bservation, were not enough, there was
also a hill, subsequently known as Hill A, which was just about the
same height as Foka, was held by some Turks with one or two machine
guns, and fired slap into their right rear from the south-east. This
last was only some 500 or 600 yards away, but was divided from Foka by
a deep ravine, and it was found impossible to send a detachment to
storm it. It was this hill in rear that sealed the doom of the
business. They might have managed to stick it out in spite of the
rifle and artillery fire in front until the Turks got tired of it, but
the fire from the rear limited all movement and all getting up of
bombs and ammunition. Under cover of rifle fire and shrapnel the Turks
stormed up again and again, climbing up the steep face of the Wadi
Imaish where our guns could not have touched them, even if they had
had--which they hadn't--any decent arrangements for observation. Once
up within bombing distance, the Turk had the great advantage of a
large supply of bombs, whereas we had not had time to get up more than
a few which were soon exhausted. Even ammunition was not too
plentiful, as everything had to be carried up the very steep Wadi
Zait, the top portion of which was commanded from Hill A. The best way
for evacuating wounded proved to be down the Roman road to
Beit-ur-el-Tahta, where they were handed over to the 10th Division who
were now on our left.

To make a long story short, the O.C. Battalion had to make up his mind
to quit, and he had a hard job, even with some assistance from the
10th Division on Tahta Ridge, to bring away his wounded who were very
numerous. About 3 P.M. the last of them came out, having had a
terrible day, only four or five officers remaining unwounded. They
stuck to it well, but it was an untenable position. The Turk contented
himself with driving them off the Foka Heights, and did not attempt to
advance farther--if he had, it might have proved just as bad for him
as Foka had been for us.

On 4th December we were relieved by the 6th Munster Regiment and went
back to our old camp at Q 20 central, where our transport had remained
all the time. Here we rested for a couple of days. We found that our
Division had been pulled out, in order to take part in the sweeping
movement by which it was hoped to capture Jerusalem. On the third day
after our relief we moved out, in floods of rain, along the so-called
road to Kubeibe, where, along with the battalion which h