"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. مجلد I" [و‎‎١‎٢‎٨] (٤٥٤/٢٦٠)

CAPTURE OF KHAFAJIYA
231
their treachery. It was decided to set fire to the roof to save
undue loss of life ; and after this had been done, the enclo
sure was assaulted and captured by the 76th company, who
killed thirty-three Arabs in the operation and took prisoner
eleven more. After this, opposition gradually slackened
and, as the day had been very hot and trying for the troops,
General Gorringe broke off operations at 4 p.m. By this
time, another company of the 76th Punjabis had been ferried
across and joined the first company whose action had been so
admirable. This half battalion then bivouacked for the night
on the left bank of the river.
Meanwhile the advance of General Lean’s column had con
tinued to be very slow. Although the Arabs offered the
column a certain amount of opposition, the delay was mainly
due to the various water-ways that had to be bridged. By
nightfall the column was still short of Khafajiya and their
rear-guard did not get into bivouac till 11 p.m. The total
British casualties during the day, from enemy action, only
amounted to fifteen, of whom thirteen were among the 76th
Punjabis.
At 8 a.m. on the 16th, General Lean’s column joined hands
with the 76th Punjabis; and punitive measures against the
Arabs in Khafajiya were continued. Their casualties are
unknown, but a hundred dead bodies were counted. Large
quantities of their grain were destroyed and about a thousand
sheep and cattle were captured. They thus learnt their
mistake in relying on the Turks to protect them and received
a salutary lesson for their inhumanity and treachery in action.
General Gorringe had now effected his task of driving the
Turks out of Arabistan and thus enabled General Nixon to
reduce the British forces there ; orders being sent for the
withdrawal to Basra of the 63rd Field Battery and of the 30th
Infantry Brigade. General Gorringe was, however, instructed
to carry out demonstrations towards Amara until the 26th,
in order to prevent the Turks withdrawing troops from Amara
to reinforce their detachment in front of Qurna. Leaving
General Lean for this purpose in camp near Khafajiya with
the 7th Lancers, 82nd Field Battery, the West Kents and the
67th Punjabis, General Gorringe himself moved back with
the rest of the force to Ilia. ,
On receiving instructions from General Nixon that me
demonstrations towards Amara were to be continued until
the 29th, General Gorringe decided to reconnoitre personally as
far as Umm Chir. Taking with him tw'o horse artillery guns.