Letters from Wilfred Evans to his family, 1918 - Part 9

went on the last boat - you may read
of his arrival. I don't think I will
be quite the next but I'm not far
down the list - among the first two
or three at any rate & it just depends
on the number of boats going home
with sick & wounded. I would
be quite pleased to get home about
Christmas time. The only trouble is
of course coming back as I'm sure 
I wont feel anxious to do so when
I go home, although Id I would
hate to give it up in a way before it's
finished. Still there are certainly lots
of people who have never come away
who ought to relieve us now. On
the other hand experienced men are
required here & there are not too
many about. From a personal standpoint
I would like to tho go into civilian

life tomorrow as I'm practically ruining
my career in the military & will have to
commence all over again when I once
give it up. However before I leave
I will ask Col Downes what he
thinks about it & if he asks for a
promise to met come back I can
hardly refuse. However my dear
the war isn't going to last long & I may
yet be able to stay when I do come.
No more this time, lots of love &
hugs I many thanks for the cake
which is equal to your very best
& that's saying a lot
Your loving son
Wilf.

Melbourne Monday.
My dear Mother,
Just a line advising safe return
but very tired - warm crowded train and I
didn't take a sleeper. All well. Sold 3000
maps in Sydney - a bit disappointing but not
too bad. Hope you are both well. Love Harry.
Many thanks for great kindnesses.

10. 10. 18.
My dear mother,
I haven't written you a line since
operations commenced, simply because I have
been too busy & now I just want to scratch
you a small note to say that I am well
& everything is O.K. This is written from Damascus
which sounds rather romantic but I'm
very disappointed with the famous city as
I find it a beastly dirty, not to say verminous
city. We have had a wonderful experience this
time - talk of prisoners I'm fed up with the
sight of them we have taken so many.
One lot of about 15000 marched nearly
100 miles to get away from us & we caught
them in Damascus just about half dead
they had walked & walked practically without
food & were just about dropping & didn't
offer any resistance at all. I will settle

down later & tell you all about my experiences
but I'm rather tired tonight & just wanted
to write you a small scrawl.
Jack is quite a long way from me
at present - haven't seen him at all
during operations. I haven't had
any news of that boat & my trip
home just yet - we are all too busy
now. At any rate it was a good
stunt to have been on & I hope a
good one to finish up with as I want
to get home & see you now.
Lots of love & hugs
from
Your loving son
Wilf

2DRL/0014
RC10170

1

17-10-18.
My dear mother,
I must try to set out for your
benefit the rather interesting experiences we have
had during the past month as it is just a month
ago today since we left our camp in the olive
trees. When I wrote you from there I was of course
aware that operations were coming on but could
not divulge anything in my letters as the strictest
secrecy was observed. It was however most
interesting to watch the preparations for the offensive
which entailed a vast amount of work & upon
which the success of the action largely depends.
You remember when I told you of our leaving
the Jordan Valley for a spell - in reality we
moved right across near to the sea & there hid
for a month among some very large orchards
& olive groves admirably suited for the purpose.
Then the men trained hard as they had
just been given swords for the first

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time & there we equipped & prepared for
operations. Then as the days drew on we watched
the gradual piling up of troops in this
area - all done secretly - & so complete
was our air mastery that I only once 
saw a hostile aeroplane trying to
spy out our intentions. I have never
seen such a concentration of troops &
artillery at one spot. Then one night we
got into our allotted positions behind the
infantry & then with a pouf!  bang! at
4 o'clock in the morning the avalanche was
launched at the astonished Turk. He
had concentrated the large part of
his force in the Jordan valley & his line
was comparatively weakly held. The
preliminary bombardment lasted only
for an hour or two & then the infantry
went over & through the Turk with
few casualties & when they had
broken the line our turn came

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& we were sent forward to our previously
allotted tasks with the utmost rapidity
How we went!!!! The advance mounted
troops must have covered 35 miles that day.
The pace was frequently a trot, sometimes a
gallop. The whole object was to get round
to the enemy's rear before he got away.
You see we had broken his line near the sea
& then dashed up the coast for a certain
distance then turned to the right & crossed
a range of mountains by the only decent pass
& reached the plain of Esdraelon just
about ½ hour before the Turks who were
coming along to hold the pass succeeded
in reaching it. Then on to El Afulah
the main railway junction & later
to Nazareth. Our little lot however
when we crossed the pass turned to the
Southeast & made for Jenin where the
road from Nablus comes out on to
the plain of Esdraelon & first is the

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head of the column of the Turks retreating
from Nablus entered the place from the
South entered the town from the South,
our boys sword in hand galloped into
it from the North. What consternation there
was - 7000 Turks & Germans surrendered
to a Regiment!!! When they saw how
many they had taken our fellows were
afraid they might not be able to hold
them. The rest of the Brigade had
come up then & another one was sent
across at the gallop to help.
Coming along next day I was astounded
at the spectacle of so many prisoners
with their peculiar forms of transport.
Some were walking, some riding in coaches
or funny old Turkish carts, some on
camels, some on donkeys, all very
tired, thirsty & dejected. The Germans
looked infinitely superior to the Turk.
Say what we will of them - I have

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found a good deal to admire in those
we have seen here - they are sturdy hard
working & well disciplined & fight like tigers
in a comer. There is no love lost between them
& the Turk, they live apart & always have
separate hospitals & Ambulances & the
German more or less despises the Turk &
as far as I can see the Turk hates
the German.
But I must tell you my own personal
experiences before arriving at Jenin.
I had direct control over the motor Ambulances
of our own Division & took them round
to our starting point & left them there for
further orders as the route we were taking
was across country which was sandy
& practically roadless & I didn't 
like risking them over it. So Col Fowler
my acting chief & I set off in a light
car to explore it taking with us a
motor bicycle to send back word to the

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Motor Ambulance whether to come on or
not. We soon decided that it was
not fit for our cars & decided to wait
keep them back until Tul Keram
had fallen & then send them along
the main metalled road through
it. We had broken the line on the seaward
side, the defences in front of Tul Keram being then unbroken
but our line was to swing round & take Tul
Keram from the flank & then the main
metalled road would be available for us.
So I gave orders for the Ambulance to wait
until Tul Keram had fallen & then proceed
up the metalled road & meet me there.
Col Fowler & I pushed on & reached the
W. Iskanderuneh that night & he
proceeded on with the Division while I
waited till morning to collect any
medical personnel & wheeled vehicles which
might be stranded about there &
direct them on. I found plenty