Sept 1917 On the 9th September 1917, the Dublin Fusiliers left Salonika bound for Alexandria. They arrived via Egypt in Ismalia on 12 September. What was left of the Irish Division went to Palestine to assist General Allenby remove the Turks from the Holy Land. It joined General Chetwode's XX Corps and fought in the Third Battle of Gaza which succeeded in breaking the resistance of the Turkish defenders in southern Palestine. The Division was later ‘Indianised’ with Indian regiments of the British Army. The campaign was a much more successful one than the previous two campaigns that the Regiment had experienced and the Dublins took part in the Third Battle of Gaza ( 27th October - 7th November ). The Dublins also took part in the capture of Jerusalem and in its subsequent defence from Ottoman counter-attack.
Oddly very few casualties are recorded. Only 13 CWGC graves can I find. These sort of figures would be the sort of sickness deaths that would occur, particularly after their time in Salonica.
October 1917 was spent training after a redress, before entering the Sinai and Palestine Campaign.
28 Oct -7 Nov 1917 3rd Battle of Gaza with 29th Infantry Brigade
November 1917 After the Battle of Gaza and the Turkish withdrawal early November, the 10th Division was refitted and returned to the line on 25 November.
1 December 1917 Two companies, one of the Royal Irish Regiment and one of the 7th Dublin Fusiliers, arrived at 10 p.m. on the 1st of December to relieve the men at Tahta.
Two Companies, 6th Dublin Fusiliers arrived at El Burj - One Company to be employed by 3rd Light Horse Brigade in case of attack. Second Company Divisional Reserve and not to be employed without reference to Headquarters, Australian Mounted Division.
It encountered considerable sniper fire on the way to the capture of Jerusalem, which was entered unopposed on 9 December. With relatively low losses the Division had taken what was asked of it. After so many defeats since Gallipoli, they at last tasted victory.
8 December 1917 Egypt. A reference to a RDF man being posted to No.2 Filters Kantara (W.bank Suez Canal)
27th Dec 1917 The Official Historyy records in their only mention of the RDF "The 7/R. Dublin Fusiliers from 30th Brigade was concentrated in reserve at the junction of the Wadis Sad and Sunt; the remainder of the 30th Brigade in the valley east of Suffa."
March 1918 Fighting flared up again in March which required an advance towards Nablus. This enemy engagement was to be the last action in Palestine.
March 9th. - After a winter spent in holding the positions gained, operations commenced on a front of 15,000 yards, with 31st and 30th Brigades forming the right column of attack, and 29th Brigade the left column.
March 10th - Right attack. — 5th Royal Irish Fusiliers, supported by two companies 5th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, captured the strong defences south of Jiljilia, and drove the enemy in disorder tlirough the village on to the slopes beyond. A small party, commanded by a German officer, held out to the last, when they were overwhelmed by a bayonet charge. 5th Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers captured Kh. Aliuta against opposition ; while 1st Royal Irish Regiment and 6th Royal Dublin Fusiliers captured the ridge west of Jiljilia in face of strong resistance.
"Though the Right Attack of the 10th Division had captured the objectives set to it for the day, it was decided that it should occupy during the night two hills on the right bank of the Wadi el Jib, south and south-west of the village of Jiljliya, as they dominated the position it had reached on the left bank. Detachments of the 5/R. Irish Fusiliers of the 31st Brigade and the 1/R. Irish of the 30th Brigade made the attempt. They succeeded in crossing the wadi, after a decent in which they had to jump or lower each other from one terrace to another in the darkness. The northern bank proved even steeper, some of the terraces being twenty feet apart with sheer walls of rock dividing them. In such cases the men could only grope till they came on clefts which they might scramble up in single file. For all their efforts dawn found them on the lower slopes of the hills. In the morning the attempt was resumed, under cover of a bombardment. The 5/R. Irish Fusiliers, supported by two companies of the 5/R. Inniskillings, captured the hill south of Jiljliya, but the men of the 1/R. Irish were held up by machine-gun fire and bombs dropped on their heads from the ledges above, and suffered over a hundred casualties."
Tom Johnstone in his Orange Green and Khaki; "Col Graham, receiving reports from returning wounded of the check to his two leading companies, gathered whatever men he could and advanced to their support. Communications with 30 Brigade headquarters was established and Brig Greer ordered Graham to reorganise and wait. Greer ordered a company of 6th Dublins to reinforce the Royal Irish and arranged an attack for 1530 which would include artillery and machine-gun support. At 1530, Graham with 125 men assisted by 180 men from 6th Dublins, attacked under cover of artillery and machine-gun fire. The climb of the steep northern slopes of the Jib was stiff and the summit was not reached until 1715. Graham's forces pressed home the attack and as they did so, the Turks rose and fled. The action, although severe, was typical of the fighting. The Royal Irish suffered three officers and twenty-two men killed and five officers and eighty-three men wounded."
May 1918 Heavy losses encountered on the Western Front after the great German March offensive, resulted in the transfer of 60,000 men from Palestine to France, including ten battalions of the 10th Division.
7 May 1918 29th Infantry Brigade arrive Kantara from the lines.
23 May 1918, the 6th and 7th Dublins left Alexandria on board the P & O ship Kaiser-I-Hind bound for Marseilles in France and disbandment. They embarked at Alexandria arriving Marseilles on 2. June 1918. Their men, many of whom carried the Malaria bug, were distributed amongst the 1st and 2nd Dublins on the Western Front.