File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎273v] (555/834)

We slept at Nasib and next morning marched gaily away to
Umtaiye, speeded by a field gnn which came to Nasib by train,
and shelled our tail vigorously. At Umtaiye we rejoined the
armoured cars, which had returned direct from Arar after cover
ing the demolitions : and as we had that morning seen an enemy
aeroplane land near the railway west of Umtaiye, we at once took
two cars down to look at it. We found three two-seaters there,
but for a deep gully could not rush their aerodrome. Two got up
and troubled us, but we were able to put one thousand five
hundred bullets into the third, and finished it. On our way back
the other two machines returned from Deraa with bombs, and
swooped at us four times; however, they placed them bad!} 7 , and
we escaped nearly unhurt. Armoured car work is fighting deluxe,
but they give a sitting shot to a well-handled plane. All the rest of
the day at Umtaiye we were much bothered by enemy aircraft.
1 hat night (the 19th) an armoured car, with the Egyptian
and Ghurka units, went down to the railway about kilo. 154 and
blew up some culverts and many rails. The object was to hinder
the repair parties which (with escort of guns, machine guns, and
infantry) were hard at work on our destroyed bridge of the 16th
at kilo. 149. We were also able to engage the repair train
(by armoured car and Ford) at eighty yards range, and persuade
it back to Mafrak at top speed. Next day I went on to Azrak,
thence by air to Ramleh, and returned on the 22nd to Um el-
Surab, with three Bristol Fighters. Before these finished
breakfast they had been up twice, bagged a Turkish two-seater,
and driven down three scouts. After this the Turks troubled
our air no more ; and after breakfast I went again to Azrak, and
returned to Um el-Surab in the evening with Feisal and Nuri
Shaalan, to meet the Handley-Page. It turned the scale in our
favour through all the Hauran.
Next day the regulars went down to bridge kilo. 149,
as its repair was nearly finished, and after a sharp fight drove
off its guards, including very persistent German machine-
gunners, destroyed more of the line, and burned the timber
framing which the Turks had erected in seven days’ work.
I he armoured cars and French guns did specially well to-day,
and the Rualla horse under Nuri Shaalan personally. Nuri is
quiet, and retiring, but a man of few words and great deeds,
intelligent, well-informed, decisive, full of quiet humour, and
the best Arab sheikh I have ever met. His tribe are like wax
in his hands, and he knows what should be done and does it.
The British forces had now (September 24) advanced to such a
point that the Turkish Fourth Army, whom we had arrogated
to ourselves as our birds, were ordered back to cover Deraa and
Damascus. As a result of their haste and our holding of the
tail way, they abandoned the idea of falling back from Amman
b\ rail, and proceeded towards us by road with all their guns
and transport. We sent our cavalry at them, and forced them
to leave the guns and carts between Mafrak and Nasib. They