Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum > Records

First World War Black and White Photograph of The River Jordan

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1918 - 1919

Overview

A small black and white photograph showing a view of a large river with dense trees on either side of its banks and several high hills in the distance. In the water two men are swimming. The water must be reasonably shallow as one man is standing and the water only comes to his buttocks. On the left bank of the river a structure can be seen and is possibly a pontoon. A net and line can also be seen in the river at the front of the image. The image has a white border and is in good condition. The reverse of the image has the proforma printing of part of a postcard and an inscription in black ink.

Historical information

General Edmund ALLENBY decided that after the capture of Jericho in February 1918 he should strengthen the front line of his Egyptian Expeditionary Force. Operations were mounted out of the Jordan valley in an attempt to capture Amman and another raid was launched towards Es Salt. The valley was also used as a garrison and rest area until September 1918 by the Australian Mounted Division, the ANZAC Mounted Division and the 20th Indian Brigade as part of Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel’s Desert Mounted Corps. Living conditions in the valley during the summer period were extremely unpleasant, with constant heat, high humidity and malaria being a major medical problem for the troops. The river Jordan became somewhere that troops could bathe and cool off.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-12-2022.1.109

Item type

Photographs

Themes

War and Conflict > World War 1

Material

Photo Paper

Width

89 mm

Height or length

66 mm

Inscriptions and markings

On the reverse in machine printing “CARD/ ADDRESS ONLY” with “River Jordan” written in black ink.

Contextual information

The southern parts of the Jordan Valley were much greener in 1918. Pools of standing water were a breeding ground for mosquitos, causing extensive malaria among the troops, while the atmosphere was damp, hot and oppressive. However, the river also proved a ready and plentiful source of fresh water, and it also supported a lot of wildlife. Major the Lord HAMPTON a squadron commander in the Queen’s Own Worcestershire Hussars (Yeomanry) recalled: “The Jordon afforded bathing, of a tepid and rather slimy sort it is true but still bathing. We also caught many fish of the cat-fish variety. Enthusiastic followers of the gentle art tempted them with bent pins, bully beef and indifferent success. Those who required them merely for the pot used a lobster trap constructed of wire netting and baited with a bully beef tin to which some of the original contents still adhered. This proved very popular with the catfish and as many as forty were taken in one haul. They were not exciting to eat, but were at any rate better than the glucose mess to which the heat of the Valley reduced our Bully ration…”Major the Lord HAMPTON’s memoirs, QOWH Museum.
It should be noted that Sgt F.E. BRUCE of the 3rd Machine Gun Squadron, 10th Light Horse, whose collection includes this photograph, contracted Malaria in August 1918.

Keywords

First World War

10th Light Horse Regiment

Egypt

Place made

Egypt

Year

1918 - 1919

Primary significance criteria

Historic significance

Comparative significance criteria

Interpretive capacity