by 6th
H.L.I. and 5th A. & S.H., the remainder of the Battalion bringing up the
rear. The preliminary move was to a position of readiness under the
cliffs on the shore about 800 yards from the ford.

The whole operations were carried out with complete success, the only
hitch being a slight delay in getting some of the bridges across higher
up the river, which caused the barrage at the last moment to be
postponed for half an hour. The rains of the night before had probably
lulled the enemy into a sense of false security. The trenches in the
marshy ground were unoccupied, and he certainly was not expecting us in
other places, as in more than one place prisoners were taken in their
night raiment before they had time to arm themselves. The river had
risen with the rains, and at the ford the water was over the waists of
those who crossed.

At 2 a.m. we received word from Brigade that our services would not be
required, and that we had better make ourselves comfortable for the
night, a matter of no small difficulty, as it was piercing cold and we
were lightly equipped for fighting. Thus ended one of the most
brilliantly planned and executed actions we ever took part in. In effect
it was an easy and cheap victory, but how difficult and costly it might
have been is not hard to imagine. In the first place, it was entirely a
night show, and the distances to be traversed were considerable: to that
add the fact that the objectives were much scattered, and no
reconnaissance was possible except from our own side of the river.
Secondly, preparation of the smallest detail was necessary, and a very
large amount of material was required to carry out the operations, and
yet absolute secrecy was a vital necessity for the success of the plan.
It would have been a comparatively simple matter to prevent our
crossing, or at least to have made it a very costly and uncomfortable
proceeding, had it been suspected, but its very boldness carried it
through. The Turks, even if they did observe some preparations, probably
thought that we would never attempt to cross the river.

In order to make the bridgehead in front of Jaffa more secure, it was
determined to push forward another three or four miles, and about 11
a.m. on the 21st we received orders to cross the Auja, and move our
bivouac to Tel er Rekkit. This we did in the afternoon, crossing by a
bridge about half a mile from the river mouth. We arrived at the new
area about 4.30 p.m. and were