El Arish Engagement - 11 November 1916

On 11 November 1916 No.1 AFC (all three Flights: A, B and C) took part in their largest scale raid yet attempted by them or any other air squadron in the East. One Martinsyde and 9 BEs, flew out of Kantara and Mahemdia aerodromes, in formation, loaded with fuel and bombs. They headed towards Beersheba in the east. When they were over El Arish they saw a German aeroplane on the ground. A bomb was dropped but it didn't hit the plane - nor did the German pilot decide to take off and engage the AFC.

A contemporary map of the Egypt Sinai campaign 

Key locations: Kantara, Mahemdia, El Arish, Bir El Mazar, El Arish.

Beersheba is 20 miles east off the edge of the map (see inset map).

Ref: http://fly.historicwings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/HighFlight-Aero-Medical-Evacuation2.jpg

The Germans probably reported seeing the formation and radioed ahead as, when the Australians reached Beersheba, they were met with anti-aircraft fire, high explosives and shrapnel. The Martinsyde dropped its 100-pound bomb and hit the middle of the aerodrome, 2 of the bombs dropped from BEs hit tents and others hit the railway line and the station.

Two German pilots, one in a Fokker and another in Aviatik, were able to get into the air and engage the Australians. Fortunately they attacked the only two AFC planes which had any self-defence capability, the Martinsyde and the BE flown by Wackett and Turner which the men themselves had fitted with a gun on the middle of the upper wing. The German planes were seen off without damaging any AFC plane.

This is one of Athol's photos and shows a gun mounted in the centre of the top wing.

This could be the plane used by Wackett and Turner during the El Arish engagement.

The AFC observers (including Athol) photographed Beersheba, including the damage caused in the raid. All the Australian planes returned safely after 7 hours in the air. These long flights were quite an achievement in such unreliable aircraft, over hostile territory and in difficult conditions.

Ref: Australian War Memorial image: A00635

Copy of a composite photo mosaic of El Arish and surrounding country. The image was created from numerous prints obtained from aerial photographs taken by aircraft of No 1 Squadron, AFC.

In Athol's letter of 10 December he mentions taking part in the El Arish raid. "I had a fly over the Turkish lines the other day. Gave them a couple of bombs to go on with. Didn't do much harm though."

Two days later the Germans responded with a raid of their own. On 13 November a sole German plane flew over the Allied lines and bombed Cairo. The Australian machines took to the air in pursuit but were not able to match his speed and lost him on the return journey. Athol also mentions this feat in one of his letters (30 November post).


Ref: The Official War History, Vol.VIII, The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War, 1914-1918, (11th edition, 1941), Chapter IV, 'Air Fighting in the Desert', p.45.