'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎21v] (47/294)

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Meanwhile two further actions had taken place ^ of
the 6 th a mrty of the Cameronians had engaged a band near dethlehem in
the 6 th a ft Contact was renewed early the following
co-operation with ir one of the dea a was identified as a
morning and casualties mfli • turned out to be a relative
noted rebel leader, an a wo official of the Government Land
of the Mufti of J eru f lem T ^ a ^ t ;.;° e "* s , no t a ble success for the newly-
Settlement Department. Th e ^ - gth the l6th infantry Brigade
arrived 1st Division. On th ‘ Tulkarm area which resulted in 20
carried out searc course of the operation two tanks, one of which
rebel casualti s. ,,, to repulse Arab attacks throughout most
had broken down, were compelled to repute i
of one night before reinforcements could reach them. On the 9th the_
oi one mgnu t Hebron, where three Paflemen ana
Cameronians were again in action near rte oron ' ^ ^ land-mine
a British Constable were wounded when a truck exploded a lana mine.
On the 12th the last units of the Emergency Force landed, and the
same day the 1st Bn. Seaforth Highlanders, which was destined for hong
Kong left Palestine. With the end of the strike the High Commussioner
issued orders that no offensive operations were to take place for seven
days in order to allow time for the rebel leaders to arrange for all
followers to cease the campaign of violence.
15th - 25th October
The few days which followed the 12th October proved more than any
thing else the efficiency of the Higher Committee's control of the rel3el |
elements. The seven-day breathing space turned out to be quite unneces-.j
saiy; mounted messengers reached all the bands within twenty-four hours
and disorders ended the following day. As early as ohe loth general
Dill was able to report that resistance had ceased, and no furtner actions
occurred except for'a clash on the Syrian border on the 16th between a
patrol of the Buffs and a party of 12 Druses who were probably trying
to return to their own country. In the action an officer and private
of the Buffs were wounded.
On the 12 th General Dill issued a special order of the day which
began: " The strike and armed rebellion have been called off tn cpndltion--
ally by the Higher Arab Committee as from to-day. Th is rjqsuljts__in
gre at measure due to the resolute and energetic acti on ofjjie..three
Services, in spite of difficult and hampering circumsta nces . , . ".
Publication of this message in the local press was prohibited by order
of the High Commissioner. On the same day Fauzi A1 Qawaqji also pro
duced a printed " Communique No. 1 6". In it he called upon his followers
to cease from violence " In compliance with the appeals of our Arab Fings_
and Emirs, and in accordance with the request of t he A rab Highe p^Corogattee
in Jerusal em." He added also an exhortation the significance of which
was to be felt only too bitterly in the year which followed: "I also.
request my brethren to safeguard their arms and districts very stric tly^
and carefully: and to be ready to ansv/er the call if n ecess jty arises♦
The end of the rebellion was greeted with bonfires and fireworks in the
villages and towns; while a week later, as if to act as a reminder of
the grinding wheels of Palestine justice, the trial took place of eight
members of the Sheikh Izz Ud Din al Kassan gang who had murdered a
British policeman on the 20 th November 1935 and had been taken prisoner
the same day after a brisk fight in the hills.
% the 19th, with the expiration of the period of grace, came the
problem of dispersing the armed bands which remained in being. A
number of them had by now been located in the Jenin-Nablus-Tulkarm
triangle where they were virtually in control of the villages and showed
no signs of leaving. At the request of the Chief Secretary operations
were started by the 16th Infantry Brigade with a view to rounding up
these bands and arresting Fauzi, while more extensive drives were to
start a week later. On the 22 nd Fauzi attenpted to escape into