5th Essex in Egypt and the Battles for Gaza
On 28 December 1916 the 5th Essex arrived at El Rahman which was Brigade HQ.
Captain Colvin, Lieut Scragg and 80 men were allocated the task of guarding armoured trains a task that they carried out until May 1916.
Some of the Lieutenants in the Battalion at this time were Lieut Brooks, Lieut Rubens, Lieut Brown, Lieut Proud, Lieut Wilson, Lieut Coleman, Lieut Chester, Lieut Capron, Lieut Nobbs, Lieut Thompson, Lieut Calverley, Lieut Bateman, Lieut Scragg and Lieut Compton.
First Battle of Gaza
4th and 5th Essex led the attack non the strategic defensive positions of Mansura Ridge that would open a route to Gaza. The 6th and 7th Essex were in reserve.
The attack faltered but with support from 2 companies of the 6th the line was carried and Turkish trenches occupied by 5.30pm.
A Company was commanded by Captain Gould , B Company by Captain Bacon, C Company by Captain Colvin and D Company by Captain Wilson.
The Brigade suffered severe casualties including fatal wounds to Lieut-Colonel Jameson who was commander of the 4th Essex and wounding to Lieut-Colonel Gibbons who commanded the 5th Essex.
Lieut Colonel Jameson displayed heroism in leading the charge and when hit refused to allow RSM to get treatment for him until the men around his had been seen.
His second in command Major Barrington Wells was hit in the arm early on but stayed in the field until the tranches were taken and the situation stabilised.
On the morning of 27 March 1917 a counter attack by the Turks forced a partial withdrawal of the 6th and 7th Essex who were defending the forward line. During the retreat Captain Tee, Captain Rayner and Captain Silverwood of the 6th Essex were all killed
Stiffening attacks by the Turks caused the withdrawal of the Brigade to Seirat so ending the first battle of Gaza.
The losses of the 5th were severe with 9 officers and 56 men killed and 9 officers and 22 men wounded plus 41 missing and 6 taken as prisoners of war.
The officers killed were Major J M Heron, Captain C A Gould, Lieuts Capron, Maxwell Brown, H K Chester, F J Bartley, C V Edmunds, C O Wilson and G C Beard.
Lieut-Colonel Gibbons, Captain F W Bacon, T G N Franklin and Captain E H D Willmott were among the wounded.
Other ranks killed included Sergeants H F Kemble, H Halls, Mann and Jeaves. Corporals Rainbird, P R Humphries, H Stock, J Murray and F Hart plus Lance Corporal F J Rolph.
Complimented by Lieut-Colonel Gibbons for their action in the battle were Major Wilson, Captain Colvin, Captain Deakin, Lieut Calverley, Lieut French, Lieut Womersley, Sergeant H W Rand, Corporal N C Cunningham, Lance Corporal Bert Fenner, Private Edward Jemson, Private William Fell, Private Tom Davidson and Private Oscar R
Click here for the memorial erected after this battle.
2nd Battle of Gaza
Gaza remained strategically important to both sides which meant that a second attempt to take it would be mounted. Although the Allied forces were reinforced so were the Turkish defences and crucially the element of surprise was absent.
At 4am on 16 April 1917 the assault began with the 4 Essex Battalions operating in the same area as the first battle.
The initial assault met little resistance and a new front line was consolidated. A further advance on 19 April 1917 again made initial advances but they ran into fierce resistance holding a new line albeit one that still did not meet the objectives.
A decision was taken to halt the assault and maintain the new lines.
During this period shelling and small arms fire was exchanged but there was no real movement in the lines although the Turks took the opportunity to strengthen the defences and turn Gaza into a fortress.
The 5th Essex under Major W E Wilson DSO had only 2 men wounded during the battle.
By 20 April Lieut-Colonel Gibbons was able to resume command with the Battalion completing a variety of duty in the frontline, patrols and reserve.
RSM T E Fry and Sergeant Smith were gazetted as 2nd Lieutenant's.
The skirmishes and sniping caused a few casualties and deaths including Lance Sergeant Fryatt and Private Wood.
3rd Battle of Gaza
The third Battle of Gaza was fought at the end of October/Start of November 1917. The successful breaking of the Turkish line opened the way to the advance on Palestine and Syria in the final months of the war.
The four Essex Regiments were all again part of 161 Brigade for the battle.
The 161 Brigade Staff were
Brigadier-General W Marriot Doddington - OIC
Captain A C M Paris - Brigade Major
Lieut J H F Bensford - 7th Essex - Staff Captain
The 5th Essex Command was With Lieut Colonel T Gibbons DSO and Adjutant Captain J F Finn.
On 2 November 1917 the 5th Essex attacked on the right side of the line. They took the Zowaiid trench but came under intense fire when trying to take the Rafah Redoubt and suffered many casualties including 2nd Lieutenant Evans in the forward control post.
A company was commanded by Captain Franklin, B Company by Captain Frank Bacon, C Company by Captain Colvin and D Company by Captain Deakin.
During the attack Captain Deakin fell and broke his leg at which point Lieutenant Wray took command of D Company. Sergeant Harold Watsham, Sergeant Cooper DCM, Sergeant G J Kemp, Corporal Jarrold , Private Harold Andrews, Private J Claydon, Private Charles Broyd , Private F J Harrington and Private F Long were noted as particularly brave.
In B Company Lieut Archer, Sergeant C T Alloway, CSM Wilson, Lieutenant Richmond and Lieutentant Lockwood were singled out for praise.
During the battle 2 officers and 73 other ranks were killed with 6 officers and 172 other ranks wounded and 9 missing.
The dead included Sergeants H Byles, N Bruce, D Ambrose, Corporal P Anderson, Lance Corporal H Quilter and Lance Corporal Tasker.
Captain Wray led his men to the target trench and then returned to where Captain Deakin lay wounded. Captain Wray then carried him to safety despite being wounded himself. For this act he received an immediate DSO.
The battle raged for several days until dawn on 7th November 1917 showed that the Turks had abandoned their positions.
An advance
by the 6th Essex showed that they had also vacated Gaza although it was badly damaged.
