their tripwire - out on the Jebel obviously weren't in radio contact with them - that was a mistake. they should have been reporting into their Batt House
every 30 or so minutes - i don't think they had any radios given out to their local guys doing picket duties out there on the jebel.
had they been alerted their machine gunner on the .50 Browning would have started going a lot earlier - and would have done a lot of damage to those guys as
they came down the slopes of the Jebel - by the time he got going they were already on flat ground with enough shrub and uneven ground they took cover and
split their Fedayeen forces the moment he let off on the .50 cal - they hit the deck and he didn't have anymore targets - on the slopes comig down they
wouldn't have been able to do the same thing - he would have slammed them.
their CO held their fire because he wasn't sure who were comig in - their guys or the enemy.
they probably let their guard down - going home and all the rest of it - probably thinking about the strip clubs in Hereford and some really hard partying back
home - all their guys were at the BATT house playing cards and having rum when that thing happened.
i think they are lucky the RAF came back on the second run just in time - otherwise they would have defiitely been overrun.
but the gallantry and heroism is undoubted - absolutely udoubted.