'Military Lessons of the Arab Rebellion in Palestine 1936' [‎109v] (223/294)

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were ordered to withdraw in view of the fact that the enemy had by the
been located much further V/est, and Brigade Headquarters wished to h ^
the R.S. Pus. Striking Force back in reserve before dark. By r72(fhr-
the R.S. Pus. returned to their transport without encountering any 0 d
ition, and at 1845 hrs. were back in Nablus after being sniped from th° S
slopes of Mount Ebal on their way home. The Dorsets to the North of 6
them had managed eventually to get their transport to within some two
thousand yards of Yasid by 144-5 hrs. and at 1630 hrs. occupied the
village. Again no opposition was encountered, though one armed Arab
had been caught trying to get back into the village and had been taken
prisoner. The Dorsets remained in Yasid for the night.
Meanwhile a battle had developed' to the 7, r est. The Bedfords
debussed at Jaba at 1145 hrs. and started to advance towards Yasid* but
as they crossed the ridge South-East of Jaba heavy fire was opened'on
the leading troops from the front. The advance continued under the
cover of rifle, machine-gun and mortar fire, and by 1300 hrs. the enemy
position had been occupied. The enemy, estimated at a strength of
fifty including some mounted men, drew off to the South and entered the
wo ods to the East of Beit Umrin. In their retreat they lost six killed
and three prisoners, while there is no doubt that further casualties
went undetected in the trees. By this time aircraft were in action
all over the area and reported a general movement of rebels from several
directions into the Beit Umrin woods, a number of mounted men being
prominent. Soon the trees had swallowed up most of the bands andor a
brief interval contact was dost. Air action and artillery fire was
hov/ever directed continually upon those woods where the enemy was known
to be, and later investigation shov/ed that heavy casualties were inflicted.
Soon after 1500 hrs. aircraft over Beit Umrin sent out a GG call
for rein! or cements which was answered by the Lincoln Striking Force in
reserve at Tulkarm; while by this time the Bedfords were closing in on
the village. The Lincolns debussed at 1620 hrs. on the main road two
miles to the West, and at 1715 hrs. reached Beit Umrin whence heavy
firing could oe heard to the North, East and South. The advance con
tinued towards the woods from which direction the Lincolns now came under
eavy ire in die failing light. By this time the enemy in the neigh
bourhood had been estimated at two to three hundred.
Unfortunately it had become clear by this time that neither Bed-
fords nor Lincolns could hope to close with the enemy before being over-
taken by darkness, and the Brigade Commander therefore ordered both
Striking Forces to fall back on their transport. The Bedfords were
ac^' m Nablus by 1925 hrs., being heavily sniped on the way from the
region o the main road. The Lincolns’ retirement was however hard-
pressed and all available fire, including that of the naval pom-pom
aii ne mortar, nad to be brought to bear to check some two hundred of
the enemy who were making strenuous efforts to take advantage of the
rapidly increasing darkness to close in on the rearmost troops. It was
not unnl after 2000 hrs. that the Lincolns got within reach of their
ranspor , laving^ had one man wounded and another with a leg broken as a
reoU 0; ^ xa H into a ravine. The evacuation of these casualties caused
considerable delay to the withdrawal, but timely aid was rendered by a
single platoon of the Dorsets v/hich had now appeared on Sabastya hill to
the South flank of the withdrawal.
This single platoon had had an adventurous evening. Owing to a
partial error it had been despatched from Jenin at 1600 hrs., and had
road 73 ^+ j 0 / 16 - 01 the R * S * ? US * picquets on the main
« p -p ‘ ei ^ lrin * Thence it had co-operated on the right flank
tL t qnn+>; d f 0r ^ S the en emy in the woods ’until filling the gap to
^ unng the withdrawal of the Lincolns. The platoon had one
officer and one man wounded.