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« on: Thursday 25 October 18 07:21 BST (UK) »
Lt Col. BJ Fagan commanded the 17th Infantry alongside the South African Cape Corps in the assault on Wye Hill, near Jerusalem, as part of General Allenby's 1916 Middle Eastern Campaign. Here is some text from "The Story of the 1st Battalion Cape Corps, 1915-1919" by Ivor Difford (p207), which explains his pivotal role in that victory, and the circumstances of his becoming wounded (note, he had not yet been awarded his DSO at the time of this action):
"The approach to Wye Hill was most precipitous, and today one wonders how we reached the top. Consequent upon this fact a short delay was necessary in order to enable the slowest of the men to catch up to the more vigorous. Colonel Fagan, D.S.O., in command of the 17th Infantry, rightly decided, therefore, to delay calling for the barrage until such time as he was sure that the whole brigade was up the hill and closed up. At 10 p.m. (zero hour) he asked for the barrage and after twenty minutes bombardment of Wye Works his battalion attacked with great dash and took the position in a few minutes. Colonel Fagan and his regiment were under machine and rifle fire the whole time and took eighty odd casualties in capturing the hill (including Colonel Fagan himself) which they did at the point of the bayonet, capturing forty or fifty prisoners and seven machine guns."
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