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[page 80]
1918
actual posts. On arrival in the vicinity he found them occupied by troops of 3 L.H., so he diverted his squadron and gave covering fire to "A" Squadron, 1 L.H., which was attacking the right of Abu Tellul.
Meanwhile, at 0340 "A" Squadron under Major Weir was ordered to counter-attack; they moved forward at the gallop, using a narrow track across the Wady Auja and which had been made in anticipation of the enemy barrage which blocked the usual ford. "A" Squadron dismounted under the brow of the hill, the Germans then being within a few hundred yards of one of our batteries. Lieutenants Taylor and Jarrett were sent forward with "A" and "B" Troops, and Lieut. Macfarlane with "C" Troop was sent along the right flank to watch the plain and keep in touch with "A" and "B" Troops. Bayonets were fixed; there had been no time to draw bombs. "D" Troop under Lieut. Goodchild was held in support and gave covering fire with "C" Squadron and machine guns, one of the guns being manned personally by Captain Hackney of 1 M.G. Squadron. Caught scattered in the open the Germans did not stand and bolted back to The Bluff under heavy fire from the Regiment. "C" Squadron under Lieut. Rogers was ordered forward to co-operate mounted against The Bluff on the right flank of "A" Squadron, but was unable to get forward owing to heavy fire from hostile 4.2 howitzers, and it eventually had to reinforce "A" Squadron on Abu Tellul. One troop of "A" Squadron, under Lieut. Macfarlane, gained a footing on The Bluff at 0745 and the enemy, who were all Germans of the 702nd and 703rd Battalions, began to surrender as they were completely surrounded, for the 2 L.H. posts in their rear had held out and brought cross fire to bear on them. At 0800 Lieut. Gregory reported having recaptured Vale Post and taken one enemy machine gun.
Pack horses had been sent beck early to B.H.Q. for ammunition, but water was badly needed for the men. "C" Troop had found a little water at The Bluff, which was fortunate as supplies could not be sent up until sundown. The day was extremely hot and the German prisoners, although well equipped with bottles of both coffee and water, felt the heat badly, numbers falling down with it. On the whole they were young men and with good, smart uniforms and equipment and were comparatively well supplied with automatic rifles.