Chapter I: Front Matter

[Transcriber's note:

1. Some of the biblical references in the original seem to be mistaken. All the references were left as in the original. The following is a list of uncertain references, usually together with a possible alternate reference.

Footnote Original Suggestion

[7] III Kings i II Kings i
Zech. iv, 5 Zech. ix, 5

[10] Judges l, 18 Judges i, 18
Jeph. ii, 4 Zeph. ii, 4

[13] Matt. xii, 40 ?
Acts x, 9 Several times in Acts x, but not verse 9

[15] II Kings ii, 11 II Kings ii, 15

[20] Judges iv, 3 Judges vi, 33
v, 21 Mentions the Kishon which borders Esdraelon
vi, 1 Judges vii, 1

[21] Psalms xxxix, 12 Psalms lxxxix, 12

[25] Deut. xiv, 5 ?
I Kings iv, 23 I Kings iv, 11 mentions Dor, a village in
the vicinity
xviii, 13 xviii, 19
Isa. lv, 12 ?

[29] II Kings vi II Kings v
vii ?
xiii ?
xv ?

[30] John i, 47 ?

[34] Josh. xiii, 2 Josh. xiii, 5
Judges iii, 1 Judges iii, 3
II Chron. ii, 2 II Chron. ii, 8 or 16
Isa. xxxv, 17 Isa. xxxv, 2

[40] I Kings xviii, 34 II Kings xviii, 34
xix, 13 II Kings xix, 13

2. As there is no one way to transcribe Arabic and Hebrew place names, I left all the names as they appear in the original. Nevertheless, I tried to keep consistency and used a single spelling when a place was mentioned using two possible spellings.

3. The inconsistency of capitalization (e.g., Sub-section/sub-section, Sergeant/sergeant) and punctuation (mostly inside/outside quotation marks) are thus in the original book.]

Through Palestine

with the

Twentieth

Machine-Gun

Squadron.

Printed and Published for private circulation

by

J.M. BAXTER & CO., 20 Appold Street, London--E.C.2.

Foreword.

This Booklet has been compiled with the object of enabling the members of the 20th Machine-Gun Squadron to recall the principal incidents in its history, as well as to allow their friends and relations to obtain some idea of their experiences whilst they were serving with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force.

Although no pains have been spared to obtain accuracy, the statements made must, necessarily, not be regarded as _absolutely_ authoritative.

Beyond doubt, many brave deeds, fully deserving of mention in these pages, must have been unavoidably overlooked, in which case the leniency of readers is requested.

In view of the probability that the incidents described herein may be read by many persons who have not been to the East, explanations have frequently been included, which might appear to some as unnecessary.

The writer is indebted to several members of the Squadron for their valuable assistance, without which, obviously, it would have been very difficult to have given an adequate account of any particular incident at which he was not present in person.

THE AUTHOR.

_1st July 1920._

Glossary.

The following are a few descriptive terms which occur in the following pages, with place-names, and the abbreviations used:--

ABU Father. AIN Spring. BEIT House. BIRKETT Pool. BIR Well. DEIR Monastery. ED, EL, ER, ES, EZ The definite article THE JEBEL Mountain. JISR Bridge. KEFR Village. KAHN Inn. KHURBET (abbrev. KH.) Ruin. MAKHADET Ford. NAHR River. NEBY A Prophet. RAS Head, cape, top. SHEIKH (abbrev. SH.) Chief, elder, saint. TEL Mound (especially one covering ruins). WADI A watercourse (normally dry).

TIME.

The following table shows the military method of stating the time which is used throughout this book:--

1 a.m. 01.00 2 " 02.00 3.15 " 03.15 6.45 " 06.45 12 midday 12.00 1 p.m. 13.00 2.35 " 14.35 3.50 " 15.50 8 " 20.00 10 " 22.00 12 midnight 24.00 12.15 a.m. 00.15

THROUGH PALESTINE WITH THE 20TH MACHINE-GUN SQUADRON.