2. Charging into the History Books
Charging into the History Books - ‘BEERSHEBA’
Saluting their Service - Grahame Old
‘Collie Boys’ – In the Middle East with the Light Horse
Fighting in the Middle East was a very different affair than the Western Front. Instead of warfare in mud, blood, flooded trenches and freezing temperatures, soldiers had to cope with sand, searing heat and an ever shortage of water both for man and horse. Warfare was much more mobile; soldiers travelled many kilometres to engage the enemy. It was in this environment that horses and the famed mounted regiments of the ANZACS came into their own.
The ANZAC Mounted Division included the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigades and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. Australian horsemen had been quickly recognised as exceptional mounted infantry during the Boer War and their exploits in the Middle East during WW1, only strengthened this recognition. Unlike traditional cavalry the ANZACS did not fight from the saddle but rather used their horses for transport and then dismounted to fight as Infantry with bayonet and rifle.
In a letter to the British War Office, May 1916, British General Archibald Murray, wrote; ‘I am assuming that you are leaving the Australian and New Zealand Light Horse Brigades with me. Otherwise, I shall be deprived of the only really reliable troops that I have’. It is not surprising then that the ANZACS spearheaded the Allied advance into Palestine in 1917.
Beersheba – The last great cavalry charge in history
In March 1917, the Allied advance into Palestine was blocked by entrenched Turkish defensive positions at Gaza, stretching some 50 km inland to the town of Beersheba and vital water supplies. Two earlier allied attacks had failed with the loss of 10,000 casualties. British General Edmund Allenby managed to deceive and convince the Turks that his intent was to attack Gaza; meanwhile he had massed British Infantry and the ANZAC Light Horse for an attack on Beersheba. On October 31, British Infantry attacked but were repelled by the Turks, Australian commander Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel then ordered his 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments to attack on horseback. What followed was a famous victory, described by many as the last great cavalry charge in history.
Charles Bean, the noted Australian war correspondent wrote; ‘Australians had never ridden any race like this’.
Trooper (and writer) Ion Idriess, 5th Light Horse Regiment, AIF, wrote;
'At a mile distant their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened a man – they were an awe-inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze – knee to knee and horse to horse – the dying sun glinting on bayonet points. Machine guns and rifle fire just roared but the 4th Regiment just galloped on. We heard shouts among the thundering hooves, saw balls of flame amongst those hooves – horse after horse crashed, but the massed squadrons just thundered on. We laughed in delight when the shells began bursting behind them telling that the gunners could not keep their range, then suddenly the men ceased to fall and we knew instinctively that the Turkish infantry, wild with excitement and fear, had forgotten to lower their rifle sights and the bullets were flying overhead. The last half mile was a berserk gallop with the squadrons in magnificent line, a heart throbbing sight as they plunged up the slope, the horses leaping the redoubt trenches – one regiment flung themselves from the saddle – we heard mad shouts as the men jumped down into the trenches'
Private Walter Mundell Keddie, 12th Light Horse Regiment, AIF, wrote; ‘We were all at the gallop yelling like mad some had bayonets in their hand others their rifle then it was a full stretch gallop at the trenches the last 200 yards or so was good going and those horses put on pace and next were jumping the trenches with the Turks underneath. When over the trenches we went straight for town’.
A German Officer captured after the charge at Beersheba, said this; ‘We did not believe that the charge would be pushed home. That seemed an impossible intention. I have heard a great deal of the fighting quality of Australian soldiers. They are not soldiers at all; they are madmen’.
WW1 - Nominal Roll of ‘Collie Boys’ who served with the Light Horse and Camel Corps in the Middle East
During WW1 most soldiers from Collie served with the Infantry Battalions on the Western Front however some did serve with the Light Horse and Camel Corps in the Middle East. Collie Boys mainly served with WA’s own 10th Light Horse Regiment. The Regiment first saw action at Gallipoli, although without horses. During the disastrous battle of the NEK the 10th Light Horse suffered terrible casualties. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli the Regiment was brought back up to strength and served the remainder of the War in the Middle East.
Nominal Roll – ‘Collie Boys’ - Remembered forever at the Collie Cardiff RSL Sub Branch
2039A Trooper 10th LHR, John James KEMP
2648 Trooper 10th LHR, Alexander James KNIGHT
1716 Trooper 10th LHR, Charles Eastwood KNIGHT
877 Trooper 10th LHR, Ernest Henry KRIEGER (also served at Gallipoli)
2895 Trooper 10th LHR William Robert MONTAGUE
82 Trooper 10th LHR, George Wallace RICHARDSON (Killed in Action 7 Aug 1915 Gallipoli)
1438 Trooper 10th LHR, Thomas Hugh SARRE MM (military medal for bravery September 1918)
1659 Trooper 10th LHR, Harold Conrad SELBOURNE
1772 Trooper 10th LHR, Patrick Francis SULLAVIN (Killed in Action 3 May 1918 Palestine)
3669 Trooper 10th LHR, Sydney John SWEENEY
719 Trooper 10th LHR, George DEAN (also served at Gallipoli)
3537 Trooper 10th LHR, Thomas Allen GIFFEN
1199 Cpl 10th LHR, Victor TOWIE (also served at Gallipoli)
2814 Trooper 1st & 2nd Camel Corps, John JONES
2821 Trooper Camel Corps, Horace Hoskin PHILP
3948 Trooper 15th LHR & Camel Corps, Peter PIANTA
3949 Trooper Camel Corps, Lionel Douglas POOL
1544 Cpl 15th LHR, Robert Leslie BICKERTON
Lt 4th LHR, Donald William DRYSDALE (also served at Gallipoli)
‘Lest We Forget’
