With the Zionists in Gallipoli

The narrative of the Zionists in Gallipoli has been written during the enforced idleness of the past month--a month which has been spent in endeavouring to recover sufficient health and strength to enable me to take a further, and, I trust, a more useful, hand in the Great Drama now approaching its climax.

In the following pages I have "set down nought in malice," neither have I given a word of praise where praise is not due--and more than due. My relations with those with whom I came into contact were excellent, and on the very rare occasions when they were otherwise, it was not due to any seeking of mine, but, unfortunately, my temperament is not such that I can suffer fools gladly.

My story is one of actual happenings, told just as I saw them with some suggestions thrown in, and if from these a hint is taken here and there by those in the "Seats of the Mighty," then so much the better for our Cause.

My chief object in writing this book is to interest the Hebrew nation in the fortunes of the Zionists and show them of what their Russian brothers are capable, even under the command of an alien in race and religion. Those who have the patience to follow me through these pages will, of course, see that I am not by any means an alien in sympathy and admiration for the people who have given to the world some of its greatest men, not to mention The Man who has so profoundly changed the world's outlook.

LONDON, 1916.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I INTRODUCTION 17 II GENERAL POLICY OF THE DARDANELLES CAMPAIGN 32 III STRATEGY AND TACTICS OF THE DARDANELLES CAMPAIGN 37 IV FORMATION OF THE ZION MULE CORPS 46 V ARRIVAL AT LEMNOS 62 VI A STRENUOUS NIGHT 72 VII DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHERN GALLIPOLI 85 VIII A HOMERIC CONFLICT 89 IX THE ZION MULE CORPS LAND IN GALLIPOLI 106 X A NIGHT UP THE GULLY RAVINE 120 XI HOW ZION MULES UPSET TURKISH PLANS 127 XII LIFE IN OUR NEW CAMP 136 XIII A MAY BATTLE 147 XIV GENERAL D'AMADE AND THE CORPS EXPÉDITIONNAIRE D'ORIENT 154 XV VARIOUS BOMBARDMENTS 159 XVI THE COMING OF THE GERMAN SUBMARINES 166 XVII TRENCH WARFARE IN GALLIPOLI 170 XVIII GUNS AND STAFF 182 XIX VISITS TO THE TRENCHES 188 XX FLIES, DUST AND BATTLE 195 XXI WORK OF THE ZION MULE CORPS 203 XXII THE AUSTRALIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS 210 XXIII VOYAGE TO EGYPT 222 XXIV RECRUITING IN EGYPT 228 XXV LIFE IN EGYPT 234 XXVI RETURN TO GALLIPOLI 244 XXVII BEELZEBUB 252 XXVIII A FEAT IN GUNNERY 259 XXIX THE FINDING OF THE SHIELD OF DAVID 269 XXX BACK TO ENGLAND 277 XXXI THE EVACUATION 291 APPENDIX 297

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE HOLLOWED HAND GIVES A VERY GOOD IDEA OF THE APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY Frontispiece PAGE THE DARDANELLES, SEA OF MARMORA AND BOSPHORUS 17 BADGE OF THE ZION MULE CORPS (THE SHIELD OF DAVID) 270

WITH THE ZIONISTS IN GALLIPOLI

[Illustration: THE DARDANELLES SEA OF MARMORA AND BOSPHORUS]

WITH THE ZIONISTS IN GALLIPOLI

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

I propose in the following pages to have something to say on the general policy of the Gallipoli campaign, and also upon the operations of war in execution of that policy. Now, in the discussion of these questions, I shall have some criticisms to make, so it may not be altogether inappropriate to give the reader some little idea of a few at least of my qualifications for such a rôle; otherwise he might well be tempted to say: "A fig for this fellow and his criticisms. What is he but a mere muleteer?"

Perhaps I may remark, to begin with, that when I took over the command of the Zion Mule Corps, I knew a great deal about soldiering and the art of war, but very little about the muleteer or the artful mule. But that's just "a way we have in the Army!"