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image: An aerial view of the gorge of the Wadi Fara showing the deeply cut watercourse with its steep banks. Seven
aircraft can be seen in the picture, flying along the course of the wadi. In the aircraft nearest the viewer the pilot is clearly in helmet
and goggles, looking back over his left shoulder. There are several puffs of anti-aircraft fire close to the planes. They are attacking the
road that runs along the right hand slope of the Wadi and are themselves being attacked. The road is crowded with men, animals and trucks
all moving along to the head of the Wadi where the road finally emerges on to a flat plain between the hills in the
distance.
'Feb. Friday 14, 1919. Walked along the Wady Bedan to the Wady Fara, - commonly called the Valley of Death - to see the
scene of the great aeroplane bombing exploits & the rout of the Turkish army. The road ran along the side of a steep gorge, with
precipitous [sic] drops down to the Wady runing [sic] below. All along were the debris of overturned carts & motors, & lying every where
were the skeletons of horses and even men. Their bones having been cleaned white by the Jackals. It was a dreary tortuous place & the
Turkish army trying to escape down it was easily stopped & massacred by aeroplanes. I made a couple of drawings.' Extract from Sydney
Carline's diary, 1919.
Imperial War Museum RAF section commission | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Royal Air Force 1919-1939 Royal Air Force Landscape Royal Flying Corps 01/4(569) Palestine and Arabia 1914-1918 Aircraft Accidents Egypt Egypt and Palestine 1915-1918 Ottoman Empire Action Turkish Army Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force 1912-1918 aerial view First World War air raid / blitz | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Carline, Sydney William | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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