Current Information:

Born-West Bromwich

Enlisted-Islington

Gaza War Cemetery

After the Western Front, the second largest theatre of war between 1914 and 1918 was Egypt and Palestine. Britain had long had a foothold in Egypt guarding the vitally important Suez Canal and when war was declared against Turkey (the Ottoman Empire) who controlled all of what is now known as the Middle East, British troops were sent to guard the canal from attacks from the north. For the first two years of the war the British forces were on the defensive as the Turks, backed by the Germans, made a number of attempts against the canal but an important victory in August 1916 at Rumani relieved the pressure and the British force was then able to move onto the offensive and advance north into Palestine. There followed the First and Second Battles of Gaza in March and in April, 1917 in which the British tried but failed to break through the Turkish line that stretched from the coast at Gaza across the desert to Beersheba. The stalemate that followed these two battles lasted through until  October, 1917, during which time both sides strengthened their respective positions especially at Gaza and Beersheba, where no-man’s-land was very narrow. In the centre of the line an almost flat plain, devoid of cover, made a frontal attack virtually impossible.

54th Division spent this time in front of Gaza, which was still under Turkish control and protected by a series of redoubts or strongholds of which Umbrella Hill was the most advanced. On 20th July, 1917, 5th Bedfordshire of 162 Brigade, along with 162nd Machine Gun Company undertook a raid against this enemy position. Attacking at 9.00 that evening, behind a strong artillery barrage which had the desired effect of demoralising the Turkish defenders, they entered the Turkish lines in two parties and did as much damage as they could before retiring to their own lines after 40 minutes. They suffered about fifteen casualties in the actual raid but most of their dead and wounded came soon after the start, when the enemy began to shell the Hollow, an area of little more than 150 yards radius and 50 yards to the rear of the front line, in which was situated the signal office, HQ dugout and aid post. There were many people there, orderlies, stretcher bearers, a dump party and HQ details, all of who found themselves in the open under this heavy fire. It was afterwards calculated that about 500 shells fell during the night here. For about two hours an intense bombardment was maintained, the heavy shells falling in salvoes at first and later in quick succession. One of the casualties that evening was Wilfred Robinson of 162nd Machine Gun Company who was killed either in the raid or by this shell fire.