Commemorating the centenary of the Battle of Megiddo :19th to 25th September 1918

Indian soldiers today stand guard on the world’s highest combat zone.  While our thoughts are with them,  there is a need to take time out to remember and celebrate India’s participation in the victories in the world’s lowest battlefield a century ago

September 2018 was the Centenary of one of the most important battles in which Indian soldiers participated and which resulted in a complete victory seldom seen in the history of war.  It was a classic manoeuvre battle starting with the break-in by two Corps and breakout by Desert Mounted Corps.  It included the Jodhpur Lancer’s Haifa Charge, to which Teen Murti in New Delhi is testimony.  

While this particular event has been celebrated,  there is a larger role of the Indian Army which needs to be recognised.  Field Marshal ( FM) Allenby’s Army comprised of men from all over the Empire and some aspects which stand out are:-

• Size of the Theatre.  Over 200km x 120km.
• Speed and range of operations.  These were truly joint operations and unprecedented in execution.
• Decisive victory which resulted in the surrender at Mudros (30^th October 1918) and end of the war in the Middle East.
• Largest participation by the Indian troops for one offensive operation in the last Century which would do even a current Strike Corps of the Indian Army,  proud.  
• Victory in the world’s lowest battlefield(1200ft below MSL).  Indians are thus unique having triumphed in the World’s highest and lowest battlefields.
• According to estimates Indian casualties were 10,526:  3842 dead,  6519 wounded and 165 missing/captured.  This is indicative of the valour and needs recognition.

Background

My Regiment, The Deccan Horse was part of this Battle and fought in the Jordan Valley.  They continue to commemorate the award of the Victoria Cross(VC) to Rissaldar Badlu Singh who on 23 September 1918,  attained immortality by leading a charge to destroy Turkish Machine Gun positions which had held up the advance.  

A pilgrimage to visit and pay homage at the Hill near the Village of Khan-e-Sumarieh where Risaldar Badlu Singh’s gallant action took place was merited.  Along with this,  I also had a desire to explore the theatre where the Desert Mounted Corps as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force(EEF) under FM Edmund Allenby carried out manoeuvres to rout the Turks and secure victory for the Allies.  While this was the last major cavalry action of World War I,  its lessons as far as planning and conduct are relevant even today.

The Centennial Year of the Battle of Meggido being a good opportunity,  I spent a week in hospitable March that year taking in the theatre.  As mentioned earlier, Teen Murti(Now Haifa Chowk) is testimony.  This is possibly the only other national monument in addition to India Gate which commemorates India’s role in World War I.  It was erected by the Princely States who formed part of the 15^th(Imperial Service) Cavalry Brigade of the 5^th Cavalry Division.  

This brief piece is not a historical record but a tribute to acknowledge a glorious chapter in cavalry history as also the Indian Army and an event which begs greater recognition. 

The War Situation

The EEF under FM Allenby had captured the Sinai Peninsula and secured Jerusalem by Christmas of 1917.  The Ottoman Army held most of Palestine and what is now,  Jordan,  Syria and Lebanon.  Capture of this large tract was planned for 1918.  Additional forces were required.  A very large number of units were moved from the western theatre and by July 1918 the EEF had been reorganised into:

• XXI Corps under Lt Gen Edward Bulfin.  This included the 7^th (Meerut) and 4^th (Lahore) Divisions.
• XX Corps under Lt Gen Philip Chetwode.
• Chaytor’s Force under Maj Gen Edward Chaytor.
• The Desert Mounted Corps under Lt-Gen Harry Chauvel.  This primarily comprised the 4^th and 5^th Cavalry Divisions and the Australian Mounted Division.

The plan involved a breakthrough in the Sharon Plains in the West between the Judaean hills and the Mediterranean Sea by XXI Corps(See Map).  This was to be supported by a subsidiary attack by XX Corps in the Judean Hills.  The Desert Mounted Corps was to exploit up to Haifa and Damascus.  Chaytors Force was to guard the Eastern flank along the Jordan Valley and Amman.  An elaborate deception plan was made to mislead the Turks into believing that the attack was to be in the East along the Jordan Valley.  

Operations during the summer were ruled out.  The Jordan Valley is 390m(1290ft) below sea level and 1,200m(4,000 feet) below the mountains on either side.  Temperatures ranged from 38° to 50°C.  As a result of the heat,  there was tremendous evaporation of the Dead Sea with unbearable humidity.  In addition to these unpleasant conditions,  the Valley and its marshes swarmed with snakes,  scorpions,  mosquitoes,  black spiders and flies.  Men and animals were tormented by day and night.  In words of Trooper RW Gregson “it’s a terrible place. I will never tell anyone to go to hell again;  I will tell him to go to Jericho, and I think that will be bad enough!”

The fierce summer sun used to burn the earth leaving a layer of white chalky marl impregnated with salt,  several feet deep.  This surface was soon broken up by the movement of mounted troops into a fine white powder resembling flour and covering everything with a thick blanket of dust.  Roads and tracks were often covered with as much as 30cm of white powder and traffic stirred this up into a dense,  limey cloud which penetrated everywhere, and stuck grittily to sweat-soaked clothes.  There was no rest at night.  The world’s lowest battlefield thus,  had its own tribulations. 

The bush ranged from 1.2m to the height of a horse;  there were numerous Ber trees with enormous thorns,  big prickly bushes and dense jungle on either side of the Jordan River for some 180 to 270m.  While the River was barely 30m wide,  its banks were sheer about 1.5 to 1.8m above water-level which made it impossible for horses to swim.

The Battle of Megiddo

FM Allenby intended to advance to secure Tiberias,  Haifa and the Yamruk Valley towards Hauran,  the Sea of Galilee and Damascus.  This attack was launched on 19^th September 1918.  It was called the Battle of Megiddo (which is a transliteration of the Hebrew name of this ancient town known in the West as Armageddon and symbolic ‘of the final battle’).  The deception by the British was successful.  The Ottoman Army was taken by surprise.  The British broke through in the West,  attacked Megiddo and executed the cavalry envelopment of the Ottoman flank.  It resulted in a full-scale retreat with the Royal Air Force bombing the fleeing columns.  Within a week, the Ottoman Army in Palestine ceased to exist as a military force and the battle came to an end on 25^th September 1918.  Damascus was captured on
01 October 1918.

The strategic envelopment by the Desert Mounted Corps was manoeuvre at its classical best.  Its three Mounted Divisions were massed behind the three Westernmost Infantry Divisions of XXI Corps.  As soon as XXI Corps breached the Ottoman defences,  they surged forth to the north and North-East to reach the passes in the Carmel Range before Ottoman troops could forestall them.  They passed through these to seize the communication centres of Al-Affule and Beisan.  These two communication centres were within the 60 miles (97 km) radius of a strategic cavalry “bound”,  the distance mounted units could cover before being forced to halt for rest and to obtain water and fodder for the horses.(Strike Corps of today,  take note).  

The Indian Cavalry Regiments of this Corps were:

4^th Cavalry Division

Lt Col Rex Osborn wrote in the Cavalry Journal.  “From 10.00 hours onwards,  a hostile aeroplane observer,  if one had been available,  flying over the Plain of Sharon would have seen a remarkable sight– ninety–four squadrons,  disposed in great breadth and in great depth,  hurrying forward relentlessly on a decisive mission– a mission of which all cavalry soldiers have dreamed,  but in which few have been privileged to partake.

Concentration,  surprise and speed were key elements in the blitzkrieg planned by Allenby.  The Desert Mounted Corps extended over a frontage of 100 km and secured all its objectives,  amongst other actions with respect to the Indian Cavalry,  were:

• The VC Charge by Rissaldar Badlu Singh attached to 29^th Lancers(Deccan Horse) in the Jordan Valley on 23^rd September 1918.
• The capture of Haifa by the 15^th Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade on the same day.  This is the first recorded capture of a city by a cavalry charge.

FM Allenby had this to say on 26^th September 1918: “I desire to convey to all ranks and all arms of the Force under my command, my admiration and thanks for their great deeds of the past week,  and my appreciation of their gallantry and determination,  which have resulted in the total destruction of the VIIth and VIIIth Turkish Armies opposed to us.  Such a complete victory has seldom been known in all the history of war.” 

This battle a Century ago was a turning point of World War I and is recognised by the grant of the Battle Honour to a larger number of Indian units.  Indian battle casualties as per some records were 10,526:  3,842 dead,  6,519 wounded and 165 missing/captured.  All this made it a theatre worth visiting.

Jodhpur Lancers at Haifa after its capture: 23 September 1918

Rissaldar Badlu Singh, VC,  Attached 29^th Lancers Deccan Horse(Artist’s Rendition)

The Pilgrimage

There have been vast changes since 1918.  World War I led to the Palestinian mandate.  Post the Second World War the States of Israel,  Syria and Jordan were created.  River Jordan enters Israel from Lebanon and flows to the Sea of Galilee.  Thereafter,  it courses South for about 110km to the Dead Sea.  Seven km South of the Sea of Galilee it forms the border between Israel and Jordan.  Within the envelope of Israel is the West Bank.  At Southern end of the West Bank is Jericho (reputedly the world’s oldest inhabited city).  It is an ancient land of great significance for three major religions of the world and hence,  has been in constant turmoil.  The last 70 years have been of relative peace and considerable development.  Jordan Valley has been transformed and is now fertile rolling plains with every kind of crop and fruit.  Settlements abound.

Haifa.  Haifa is located at the North-Western tip of the Mount Carmel ridge.  To the North is the Harbour and flat plains till the city of Arco.  Its liberation in 1918 is recognised at the Haifa Indian Cemetery maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on the main road from Tel Aviv to Haifa.  There are two memorials for 47 Indian Servicemen and a special plaque to honour Maj Dalpat Singh, MC of Jodhpur Lancers who led the charge.  The inscription on it reads

“This Plaque commemorates the brave Indian soldiers led by Major Thakur Dalpat Singh MC,  who laid down their lives in the Battle of Haifa on 23 September 1918 and thus contributed to the liberation of the city.  This is the only known case in history where a fortified town was captured by cavalry on the gallop.  On that day,  while Mysore Lancers were clearing the rocky slopes of Mount Carmel,  the Jodhpur Imperial Service Lancers took over the fortified town of Haifa in a daring daylight cavalry charge.  Major Dalpat Singh MC,  who was leading the Jodhpur Lancers in battle,  fell gallantly during the charge and has since been called the hero of Haifa.

The Author with the Plaque Honouring Major Thakur Dalpat Singh, MC

The Memorials.  There are two separate memorial tablets.  One for the Muslim soldiers who were buried and the other for those who were cremated.  Names along with regiments include those from 1^st Duke of York’s Skinners Horse,  2^nd Lancers Gardner’s Horse,  4^th Cavalry,  16^th Cavalry,  19 Lancers (Fane’s Horse},  29^th Lancers Deccan Horse,  as also other Indian units including the Maratha Light Infantry and Punjab Regiment.  On top are inscribed Om Bhagwate Namha in Sanskrit and Ek Onkar-Sri Wahe Guruji ki Fateh in Gurmukhi.

The Two Memorials for 47 Indian Soldiers.  One for Muslim Soldiers in the Rear and the Other for Hindus and Sikhs in the Foreground

Jordan Valley.  The task to locate the exact site of the VC charge was a challenge.  Old maps from The Deccan Horse were available but the terrain had completely changed.  I sought assistance of Eran Tearosh,  an Israeli expert on World War I to zero in on the possible site.  It was South of Beit She’an near the settlement of Sdei Trumot.  The Jordan Valley ranges from 15 to 20 km wide and the ‘two hills’ which have been mentioned in the citation are to the immediate east of this settlement about 5km West of River Jordan.  They dominate the countryside providing immense field of fire and would have constituted formidable machine gun positions.  One was able to reconstruct the charge and appreciate the courage and valour of those who participated.  The only disappointment was River Jordan which was barely 30m wide and by Indian standards, would constitute a nullah.  My drive around the Valley was restricted to Israel as about 5 km south of this point lay the Palestinian territory of West Bank.

VC Charge Site: View from Main Hill towards River Jordan.  Second Hill in foreground

(with track in the middle)

Meggido.  Megiddo is about 30 km south-east of Haifa and was central to old trade routes.  It dates back seven thousand years and the Tell (a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot) has been the scene of many battles,  the first recorded in 15^th Century BC followed by another in 609 BC.  It overlooks the Jezreel Plains and onto Al-Affule and hills of Nazareth.  It is a wide rolling valley and the Tell of Megiddo has layers of at least 25 civilisations.  While appreciating significance of the site,  standing there and viewing the serene and verdant countryside it was difficult to imagine how the battles would have gone.  The Tell must have served as a bound.  Nevertheless,  it is the site of one of the most important battles of World War I which resulted in the Armistice of Mudros and end of war in the Middle East.

View from the Tell of Meggido towards the Jezreel Valley

Golan Heights.  To the East and North-East of the Sea of Galilee and onto towards Damascus are the Golan Heights,  the site of historical battles of the Yom Kippur War.  It is tank country dotted by numerous memorials and reminiscent of tank Country in Ahmednagar and the scene of many battles,  the most famous being those of the Yom Kippur War.  That is however,  another story.

Significance

As stated by George Santyana,  there is much to learn from history.  There are not too many manoeuvre campaigns at the corps level in recent times in which Indians took part and hence one such as this which led to victory, merits study.  A commemoration which involves all nations who formed part of the EEF would thus, be a good start.