'Summary of the Hejaz revolt' [‎7] (9/32)

it useless, rendered him practically dependent on convoys* from other parts of Arabia
and on the local harvest.
In Southern Hejaz considerable demolitions were carried out by Sherifs Abdulla
and Ali. On the 1st May at Bowat and Hafira, on the 10th at Abu Naim, where the
bridges over the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hamdh were attacked, on the 14th at Bir Jedid and Toweira,
where 800 rails were destroyed. At Mudurij on the same day 1,500 rails were destroyed.
On the 19th the Bowat bridges wnre bombarded for four hours and a French demolition
party destroyed 5 kilometres of railway, and in the same sector on the 22nd, French
and Bedouin demolition parties destroyed 6 kilometres of railway and five culverts.
20. Ibn Rashid [see paragraph 9), who had remained in his camp near Medain Saleh,
except for one minor raid from Jedaha during February, was suspected by the Turks
ofintrigui and had been kept practically a prisoner, while many of his followers had
deserted him. About the end ot April or early in May he left his camp for Hail, but
was intercepted by Sherif Abdulla's Bedouins near Teima, and in the engagement
which ensued his entire transport was captured, 30 of his men killed and 31 taken
prisoner, he himself escaping to Hail.
21. In June the railway was still cut throughout the Maan to Mudowere
sector and iratfic south of Maan had been at a standstill since the 11th April.
North of Maan the railway was still cut as far as Juruf ed Derwish, but on the
r2th June a small Turkish concentration commenced at Kutrani with the
object of reopening it. On the 16th a column with supplies left_ Kutrani,
reoccupied Ferifre, and on the 18th entered Juruf ed Derwish, after having found
El Hasa unoccupied. On the 19th the column, which had met with considerable Arab
resistance, returned to Ferifre. Meanwhile, Maan remained invested, and between the
15th and 23rd was bombed three times by the Royal Air Force, in addition to which
raids on a larofe scale were carried out on Kutrani. Three Turkish aeroplanes were
seriously damaged.
22. On the 22nd June, Sherif Nasir was attacked near Hasa by two battalions of
Turks with machine guns and a battery of field artillery, who were driven back by the
Arabs to Ferifre after severe fighting in which they lost 20 killed and 15 prisoners. On
the 24th the station and camp at Amman were bombed. On the 27th, Feisal's southern
column destroyed a bridge south of Maan, and on the day following attacked and
captured the station at Kalaat el Ahmar, the garrison surrendering. Following the
capture of this station, Mudowere (next station to the north) was evacuated by its
garrison who attempted to reach Maan, but were practically all captured by the Arabs.
In Southern Hejaz, on the 21st June, Sherif Abdulla destroyed 200 rails, a
bridge and 2 kilometres of telegraph line between Seil Matara and Meshed, while
another 500 rails and three bridges were destroyed between Istabi Antar and Abu
Naam. On the 29th June a further 210 rails and two bridges were destroyed in this
neighbourhood.
Dysentery was now reported to be rife in the Hejaz Expeditionary Force, and the
food conditions were extremely bad, while scurvy had broken out at lebuk and
Mudowere.
23. About the middle of June King Hussein's attitude again became difficult.
He wired to his agent in Cairo expressing his disgust at the Anglo-French intentions
regarding Syria, as alleged by Jemal Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. in his farewell speech made at Beirut prior
to his departure from Syria. ^ King Hussein stated that this speech (made in November
and widely quoted) had only just been brought to his notice. Though it was not
known at the time, the Sherit 's attitude was almost certainly influenced by uneasiness
regarding a situation which had arisen at Khurma, about 80 miles east of laif. This
town, though undoubtedly in the Sherifial sphere of administration, had become
contaminated by the spread of Wahabite influence through the Akhwan Societyt
* I d this connection, ample evidence had been forthcoiuing' to show that considerable convoys of
supplies from Koweit were reaching enemy destinations, both in the Hejaz and in Palestine. A proposal to
establish a blockade cordon with the assistance of troops was found to be impracticable, and other measures
were adopted. The Sheikh of Koweit, whose actions in the matter had not been above suspicion, was
cautioned, and gave assurances that he would make suitable arrangements and hold himself responsible that
no such traffic should be carried on, and that all export of goods from Koweit to the interior should be
carefully supervised and regulated. During March, April and May, 1918, five convoys augregating 1,500
camels were captured east of Medina by detachments of Sherif Ali's Army. Sm Appendix K.
t The Akhwan organization is centred in Riadh. It is a Bedouin society which exists to promote the
spread of pure religion in the Wahabi sense among the different tribes of Arabia. The abolition of all
inter-tribal warfare is one of its cardinal doctrines. Three hundred and more of these Akhwan are being
educated in Kiadh to be the religious teachers of the different tribes. The society, entry into which appears
to be easy, numbers many thousands in many different tribes, and enthusiastically supports the present ruling
house in Eiadh.