Item 03: Frank Hurley war diary, 24 January-13 August 1918 - Page 30
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[Page 30]
huge rest camp, and being suitably situated for rail transport, the sandhills form an ideal camping ground. After noon I ran up to Gaza. I had a much better opportunity of looking over the ruins than on my previous visit.
Scarcely a building remains intact and those not destroyed by the Turks for their timber (which were used to reinforce trenches) were demolished by our bombardment. The town is absolutely deserted and an oppressive quiet rules over the ruins. The failure to capture Gaza during the first two battles is attributed by all to the tactics of the then G.O.C., General Murray, who conducted both engagements from Cairo! In the first battle the New Zealanders were actually in the streets of Gaza when they received the order - no one knows why- to withdraw! The enemy were apparently under similar intentions.