00_!
[Illustration]
PART IV.
MARCH TO THE JORDAN VALLEY.
Before proceeding with a description of the Squadron's "trek" to the Jordan
Valley, it might be desirable to enlighten the reader as to the actual
position of affairs at the "front".
[Illustration]
After the capture of Jerusalem on December 9th 1917, the Turk made one
forlorn effort to re-capture it. This attempt met with not the slightest
success, and afterwards (in February 1918), he was driven down into the
Jordan Valley, where he had to yield up the town of Jericho to us. Since
then (in March and April), two raids had been made into Turkish territory
on the eastern side of the Jordan in the hills (in which the Sherwood
Rangers Yeomanry, and Essex Battery R.H.A. participated), and on each
occasion, the towns of Es-Salt and Amman were reached. A large number of
prisoners were taken, together with machine-guns and ammunition, added to
which several bridges were destroyed, and the Hedjaz railway from Damascus
to Mecca cut, thus endangering the Turkish troops, which were operating
against the Arab Sherifian Army, further south. Elsewhere on the front, the
position of the "line" had not materially changed, and at the time of the
"20TH MACHINE-GUN SQUADRON'S" tour of duty in the Jordan Valley, it
extended from the coast north of Jaffa south-eastwards across country
(through a point 18 miles north of Jerusalem), to the Jordan Valley,
thence, due south along the eastern bank of the river to the Dead Sea.
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