Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1916-09-03 | Page 33 | Dervishes in Fort Blown to Pieces

DERVISHES I 1 FORT BLOWN TO PIECES British in Drive Hostile Force From Mountain Moun loun- tain tairi Stronghold London Sept 2 A A supplement to the tho London Gazette contains dispatches respecting operations in In November 1 1914 14 and February 1915 G G. F. F Archer commissioner of ot Somali Somali- land Jand reports that the tho object of ot tho the operations was to drive drie out a n Dervish force torce followers of ot the Mullah Mahomed Mahomed Mahomed Ma Ma- homed Abdulla from Berris Berrie a R. mountain stronghold whence the they dominated tho the chief grazing grazing- ground of oC the Somali Col Cot T. T Astley Astle Cubit D D. S. S 0 O. officer commanding tho troops in Som Som- first attacked Berris BerrIe on November 19 1914 his force torce consistIng consisting consist consist- Ing Ins of 14 officers and O rank and file rUe composed partly of an Indian contingent contingent contin contin- gent ent and anti partly of the tho Somali camel camol C cons constabulary on s t ta abu I a ry It was wa found Impossible says rays Mr Archor Archer to rush t tho o main mo-ln fort on tho the top of ot the escarpment but a 0 feature of oC tho attack was tho the thrice-repeated thrice charge of ot a company of oC the camel corps right up to the yer very walls of or tho the fort tort which was a a. gallant performance reflecting great credit on officers nil and I men nien In one or these I S Symons mons I Kings ICIngs Own Yorkshire light Infantry was killed when hen within a n yar yard of ot the door and amI Captain Carton do Fourth Dragoon guards was severely wounded Other officers present attempted to batter down the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and tho the mon men fired on the Dervishes Dervishes Der Der- inside th the tho fort tort through tho the loop loop- holes s. But the place vas was too strong and the action had to be broken off oCt Tho The attack was as renewed four tour days Inter la later later la- la ter nn and with tho the assistance of or an old seven saven gun brought up hurriedly hur hur- from the position was then carried Owing to tho the lack of ot time and tho the absence of or explosives It wa wn impossible ble ide to destroy deMtro tho the forts Corts completely A fortnight ht later the Dervishes Der returned Consequently further operations were necessitated and a column under I Colonel Cubitt consisting of oC 15 officers officers cers cera 10 rank and file tile Indians and Somalis Somalia six machine guns puna uns two VO seven seven- and explosives obtained from Aden left leCt for Berris on February February Feb Feb- 1 On February 4 the enem enemy wore again attacked and after atter a a. five hours' hours tight fight tho the torte forts w were ro taken tho the chief chlor fort tort and It Its defenders being blown up