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[Page 37]
covering the withdrawal of our forces to position of security. By the 4th all our troops employed in this raid were once against West of the JORDAN. [Sometimes spelt JORDON]
There was no further operations of importance on the ground during the month, but aerial activity remained undiminished. Forty strategical reconnaissances were carried out, of which 29 were of the Eastern area. Photographic reconnaissances carried out numbered 16, plates exposed 367, and prints produced 4,819. These embraced a series in the DAMIE area, and a number of strips of country in the Western Sector.
On the morning of the 1st two Bristol Fighters – Pilots: Capt. D.W. Rutherford and Lieut. F.W. Haig, Observers, Lieuts. J. McElligott and R.T. Challinor, left to reconnoitre this area, and failed to return. While over AMMAN both petrol tanks in Capt. Rutherford's machine were shot through and he was forced to land. He at once burnt his machine, Lieut. Haig landed alongside and the four officers endeavoured to take off in the one machine, but just before 'flying speed' was attained one wheel collapsed and the machine went over on its nose. This machine was also burnt. The officers were captured by Circassian Irregulars who handed them over to the Turks. Ultimately they passed into the hands of the German Flying Corps. Letters written by these officers, describing their misfortune, were dropped over our line by enemy aircraft on May 15th.
On the following day Lieut. P.J. McGinness, D.C.M. (Pilot) and Lieut F.C. Hawley (Observer) while escorting a reconnaissance machine, engaged an Albatross two-seater which they shot down North of JISH ED DAMIE.
The same day two Bristol Fighters – Pilots, Lieuts. A.W. Murphy and H.S.R. Maughan, Observers, Lieuts. R.A. Camm and H. Fysh – attacked 3 Albatross Scouts over AMMAN and drove them down on to the aerodrome there.
On May 3rd an enemy two-seater was driven down near SUWEILLEH by Lieut, A.R. Brown and G.V. Oxenham (Pilots) and Lieuts. G. Finlay and H.A. Letch, M.C. (Observers) Our machines followed the enemy aircraft down and machine gunned it from a height of 300 feet. Only one of the occupants was seen to leave the machine, and later our reconnaissance machine reported that the enemy machine was being dismantled. Later in the day Lieut. G.C. Peters (Pilot) and Lieut. J.H. Traill (Observer) drove an enemy two-seater down near JENIN aerodrome.
In referring to the combat in which Capt. A.R. Brown was concerned, the German Flying Corps diary records that a Doctor Jaffe, first class medical officer, went up in the enemy machine engaged 'without his badges to defend AMMAN'. Both he and the pilot were wounded during the combat. A further entry dated a few days later records the death of the Doctor from the effect of the wound he received.
While on a reconnaissance over AMMAN on the 4th, a Bristol Fighter, Pilot Lieut. A.W. Murphy, Observer, Lieut. H.A. Letch, M.C. was hit by enemy machine gun fire from the ground. One bullet ignited a smoke-ball in the Observers cockpit. This was extinguished with the aid of small "Pyrene' fire extinguishers, carried in the machine, the only damage resulting being a small hole burnt through the fabric and one charred ammunition box.
On the same day two enemy machines, when attacking our troops West of SHUNET NIMRIN, were shot down with machine gun and rifle fire from the ground.
When starting out on a reconnaissance at 0530 on the same day, Lieut. J.K. Curwen-Walker got his machine into a 'spin' at about 200 Feet and crashed into the ground near the aerodrome. Both he and his observer (No.Aus/506 Cpl. Jensen D.P.B.) were killed. They were buried at RAMLEH cemetery.
The same afternoon a Martinsyde from No. 148 Squadron, R.A.F. turned back from a bomb raid, and when landing crashed into some trees near