THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY PROTECTION OF AUTHOR ’S COPYRIGHT This copy has been supplied by the Library of the University of Otago on the understanding that the following conditions will be observed: 1. To comply with s56 of the Copyright Act 1994 [NZ], this thesis copy must only be used for the purposes of research or private study. 2. The author's permission must be obtained before any material in the thesis is reproduced, unless such reproduction falls within the fair dealing guidelines of the Copyright Act 1994. Due acknowledgement must be made to the author in any citation. 3. No further copies may be made without the permission of the Librarian of the University of Otago. August 2010 IMPERIAL SOLDIERS? THE NEW ZEALAND MOUNTED RIFLES BRIGADE IN SINAI AND PALESTINE 1916-1919 D. JOHN MILNES A thesis submitted for the degree of Masters of Arts in History at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand 1999. ll Abstract New Zealanders served in large numbers in three campaigns during the Great War of 1914-1918. Much has been written by historians, both past and present, about the experiences of the soldiers in two of these campaigns: Gallipoli and the Western Front. The third of these campaigns, Sinai and Palestine, is perhaps the least well known of New Zealand's Great War war efforts, but probably the most successful. This thesis is an investigation of how Imperial the New Zealanders who served in the Mounted Rifles brigade were. By this it 1s meant; were the soldiers characteristic of the British Empire, its institutions, and its ethos? Or were they different, reflecting distinctly New Zealand ideals and institutions? Central to this investigation were the views and opinions held by the New Zealand soldiers who served in the Mounted Rifles brigade in Sinai and Palestine from 1916-1919 regarding the British Empire. Several areas have been identified to provide the necessary information - how the soldiers fought in Sinai-Palestine, what they thought of different cultures and ethnicities, their opinion of the British Empire, their pastimes, and the soldier myth of New Zealand and its origins. In each of these areas, comparisons have been drawn with other Imperial formations in the theatre, notably units from the United Kingdom and Australia. These five key areas have provided clear answers to the question of how Imperial the soldiers were. It is demonstrable from the evidence presented and conclusions reached that the soldiers of the Mounted Rifles were Imperial soldiers, shaped and reflecting the institutions and ethos of the British Empire. They thought and acted similarly to the English and Australian soldiers in almost all areas examined. Where evidence could be found about other British Empire formations, such as the Sikhs and the British West Indians, it is also evident that the New Zealanders acted similarly to them. In their conscious thoughts and actions, it is evident that the Mounted Rifles acted in accordance with many of the British Empire's institutions and its ethos, once more indicating an Imperial connection. Some areas investigated, such as the New Zealand soldier mythology, upheld as distinctly New Zealand, have been demonstrated to be linked to an Empire wide colonial mythology, evolved from an English root, and owing itself to New Zealand's participation in the British Empire. The Imperial mentality of the Mounted Rifles was present in almost everything they did, and it seems certain that they were characteristic of the British Empire. ili P .. .· ,.•, \1}.:. ···.ft.·,.,· :..D ..··. ·Ae;g·.·.· ... ·..· ..· .. ·.... A. .•·'-''· ~k· ·•· : ;; ..o· ·i~I·rl. ..,,.-·t~U· ·: ··.~.··..II.-~If:.E·t,~. ·.~;a·" '·f..~:~.···.'···:: . As with any thesis, there are many people who deserve to be thanked, from the long suffering supervisor who marks the work to the bum who provided the impetus for a serendipitous discovery. Few deserve more praise than my supervisor for two thirds of this project, Tom Brooking. His ability to read and write comments is truly without compare. Sometimes it was hours, other times it was days. But always the work was accepted and returned with a smile. My other "supervisors", people from the History Department who helped me, need praise too: Roberto Rabel, Aaron Fox, and Alex Trapeznik fall neatly into this list. The many people from various research institutions around the country must be mentioned, including David of the Hocken Library, Windsor Jones from the W aiouru Army Museum, Greta from Otago University's Central Library, John Crawford from the New Zealand Defence Library, and the staff from the Alexander Turnbull Library and Wellington's National Archives. The history post grads must also be listed. Big Richard Kay, Shaun Broadley alias Broaders, and Paerau Warbrick alias Andrew Anderson alias Paerau W arbrick, for discussing ideas with, Marion Horan, for providing an outlet for frustration, and Maureen, Suzannah, Megan, and James for contributing to the hours of procrastination. Many people provided beds around the country, without which I would not have been able to complete the research. My sister Catherine Jane and her husband Greg must be top of the list here. My good friend Richard Lang provided the odd mattress or two, and my parents made available my old room (at no extra charge) for me when in Auckland. There are also my friends outside the History Department who should be mentioned. Ange, Mark, Mike, Callum, Rosalie, Nicie, Angela, Simon, Hugh, Amanda, and Lisa all provided a sympathetic ear to my moans, and a reason to procrastinate when there was no alternative but work. Last, but not least, there is my wife Paulette, who more than anyone else, made sure that this thesis was finished, and not abandoned half completed. To all of these people, and those who time and space would not permit a mention, thank you for all your help. iv Abstract 11 Acknowledgments iii Table of Contents iv List of Illustrations v Maps vi Glossary/Abbreviations vii Introduction 1 Chapter One 8 Chapter Two 35 Chapter Three 65 Chapter Four 85 Chapter Five 107 Conclusion 130 Bibliography 134 Appendix I 142 Appendix II 143 Appendix III 144 Appendix IV 145 v - . ' LiSt ~,f ltfiUStratiDBI Figure 1: Generals Edward Chaytor, Harry Chauvel, Chetwode 32 Figure 2: A section of the Auckland Mounted Rifles. 33 Figure 3: Australian Light Horse men watering their horses. 34 Figure 4: Sketch of an Arab street urchin. 61 Figure 5: Rural scenes of Arab Palestine. 62 Figure 6: Rural and urban Arabs. 63 Figure 7: Backsheesh. 64 Figure 8: Sporting pastimes of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles. 103 Figures 9 and 10: Sight seeing in Jerusalem. 104-06 Figure 11: Shopping in Jerusalem. 106 vi . ·.. " "'' .,, .M ·Ujf'i.:J•O·J······.·.··.,····~.··.· Map 1: Outline map of Northern Sinai 147 Map 2: Outline map of Palestine 148 Map 3: Outline map of Syria 149 Vll :G·.····. .. ·> ·.··• ······1··.· ... ·n.···c;:t•.·.··s·· u·t..:J·.··... g·JL.••·•··q·.; •• ~~•.·y·.·. ... ·...··/·.····.·.·.· ..··· ... · ,- - - Abb:te,viatioros A.I.F. Australian Imperial Force. A.L.H. Australian Light Horse. A.M.D. Anzac Mounted Division. A.M.R. Auckland Mounted Rifles regiment. C.M.R. Canterbury Mounted Rifles regiment. E.E.F. Egyptian Expeditionary Force. I.C.C. Imperial Camel Corps. N.Z.E.F. New Zealand Expeditionary Force. N.Z.M.G.S. New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron. N.Z.M.R. New Zealand Mounted Rifles brigade. N.Z.T.A. New Zealand Territorial Army. O.M.R. Otago Mounted Rifles. W.M.R. Wellington Mounted Rifles regiment. Yeomanry English Territorial Yeomanry Cavalry. Yilderim Collective term for the Turkish-German army forces in the Middle East. In October 1918, the Ottoman Empire spectacularly self destructed. At the Battle of Meggidio, two Turkish armies were destroyed by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's advance along the plains. A third Turkish army surrendered at Amman. The destruction of these armies brought an end to the Sinai-Palestine campaign, and the surrender of the Ottoman Empire to the Allied and Associated powers. The successful conclusion of the campaign had come about through three years of constant fighting, starting in early 1916. In January 1916, the main British war effort against the Ottoman Empire had switched theatres from the Dardanelles campaign to the creation of a new army, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force, based in Egypt and tasked with protecting the Suez canal against Turkish attack. The New Zealand Mounted Rifles brigade were an important part of the E.E.F. from its very beginning. The N.Z.M.R., roughly 2,000 New Zealanders and 150 Englishmen, was grouped with three Australian Light Horse brigades to form the Anzac Mounted Division.1 The brigade fought in nearly every major battle, action, and raid during the campaign, and was instrumental in many of the early British victories in Sinai. Once the brigade entered Palestine, it continued to perform vital and important work as part of the spearhead of British forces. From 1916-1919, over 4,500 New Zealand men passed through the brigade, and casualties numbered approximately 400 dead and 1,200 wounded.2 When the reinforcements are added to the number already in the brigade, around 6,500 men served in the N.Z.M.R. during the campaign, about six per cent of all New Zealand men sent abroad to fight during the Great War. New Zealanders also served in one of the most picturesque of the Great War's formations, the Imperial Camel Corps. This unit existed from 1916 to late 1918, and included two New Zealand companies, the 15th and 16th. Each company was approximately 175 officers and men. The 15th and 16th companies were part of the 4th brigade, I. C. C. and were companions of the N.Z.M.R.