All

Have been struggling to correlate misc ref's inc Unit Histories plus British and Australian OH's on events from 19th - 21st November for the 75th Division. I have actions (especially those at Saris and El Enab) floating between 20th and 21st. Has anyone come across this before ? Any views ?

My current view is that

Anwas and Latron on the 19th
Saris was enveloped and taken morning on the 20th. El Enab in the afternoon of the 20th
Kustel, Soba, El Kubeihe, Biddu and Nabi Samweil on the 21st.

Any verification on this from other sources would be appreciated.

Regards
Dave

Dave,

'The Advance of the EEF etc etc … ' has the following which agrees with you

Amwas and Latrun occupied at noon on 19th Nov
Saris stormed at 1415 hrs on Nov 20th
Kuryet el Enab lost by the Turks at 1800 hrs on Nov 20th
Kustal and Soba captured (but no time given) on 21st Nov
Nebi Samwil taken by 2345 hrs on Nov 21st

regards
Michael

Thanks Michael

W. T. Massey states in "How Jerusalem was Won" that both Saris and Enab were taken on the 20th. This agreeing with the British OH and Advance of the EEF.

However from the Devonshire Regiment history Saris was not taken until the 21st with Enab later in the day. The 5th HLI agrees also stating the line "almost at Saris" by end of the day on the 20th. The Australian OH however states Saris taken on the 20th but Enab not until the following morning.

Trying to work my way through it as at the moment I have lost a day in the Devons campaign.

Regards
Dave

All.

Not giving up on this one and with the help of Sotonmate have been able to add more detail. Given more detail now on hand I have changed the title of the thread to make it more specific.

However the more detail I add the more vague some aspects seem to get. Now appears definitive that Saris was occupied on the 20th. However the seriousness and timing of the action remains in question as do the follow up actions later the same day at El Enab

Events occur as the 75th Division move up the Roman Road towards Saris. Both OH and "Advance of the EEF" states that 232nd Bde with 58th Vaughan's Rifles att'd start the 20th within a mile of Saris. The day starts apparently with the 5th Devons and 2/3rd Gurkhas pushing north of the road towards El Enab and the 2/5th Hants with 58th Vaughan's Rifles running picquet heading south of the road to Saris.

The/my confusion comes from Atkinson in the "The Devonshire Regiment" citing the 1/5th Devons re-inforcing Vaughan's Rifles when their picquet is attacked on the 20th. This now thought to be an error and the Devons actually re-inforced Vaughans Rifles on the 19th. This puts A and B Coy of the 5th Devons on the right (south) of the road from Bab el Wad (half way from Latron to Saris). Hence they were south of the road when the advance ground to a halt at 17.00 on the 19th. A mile from Saris.

On the 20th when the Vaughan's Rifles are again pressed the 2/5th Hants apparently advance a further Coy in support. The Devons are now effectively split with C and D Coys pushing east with the 2/3rd Gurkhas the otherside of the road heading for El Enab.

Likewise the 2/5th Hants war diary indicates that position overlooking Saris was strongly held by the Turks. But there is no ref to there being any skirmishes in this part of the line.

There is however ref's for the 58th Vaughans Rifles being pushed back until ground is recovered by D Coy, 2/5th Hants. It is thought that it was here that the 58th Vaughans Rifles and D Coy from 2/5th Hants fought off the Turkish counter attack between 9.00 and 10.00 that the Turks received most of their casualties and here that the greater part of the prisoners were captured. I currently think is it was here that the most significant action of the day took place. However this is still conjecture and needs proving.

A further counter attack being expected later in the morning led to a TBD Coy from the 1/5th Devons and a section from 229th MGC being sent up to support Vaughans Rifles and D Coy 2/5th Hants. Again I can not track which Coy of the Devons and whether or not A and B Coys stayed with Vaughans Rifles overnight 19th-20th. I now have potentially 2 Coys of Devons around Saris and a further two on the road to El Enab. The counter attack never materialised and the OH states resistance at Saris was "weakening" by 11.00.

The Turks are known to have retired from the village by 13.30. "Advance of the EEF" stating they were shelled by TBD as they retreated. The 12th Light Armoured motor Battery was in action on this day but I have not as yet been able to confirm whether it was this unit who shelled the Turks as they retreated although they are known to have been in support of the Somersets who subsequently took the village. As Michael states the "Advance of the EEF" goes on to state Saris was "stormed" at 14.15. However it is known to have been occupied by the 2/4th SLI who had only one killed from 11 casualties for the day. The 2/4th SLI thought to have passed through Vaughans Rifles and 2/5th Hants to take the village. It is also known that various elements of the Bde including teh 2/5th Hants were passing through the village before 14.30. So this was a short engagement if indeed it happened in the village and not the ridges above.

OH states that Saris and the ridge beyond was taken before Huddleston sent troops on to El Enab but I now believe there was two prongs to this attack. Brig.Gen. Huddlestone was in overall command on the day. Reserves from the 233rd Bde having been made available to him by Brig. Gen. Colston.He would seem to have split his forces pushing against the two villages simultaneously. This makes sense when looking at how the road splits above Saris.

Much is made of the attack on El Enab under screen of mist and rain (and of Bulfin listening from the road below). However casualties are again very light. 1/4th Wilts have 2 killed, 1/5th SLI also 2, 2/3rd Gurkhas only 1. Whereas 2/5th Hants have 10 deaths on this day and the 5th Devons 5 but neither are involved in the attack on El Enab or the "storming of Saris". Their casualties appear to have come fighting their way from the road to and around Saris and El Enab respectively.

Both Devons and Hants enter El Enab as darkness falls. 2/4th Somersets would appear to have temporarily remained in Saris but this is not proven either.

As you can see lots of guesswork still. Any help at all from folks with refs for 19-21st November from involved Bn's would be gratefully received.

Relevent Bn's include :

232nd Bde
1/5th Devons
2/4th SLI
2/5th Hants
2/3rd Gurkhas
233rd Bde
1/4th Wilts
3/3rd Gurkhas
2/4th Hants
1/5th SLI
234th Bde
58th Vaughan's Rifles

Regards
Dave