4th Essex in Egypt and the Battles for Gaza
1916
On 28 December 1916 the 4th Essex under
Lieut-Colonel Jameson,arrived at El Rahman which was Brigade HQ.
The Battalion strength was 11 officers
and 259 other ranks who were tested by the change of terrain
from the rocky Turkey to a very sandy Egypt.
The sand filed the trenches quickly and
damaged the rifles.
The command team was Lieut-Colonel
Jameson, Adjutant Captain Swindels, Lieut Grahame and machine
gun officer Lieut Butcher.
Reinforcements arrived in February 1916
to bring the Battalion up to19 Officers and 415 other ranks.
The rest of 1916 was spent in various
posts through Egypt with boredom and illness more of a problem
than enemy action.
Despite this the strength had again
reduced to 32 officers and 869 other ranks.
In March 1917 all 4 Essex Regiments in
the 161 Brigade marched together to attack Gaza.
First Battle of Gaza
4th and 5th Essex led the attack non the
strategic defensive positions of Mansura Ridge that would open a
route to Gaza. The 6th and 7th Essex were in reserve.
The attack faltered but with support
from 2 companies of the 6th the lie was carried and Turkish
trenches occupied by 5.30pm.
The Brigade suffered severe casualties
including fatal wounds to Lieut-Colonel Jameson who was
commander of the 4th Essex and wounding to Lieut-Colonel Gibbons
who commanded the 5th Essex.
Lieut Colonel Jameson displayed heroism
in leading the charge and when hit refused to allow RSM to get
treatment for him until the men around his had been seen.
His second in command Major Barrington
Wells was hit in the arm early on but stayed in the filed until
the tranches were taken and the situation stabilised.
Sergeant Nye of B Company , 4th Essex,
distinguished himself by leading his section in the assault
during which he engaged and won a fist fight against a huge
Turkish Soldier.
On the morning of 27 March 1917 a
counter attack by the Turks forced a partial withdrawal of the
6th and 7rth Essex who were defending the forward lien. During
the retreat Captain Tee, Captain Rayner and Captain Silverwood
of the 6th Essex were all killedStiffening attacks by the Turks
caused the withdrawal of the Brigade to Seirat so ending the
first battle of Gaza.
The Casualty bill for the 4th Essex was
high with 9 officers and 49 other ranks being killed and 12
Officers plus 322 other ranks wounded with 74 missing.
The officers killed were Lieut-Colonel
Jameson DSO, Captain J W Bell, Lieut F W Gidley, 2nd Lieuts W M
Vincent, F G Sweet, G O Richardson, A D Hay Smith, V H Butcher
and B A Clapham.
Click here for the memorial erected
after this battle.
2nd Battle of Gaza
Gaza remained strategically important to
both sides which meant that a second attempt to take it would be
mounted. Although the Allied forces were reinforced so were the
Turkish defences and crucially the element of surprise was
absent.
At 4am on 16 April 1917 the assault
began with the 4 Essex Battalions operating in the same area as
the first battle.
The initial assault met little
resistance and a new front line was consolidated. A further
advance on 19 April 1917 again made initial advances but
they ran into fierce resistance holding a new line albeit one
that still did not meet the objectives.
A decision was taken to halt the assault
and maintain the new lines.
During this period shelling and small
arms fire was exchanged but there was no real movement in the
lines although the Turks took the opportunity to strengthen the
defences and turn Gaza into a fortress.
The 4th Essex under Major G G Ewer were
in support for the operation and suffered 2 killed , 3 injured
and 7 suffering from shellshock.
On 26 April 1917 Major B C Wells assumed
command of the 4th Essex which were involved in holding the
line, patrols and occasional skirmishing with the Turks.
3rd Battle of Gaza
The third Battle of Gaza was fought at
the end of October/Start of November 1917. The successful
breaking of the Turkish line opened the way to the advance on
Palestine and Syria in the final months of the war.
The four Essex Regiments were all again
part of 161 Brigade for the battle.
The 161 Brigade Staff were
Brigadier-General W Marriot Doddington -
OIC
Captain A C M Paris - Brigade Major
Lieut J H F Bensford - 7th Essex - Staff
Captain
The 4th Essex Command was With
Lieut Colonel Barrington C Wells and Adjutant Captain A J Beach.
For the initial attack on 2 November
1917 the 4th Essex were in reserve although they were ordered to
attack at dawn on 3 November 1917 to gain control of a trench
line at Balah.
The 4th Essex succeeded in gaining the
trench but were unable to hold it.
On 3 November 1917 the 4th were attached
to 162 Brigade for an attack on a defensive position at Gun
Hill.
A Company command was with Captain
Beddow, B Company Captain Carhart, C Company Captain Bittles and
D Company Lieut Bishop.
The initial advance was successful in
that the target trench was seized but a counter attack forced a
withdrawal.
The casualties from this attack were 11
officers and 280 other ranks killed or wounded. The dead
included Captain J F H Beddow and 2nd Lieut S G Y Saunders.
The performance of Sergeant Merrington
received special praise.
The battle raged for several days until
dawn on 7th November 1917 showed that the Turks had abandoned
their positions.
An advance by the 6th Essex showed that they had also vacated Gaza although it was badly damaged.