –l lbs. bombs and fired 23-500 rounds. Several of the pilots made four and five trips over the lines. These attacks were made from heights varying from 2,000 feet to 200 feet, while in a few cases the machines went even lower than that.
Our reconnaissance machines on the 22nd reported the first movement of importance observed East of the JORDAN, when a big increase of transport was observed going North East to ES SALT and East to AMMAN. During the preceding three days, despite the sensational developments, in the coastal sector, there had been a surprising absence of movement in the Eastern area that suggested complete ignorance of the developments elsewhere. This may have been due to the fact that on the morning the battle opened, the Turkish Head Quarters at NABLUS, which was known to be the nerve-centre of all telegraphic and telephonic communication between the Eastern and Western theatres, was heavily bombed at dawn by machines from 144 Squadron, R.A.F. AND COMPLETELY WRECKED. A SIMILAR ATTACK WAS MADE UPON THE Telephone Exchange at AFULE through which the Northern lines passed leading to enemy Headquarters at NAZARETH. In these raids two tons of 112 lb. and 25-lb. bombs were dropped and 44 direct hits registered.
In the meantime the small force operating East of the HEDJAZ Railway under the Command of Col. Lawrence, C.B., D.S.O., had made good progress. On the 22nd its Headquarters were at UN ES SERAB, about 25 miles South East of BERAA [?DERAA], where 8 two-seaters and three Scouts were reported to be located. On the following day three Bristol Fighters - Pilots: Capt. R.M. Smith, M.C., D.F.C. and E.S. Headlam, Observers: Lieuts. J.H. Traill, D.F.C. and E.A. Mustard and W.H. Lilly – proceeding to UM ES SERAB and landed there (bent on cleaning up this newly discovered nest of enemy aircraft). The same day Capt. R.M. Smith, MC, D.F.C. (pilot) and Lieut. E.A. Mustard (observer) encountered an enemy two-seater which they forced down in the desert. After the enemy machine landed both occupants got out and ran away, whereupon our machine flew over at a low altitude and Lieut. Mustard set the enemy machine alight with tracer bullets. After it had been burning for a short time, its load of bombs exploded, with the result that very little of the machine remained. Soon after returning to UM ES SERAB 3 Pfalz scouts were seen flying near the same locality, Capt. Smith and Lieut. Mustard again took off and overtook the enemy machines. Two dived and landed in the desert, and the third was driven down on to the aerodrome at DERAA.
The same day Lieut. G.C. Peters D.F.C. (pilot) and Lieut. J.H. Traill, D.F.C. (Observer) chased and attacked an enemy two-seater which had been bombing Sheriffian Forces. The enemy machine was shot down in the desert North of DERAA [spelt BERAA in above paragraph] was attacked with bombs and machine gun fire on several occasions. This was the last that was heard of enemy aircraft in this sector, and when our troops occupied DERAA a few days later, the remains of several enemy machines that had been destroyed were fo[u]nd there. Thus within three days two of our machines had succeeded in completely exterminating this detachment of the German Flying Corps, and from this onward the Sheriffian Forces were able to carry out their plans without molestation from the air.