The story of Allied victory in the Holy Land, far from the carnage of
the Western Front but a crucial, morale-boosting success under the
aggressive and forward-thinking General Allenby.
Three battles for the control of the key fortress-city of Gaza took
place in 1917 between the `British' force [with units from across the
Empire, most notably the ANZACs] and the Turks. The Allies were
repulsed twice but on theirthird attempt, under the newly appointed
General Allenby, a veteran of the Western Front where he was a vocal
critic of Haig's command, finally penetrated Turkish lines, captured
southern Palestine and, as instructed by Lloyd George, took Jerusalem in
time for Christmas, ending 400 years of Ottoman occupation. This third
battle, similar in many ways to the contemporaneous fighting in France,
is at the heart of this account, with consideration of intelligence,
espionage, air-warfare, and diplomatic and political elements, not to
mention the logistical and medical aspects of the campaign, particularly
water. The generally overlooked Turkish defence, in the face of vastly
superior numbers, is also assessed. Far from laying out and executing a
pre-ordained plan, Allenby, who is probably still best remembered as T.
E. Lawrence's commanding officer in Arabia, was flexible and adaptable,
responding to developmentsas they occurred.
JOHN D. GRAINGER is the author of numerous books on military history,
ranging from the Roman period to the twentieth century.
