top of page
Wagga Fort, Ottoman defensive position on the Hejaz Railway in the First World War

WAGGA FORT

GPS:   25.469101, 38.799274

           25°28'8.75"N 38°47'57.37"E

 

Distance to station south (Jeda'a): 11 km

Distance to station north (Hedia): 11 km

Altitude:  463 m

Wagga Fort railway cutting on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia
Wagga Fort and Cutting.JPG

Wagga Fort from the south. The deep rail cutting was defended by a network of stone defensive positions and military encampments on both sides of the track - collectively described as a 'fort'

Wagga Fort rail cutting on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

The rail cutting at Wagga from the north. The high ground on either side of the track made the site extremely vulnerable to attack during the Arab Revolt.

Wagga Fort was a defence outpost made up of an extensive system of stone fortifications on high ground both to the east and west of the line. It was constructed to protect a long, strategically vulnerable rail cutting, leading through a ridge of volcanic rock. Known by the Ottomans simply as 'Al Tranji' - 'The Cutting' - the strength of the defence system shows how seriously the threat of attack was taken, particularly during the Arab Revolt.

Wagga Fort was located in an extremely arid region, with no water sources available locally. Water had to be transported by train in metal tanks from Hedia Station to the north, or Abu Na'am Station, two stops to the south, where supplies were plentiful.

look-out post - defence fortification and military encampment - was situated on a hill 1.2 km. south-east of the southern entrance to provide protection for the high embankment that carried the track up to the cutting.

Wagga Fort Google Earth.jpg

Wagga Fort rail cutting shows up like a raw scar on the terrain of this Google Earth image (© 2023 CNES/Airbus). A clear strategic weak point, extensive stone defensive positions were built on the rocky high ground on both sides of the track

Wagga Fort rail embankment on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

A defence post and military encampment were positioned on a hilltop vantage point to the south-east of Wagga Fort to protect the high embankment bringing the track up to the cutting

Ottoman military encampment to the south-east of Wagga Fort on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Remains of the large military encampment behind the defensive positions on the hill to the south-east of Wagga

Defence post to the south-east of Wagga Fort on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Stone defence posts on the hill to the south of Wagga had a commanding view over the long approach to the cutting 

All that is left of the rectangular stone fortified posts on the hilltop vantage point overlooking the line south of Wagga

Wagga Fort embankment.JPG

The construction teams had laid the track on a high, solidly built embankment on the approach to the southern entrance of the Wagga cutting

Wagga Fort - West Side of the Line:

Extensive network of stone defensive positions connected by passageways. The longest of these passageways leads to a hilltop fortified outpost, guarding the western and southern approaches to the rail cutting.

A large military encampment of bell tents located to the north of the main cluster of defensive positions commanded the northern approaches to the cutting.

A rectangular stone defence post was constructed directly above the cutting.

A large round metal water tank with bullet holes has now disappeared from the site.

Wagga Fort Ottoman outpost on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

A stone defensive position on a hilltop vantage point to the west of the railway protected the south-western approaches

Wagga Fort defence network on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

The fortified positions on the west side of the Wagga rail cutting were connected by a network of stone passageways, protecting the garrison as they moved between the defences

Defensive position at Wagga Fort on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Stone sangar constructed on the high ground dominating the west side of the Wagga rail cutting

remains of defence post Wagga Fort west.JPG

Remains of a small stone defence post strategically positioned on the slope to the west of the Wagga cutting

Defence network at Wagga Fort on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Strongly constructed stone passageways running between the defensive positions provided cover for the Ottoman garrison force on the west side of the Wagga  cutting

Defensive system at Wagga Fort on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Aerial view of the extensive network of defences which made up the western section of Wagga Fort 

Another view of the network of defences protecting the railway cutting on the western side of the track

Ottoman defence post at Wagga Fort during the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

A strong fortified outpost on a hill to the southwest of the Wagga rail cutting was constructed with a stone passageway covering the open ground to its point of ascent

Ottoman military camp at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

A military encampment to the north of the defences on the west side of Wagga guarded the northern approaches

Ottoman military camp at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Scattered bell tents on the west side of Wagga were connected by a network of stone pathways

Defence post overlooking Wagga Fort rail cutting on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

A defence post to the west side of the track was situated directly above the railway cutting to take advantage of its strategic position

Railway cutting at Wagga Fort on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Wagga rail cutting was built through a long stony ridge running from east to west. Its construction in 1908 required a huge amount of rock excavation

Wagga Fort - East Side of the Line:

To the east side of the Wagga cutting, the  ground rose to a high plateau, with views  commanding the approaches both to the north and south.

Stone defensive positions were constructed on the southern tip of the high ground.

A large military encampment with 2 lines of bell tents was situated alongside the cutting.

A rectangular stone defence post was built to the east of the military encampment.

A large circular defence structure with three bell tents in the centre and one on the northern side.

Smaller circular fortified positions scattered over the site.

Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

View from a vantage point on the west side of Wagga looking over the rail cutting to the high plateau on the east

Ottoman defence posts at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Southern defences on the east side of the Wagga cutting

Ottoman defence posts at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Another view of the southern defences on the east side 

Ottoman defence posts at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

A network of defensive posts on the east side of the Wagga was situated around a large military encampment of bell tents

Ottoman defence posts at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Circular defence structure on the east side of the cutting

Owing to its isolated position, the harsh waterless terrain and the strength of its defences, raids in the vicinity of Wagga Fort were rare. The largest scale and most successful operation was carried out by Sherif Abdullah's forces on 20 January 1918. Having destroyed over 8 kilometres of track and 19 culverts, the Arab force fought a fierce battle with one of the Turkish defensive posts. By the evening they were forced to retreat. 'A field gun fired on them from Hediyah, and two mountain guns arrived from that direction, while from the south came 400 infantry, 60 Camel Corps, four mountain guns and some machine guns.' Ten days later the track still hadn't been repaired and raiding parties moved into position on both sides of break, waiting for the repair teams to be sent from nearby stations. On 31 January, a French party mined a train carrying spare rails and wood between Abu Na'am and Istabl Antar. Two engines, a tender and three wagons were completely destroyed in the attack.

Ottoman defence posts at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Stone defence post on the east side of the cutting

Wagga Fort railway cutting on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

The southern entrance to the Wagga cutting

Wagga Fort railway cutting on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Another view of the Wagga cutting

Hilltop defence post 2.jpg

The hilltop defensive position to the south-west of the rail cutting, showing the commanding view it gave the Wagga garrison force over the southern approaches

Ottoman defences at Wagga Fort in the First World War on the Hejaz Railway in Saudi Arabia

Fortified position with a strongly built rock corridor, allowing the safe movement of garrison troops across the exposed ground between sangars (stone defence posts)

Prince Abdullah, Hashemite leader of Arab Revolt in the First World War and King of Jordan

Prince Abdullah's army was based in the southern region of the Hejaz

Threats from raiding parties approaching the Wagga Fort defence system from the south could be seen from a lookout post situated on a hill to the west of Jeda'a Station. An alarm would immediately be telegraphed up the line by wireless. Despite the formidable defences in the area, at the beginning of April 1918, an Arab force from Prince Abdullah's army demolished 100 rails of the track south of Wagga Fort. In the same month another Arab force under Abdullah ibn Thawab (described by the British Major William Davenport as 'the best of the Bedouin commanders') ambushed two Turkish patrols, one coming south from the Wagga Fort defences and the other northwards from Jeda'a Station, at the point where they met, killing ten men and taking five prisoners.

Major Davenport was active with Prince Abdullah's forces on the southern section of the railway throughout the Arab Revolt

 Hejaz Railway line between Wagga Fort and Hedia Station in Saudi Arabia

View from the east side of Wagga looking out over the railway line as it disappears through the mountains on its route to Hedia Station, eleven kilometres to the north

bottom of page