Turkish buildings by the wadi, at Magdhaba

Lambert painted this watercolour in mid March 1918 when he visited Magdhaba. Using the available shade at midday, George Lambert painted this from the hospital window opposite the Turkish buildings. Time was always an important element of his work, and he noted on the back of the drawing: "This water colour is accurate time 12 o'clock". Magdhaba, a village located in the northern Sinai desert, was the scene of an action fought on 23 December 1916 when Turkish forces blocking the route to Palestine were attacked by Major General Harry Chauvel's ANZAC Mounted Division, which had the Imperial Camel Corps attached. A mounted charge by the 10th Light Horse to secure vital water supplies nearby was a vital contributory factor in the victory. This action, combined with the success at Rafa on 9 January 1917, opened the way for the final expulsion of the Turks from Sinai.