The Light Horse brigades stayed in Egypt before and after the Gallipoli Campaign. In a hundred fights they proved gallant and dependable allies of the light horsemen. Their work throughout the (Sinai and Palestine) campaign was distinguished by bold driving and straight shooting, and very soon there were established between them and the mounted men from Australia and New Zealand strong and warm ties of friendship. These Territorial gunners from the outset provided a high standard of efficiency. The British Royal Horse Artillery provided artillery support to the light horsemen in many battles. Australians were also part of the Imperial Camel Corps. Cavalry roles, such as scouting and screening, were particularly useful in the Middle East landscape. The Australians served alongside British and Indian cavalry units in many operations. In 1918, some regiments were issued with sabres so they act like cavalry, but mostly they dismounted to fight. Their rifles were slung over their backs. In the Battle of Beersheba, the light horsemen rode in with their bayonets. Sometimes the light horsemen fought from horseback, like cavalry. The horse handler had a dangerous job because enemy aircraft could target him. The other three men in his section dismounted and went forward to fight on foot. One soldier held the reins of all four horses. The use of horses made the force more mobile and faster than infantry units and horse-drawn artillery.ĭuring combat, they rode in sections of four light horsemen. The soldiers rode horses to a battlefield where they engaged with the enemy on foot and then left quickly on horseback when disengaging. They were considered to be 'mounted infantry' instead of 'cavalry'. Tent lines of the 5th Light Horse camp at Dueidar, Egypt, 1915 or 1916. Each tent would fit eight men with their feet towards the centre like the spokes of a wheel. Light horsemen camped in bell tents close to their horses. They also got a hoof brand, until the practice was stopped in early 1917. Sometimes, Light Horse recruits brought along their own horses, and the Government would purchase them.Īll AIF horses received the Government hide brand. They had also been exported from Australia and sold to the British Indian Army as mounts. Walers had been used by stockmen and mounted units in Australia for many years. The Army preferred Waler horses because they were well suited to the desert conditions in Egypt and Palestine. Most were sold to the Indian Army.ĭuring the war, Commonwealth purchasing officers bought many horses from breeders and graziers. Only about 29,000 served with Australians and other Allied troops in Egypt and the Middle East. Horses in the armyĪustralia shipped over 120,000 horses overseas during the war. Many possessed excellent horse handling skills and specialist tracking knowledge. Indigenous soldiers served as valuable members of the Light Horse. The army did not officially accept First Australians into the AIF until May 1917, when enlistment standards were relaxed to include 'half-castes' with a parent of European origin. The test was easier for men from the bush because horses were still the main method of transport on farms and in country towns. Many young men from rural areas of Australia volunteered for the Light Horse regiments. Light Horse brigades in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) mostly contained recruits who served in the Light Horse regiments of the Citizen Forces. Men and their horses Soldiers who joined the Light Horse That's when the Australian Government introduced the Universal Service Scheme based on advice in the Kitchener Report 1910. When World War I started in 1914, Australia's Citizen Forces (part-time army reserves) included 9000 men in 23 Light Horse regiments from: They were more mobile than infantry and could travel faster over long distances. But the defence of Australia still relied on mounted military units. After the war, Britain wanted to use fewer mounted troops and restructured its force around a style of combat that needed more infantry. The Australian Light Horse served in the South African War from 1899 to 1902. Mounted troops had been part of Australia's home defence scheme since the 1890s, mostly as volunteers in rifle clubs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |