'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎47v] (99/294)

Development of M«T> services
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In April 1936 the two infantry battalions had neither mechanical
nor pack transport of their own, being organized on a basis of horse
transport, though this was in fact nevtu as -d* ff 1 '- only military K.j,
were the 8 cans, 20-30-cut six-wheeled lorries, 2 ambulances and 2
technical vehicles of 14 Coy It.A*3*C* For troop—carrying purposes in
emergency reliance was placed upon hired vehicles, which were available
in Palestine in almost limitless quantities — the country possessed
some 1000 buses alone - and arrangements existed for obtaining them at
very short notice# On the outbreak of the rebellion sufficient were
taken up at once and retained on a. day—to—day oasis ^o suit the require*
ments of the moment# At this stage the A#A#S#C. vehicles were employe;
upon supply duties, while the chief use of the hired fleet was to rush
troops from one fresh outbreak to another wherever their services were
most urgently required# By this means alone it was possible with onlj
two battalions to avoid any single instance of police being overwhelmed
before military help could arrive. By the end of May increases in
the garrison had required more transport for supply purposes and 17
Coy R.A.S.C. was moved up from Bgypt to reinforce 14 Coy.
The first unit to provide service transport for troop-carrying
purposes was the Royal Air Force Lifting Company from Mersa Matruh, whicr
arrived on the 2nd June. It was equipped with 40 Ford V8 2-ton trucks
and provided a suitable lift for an entire battalion at Home Establish
ment strength. It was used to provide lOOfo mobility for the 2nd Bn.
The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment, which them became the only
completely motorised unit in Palestine. It was followed by the 8th
Hussars on the 28th June with their own full establishment of Ford ?8
"pick-ups"# The remaining battalions were still dependent upon hired
vehicles, and by then the chief use of M.T# was to carry striking forces
to the scenes of actions arising as a result of chance encounters.
On the 20th July an R.A.S.C. Lifting Company - No. 19 — arrived
from Egypt, and for the first time started to replace hired vehicles
with W#D. transport. From this point R.A.S.C. detachments were
attached to battalions for tactical transport purposes. It was not
until the arrival of the Emergency Force from England that infantry
units were seen in Palestine with their own 1st Line M.T. With their
arrival it was x j °ssible to reduce civilian hirings, but a number were
still retained up to the end of the rebellion. In the later stages
M.T. was used tactically to a greater extent than before in carrying ^
infantry columns with their pack animals to points from which encircling
movements could be made in the more deliberate operations which had
become possible by that time.
HIRED CIVILIAN M.T.
M.T. hirings during the rebellion averaged some 200 vehicles a
day, comprising about 14^ buses, 18^ cars and lorries, and cost
roughly E450 daily. After the first two or three weeks it was fort®
ately possible to deal with one contracting fir. only, which greatly
simplified arrangements. To begin with, Arab transport companies “
which would otherwise have been on strike - were mostly employee, om
were noo \eiy satisfactory. As intimidation increased drivers reg®-
higher wages and greater military protection, and soon it became cle®
that most of the profits found their way into the rebel coffers.^
ch.au point all Arao contracts were ended and hi rings placed in tie fy
ox one oi oho big Jewish bus companies under the auspices of the g
Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , which guaranteed (and amply fulfilled) a supply of the rigM
sore oi drivers and vehicles to meet all military requirements wftickB
might arise.