Saturday 26 May 2018

Keeping Up the Annoyance



Sunday 26th May 1918

The 1st/5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is still in the front line near Jaffa. We understand that A and D Companies have been relieved in the front line by B and C Companies. Nevertheless the patrolling continues as do attempts to kill enemy personnel, or "keeping up the annoyance" as the adjutant characterised it to me. 

At 10.15 last evening a patrol of one officer and nine other ranks moved along a nearby road, then crossed a wadi and followed a track to a spot where a party of the enemy was seen moving south. The patrol leader then moved on and came across eight or nine of the enemy advancing in extended order advancing. He endeavoured to lead this party on by withdrawing but lost sight of them and they were not seen again. 

The patrol located an enemy picquet consisting of two sentries and several sleeping men. two hundred yards further on were twenty or thirty men working at the front of a small hill. The patrol returned at 4.20.

Source: X550/6/8

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