File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎216r] (440/834)

249
FEISAL’S ARMY IN JUNE.
Colonel Joyce has less to report for June than he had for
May, intermittent fever among the regular troops (400 cases)
and shortage of munitions having limited operations. The
abortive attack on Jurf timed for June 9 (see p. 206) is related
in more detail. It appears that on that day five planes bombed
the defences effectively, but the Arab army was not in position
and could not follow up the attack. Next day three planes
again bombed the station and Sherifian and French guns co
operated ; but again no attack followed, the regulars and the
Bedouins not working together. Altogether the affair ended in
a futile long-range bombardment, and Colonel Joyce lays the
fault at the door of Nuri Bey.
The rushing of Turkish posts on the 12th (not the 14th as
on p. 206) was not the sole work of the Bo walla, for two
companies of regulars with two French guns were engaged. On
June 18. four Turkish planes bombed Nuri Shaalan’s camp at
Azrak, inflicting several casualties among men and animals. As
a result the camp has been moved to Kasr el-Amra and Nuri’s
Sherifian tendencies have notably stiffened.
About the affair of June 22 near el-Hasa, related on p. 228,
Colonel Joyce adds nothing material. He mentions the
armoured car reconnaissance to Jafar and Bair (see p. 246) and
the Kalaat el-Ahmar affair ; but up to the date of his despatch
he had not received details of the latter.
We can add one or two facts to those already published
concerning operations. By comparison of the original strength
of the Mudowara garrison with the numbers captured by the
Howeitat—fifty of all ranks—and the number who died on the
march—ten—we deduce that nine men of the captured lot must
have been soldiers from Maan, who had brought out a relief
convoy. Two officers were among the captives.
The air bombardment of Kerak, mentioned on p. 243, is
reported to have wrought great havoc, causing between eighty
and one hundred casualties in the Citadel, and a machine gun
and one mountain gun were destroyed by direct hits.
ARAB RECRUITING AT JERUSALEM.
A Dinner was given by the Arab Recruiting Committee of
the Emir Feisal at the Grand New Hotel, Jerusalem, on July 4.
e* Two hundred notables were present, including the Military
Governor of Jerusalem, the Mufti of the Hanafites and the Mufti
of the Shalltes, Major Haddad Bey, Lieut, the Hon. E. Feilding,
Capt. Machray, and other officers.
Lieut. Adib Effendi Wahbi, Head of the Arab Recruiting
Committee, thanked his audience for their presence. He sketched