Tel Aviv monument to British 52nd Division (2)

Exploring around Tel Aviv in early July 2004 I ran across a monument to the crossing of the Yarkon River (then called Nahr Auja) by the British 52nd Division on 22 December 1917. It is a simple stone column about 12 feet high. The attached photographs show:

--The placement of the monument on the north bank of the mouth of the Yarkon (shown in the background).

--The original Hebrew inscription on the monument. It is damaged and badly restored. The best I can make of the Hebrew is: "On the evening of 7 Tevet / of the year 5678 [corresponding to 22 December 1918] / crossed the 15[illegible] Brigade / of the [illegible] Division / this ford / [illegible, but possibly containing the word 'column']." Archibald Wavell's history of the campaign gives the unit as the 156th Brigade of the 52nd (Lowland) Division, preceded by a battalion from the 156th.

--A modern inscription at the base, in English as follows, with the equivalent in Hebrew: "Commemoration of the 52nd Division of the Australian soldiers in their fight against the Turks in Palestine during the First World War. Restored by the Tel Aviv Municipality, 1990." The 52nd was clearly a British formation; perhaps the Tel Aviv authorities assumed the troops were Australian because so many units from that country served under Allenby.

To find the monument, take Mordecai Namir Road in Ramat Aviv to Agnon Street; go west on Agnon for about .5 km; turn right at the fire station and follow the road past the power plant (on your right) to a dirt parking lot facing the Mediterranean. The monument will be to your right.

2004年7月初，我在特拉维夫（Tel Aviv）周边探访时，偶然发现了一座纪念1917年12月22日英国第52步兵师（British 52nd Division）渡过雅孔河（Yarkon River，当时称作纳赫尔奥贾河（Nahr Auja））的纪念碑。该纪念碑为一座高约12英尺的简易石柱。本次附带的照片展示了以下内容：
—— 纪念碑坐落于雅孔河入海口北岸（背景即为该场景）。
—— 碑身原有希伯来文铭文，现已受损且修复效果不佳。我所能辨认出的希伯来文内容为：“公元5678年提别月（Tevet）7日傍晚/对应1918年12月22日/第15[字迹模糊]旅/第[字迹模糊]师/渡过此浅滩/[字迹模糊，或含‘纵队（column）’一词]”。阿奇博尔德·韦维尔（Archibald Wavell）的战役史资料显示，该作战单位为第52（低地）师下辖的第156旅，其先头部队来自第156旅下辖的一个步兵营。
—— 碑座处设有现代铭文，英文原文如下，同时配有希伯来文译文：“纪念第一次世界大战期间，在巴勒斯坦与土耳其军队作战的澳大利亚籍第52师官兵。1990年由特拉维夫市政当局修复。” 事实上，第52师为英军编制；特拉维夫市政部门或许因艾伦比（Allenby）麾下有大量澳籍作战单位，便误将该师认作澳大利亚部队。

若要寻找该纪念碑，可沿拉马特阿维夫（Ramat Aviv）的莫迪凯·纳米尔路（Mordecai Namir Road）行驶至阿格农街（Agnon Street）；沿阿格农街向西行进约0.5公里后，在消防站右转，沿道路途经右侧的发电厂，前行至面朝地中海（Mediterranean）的泥土停车场，纪念碑即在您的右侧。