http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17539749
Georg Gondos, a Jewish citizen of Lemberg born in 1891, was employed prior to World War I as a foreman in the Jamsa oil installations on the Egyptian shore of the Gulf of Suez, which served as a fueling station for the British navy. At the outbreak of war he escaped to Vienna and enlisted in the Austrian army. When the Ottoman Empire entered the war on the side of the Central Powers, Gondos volunteered to participate in a commando raid in the Middle East intended to destroy the Jamsa oil facilities. After the failure of his first attempt to reach Jamsa by sea, he changed his plan. The Turkish command put a detachment of soldiers and beduin volunteers at his disposal with whom he crossed the Sinai Peninsula and conquered the town of Abu Tor at the southern tip of the peninsula opposite Jamsa. The operation succeded beyond expectation: Abu Tor was evacuated by the British officers, their Egyptian soldiers, and the civilian population after a few days of battle despite their superiority in manpower and the presence of British ships. Since no suitable craft was found in the harbor, Gondos had to advance to the northern anchorage of Abu Zneima. This place too was captured and a suitable vessel found, in which he sailed for Jamsa. He overcame the British guards, demolished the oil installations, and returned safely to Abu Tor. For his successful operation Gondos received a distinguished decoration and was promoted to Reserve-Officer rank by the Austrian army. Later he was dispatched on another secret mission in the Balkans from which he did not return.
More here on the Tor raid:
http://omega.nova.org/~lroeder/war.htm
After the abortive Turkish attack at the Suez Canal in 1916 in world War One the Turks created a Bedouin irregular force in the Sinai to raid the Canal and capture the Sinai port of Tor, Quarantine Station of Egypt. Bedouin forces supported by Turkish troops did manage to damage the Mining machinery and plant at Abu Zeneima and make an abortive attack on Tor; however, the port was defended by the famous Ghurkas. The Arabs lost with heavy casualties. Except to act as spies for both sides, the Sinai Bedouin took no further part in the War. Some Bedouins also fought with the British.
In 1915 the first people in the Sinai to join with Turkey were Bedouin policemen from A Tor of the Tiyaha tribe. On January 1, right after pay day, they severed the telegraph to Suez City. This was followed by a conference of war at Wadi Feiran. Attending was a Turkish Officer, Shiekh Nassir of the Garasha, Sheikh Khidr of Muzeina, Sheikh Suleiman Ghoneim of Awarma, Hajj Hamden Abu Zeit, Judge of the Garasha.
The Turks told the Bedouins they must join them in the war against the British or the Turks would war against the bedu. The bedu said they would think about it. Khidr returned to Tor and linked up with Egyptian forces. Nasr stayed with the Turks. Ghoneim a driller from the oil fields called Gondos burned and looted Abu Zaneima.
At the end of January, 1915 30 Turks and 100 Bedouins attacked the outskirts of Tor. Right after the Turkish advance on the Suez Canal was repelled on 2 February Colonel Parker in HMS Minerva landed north of Gebel Hamman Saida Musa with 500 of the 10th Gurkas. Zeidan (Mudakhil's eldest son) led them to attack the Turkish Camp to the North while Egyptians attacked from the south. The Turks were taken by surprise at dawn. 80 were killed, 80 taken prisoner. The Bedu retreated, some with Ghoneim to Abu Zaneima. Husein of Awarma died, and others as well.
A Sawarka survived by covering himself with entrails of a slain brother. Hajj Hamden of the Garasha remained loyal to the Turks for some time. Since NAsir did nothing, Hamden became Sheik of the tribe. Was still sheik in '35.
