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"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..." Trooper Ion Idriess

The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre aims to present an accurate history of early Australian military developments from 1899 to 1920.

WARNING: This site contains: names, information and images of deceased people; and, language which may be considered inappropriate today.

Contact: Australian Light Horse Studies Centre

Thursday, 12 February 2009

Desert Mounted Corps (DMC), outline
Topic: AIF - DMC

Desert Mounted Corps (DMC)

This thread gives details as to the formation and operation of the Desert Mounted Corps, formed in February 1917 after the creation of two mounted divisions from the British, Australian and New Zealand mounted troops.

To view an outline of the history regarding this formation, its emergence and composition is detailed in the section on the Australian Light Horse Order of Battle. The full Order of Battle can be viewed at the following link:

Australian Light Horse Order of Battle

Individual Units

The individual formations that comprised the Desert Mounted Corps were many. Put together at any one time and there was about 14,000 mounted men in the Desert Mounted Corps. Below is a guide to the individual units.

Divisions
Anzac Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
Brigades
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
1st Australian Light Horse Brigade
2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade
3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade
4th Australian Light Horse Brigade, 1917-19
5th Australian Light Horse Brigade
Imperial Camel Corps - units
Regiments
1st Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
4th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
5th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
7th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
8th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
10th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
11th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
12th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
The Second 14th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
15th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF, History
Auckland Mounted Rifles, NZMRB, History
Wellington Mounted Rifles, NZMRB, History
Canterbury Mounted Rifles, NZMRB, History

War Diary

The War Diary of this Corps isavailable on the Australian War Memorial Website at this address:

General Staff, Headquarters Desert Mounted Corps.

Routine Orders

One of the best sources of information available for understanding the immediate challenges facing a regiment is to be found in the Routine Orders. They are a wealth of detail. The Routine Orders provide an unvarnished history of the Regiment.

Prelude to the Battle of Beersheba

In order to give a perspective on the lead up to the Battle of Beersheba, the October Routine Orders for the Desert Mounted Corps are presented in full and in their original form.

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 1 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 2 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 3 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 6 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 7 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 8 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 9 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 13 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 14 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 15 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 16 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 17 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 19 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 21 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 24 October 1917

Further Reading:

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Citation: Desert Mounted Corps (DMC), outline

Posted by alh-research at 11:01 PM EAST

Updated: Thursday, 16 April 2009 3:39 PM EADT

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Wednesday, 15 October 2008

The Battle of Beersheba, Palestine, 31 October 1917, 8th Sanitary Section, AIF, Unit History Account
Topic: AIF - DMC

The Battle of Beersheba

Palestine, 31 October 1917

8th Sanitary Section, AIF, Unit History Account

Egyptian Labour Corps members engaged in anti-malaria work at Wadi Guzze.

[From: AWM H00913]

At the conclusion of the war, Lieutenant ST Parkes, O.C. 8th Sanitary Section produced an unpublished manuscript in 1919 called 8th Sanitary Section, AIF, History 19 July 1917 to 22 June 1918, which included a section specifically related to the battle of Beersheba and is extracted below.

Parkes, ST, 8th Sanitary Section, AIF, History 19 July 1917 to 22 June 1918, unpublished, p. 2:

Beersheba Operations Begin

28/10/17 - The division moved out to Khalasa. Inspectors and Egyptian Labour Corps members return to camp at Shellal.

29/10/17 - Inspectors with Egyptian Labour Corps labourers close up the camp sites vacated by the Division. Owing to the fact that working parties engaged in the anti-malaria work in Wadi Guzze had marched out, the work had to be discontinued but four other ranks from the Section were engaged on oiling the pools. The cleaning up of vacated areas was completed by this time.

18/11/17 - The Officer Commanding and fourteen other ranks mounted, one GS Wagon, and 39 Egyptian Labour Corps members on foot marched out from Shellal to rejoin the division. The rate of march was determined by the Egyptian Labour Corps members on foot. The remainder of the section proceeded to Gaza.

Further Reading:

Desert Mounted Corps (DMC)

The Battle of Beersheba, Palestine, 31 October 1917

Australian and New Zealand Roll of Honour

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Citation: The Battle of Beersheba, Palestine, 31 October 1917, 8th Sanitary Section, AIF, Unit History Account

Posted by alh-research at 12:48 PM EADT

Updated: Thursday, 8 October 2009 3:44 PM EADT

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Tuesday, 12 August 2008

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 24 October 1917
Topic: AIF - DMC

Apart from the War Diary which presents a reflected view of Regimental history, one of the best sources of understanding the immediate challenges facing a regiment is to be found in the Routine Orders. They are a wealth of detail.

In this case, the Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders for October 1917 have been highlighted to illustrate the tempo of this formation from the beginning of October towards the end. The aim is to illustrate the implementation of the Allenby Offensive that began at the end of October 1917 with the capture of Beersheba.

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 24 October 1917

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders, 24 October 1917, p. 1.

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders, 24 October 1917, p. 2.

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Of interest are the initiallings at the bottom of the page. It indicates order and precedence amongst the staff officers commanding the Desert Mounted Corps.

Citation: Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 24 October 1917

Posted by alh-research at 5:16 PM EADT

Updated: Thursday, 14 August 2008 9:13 AM EADT

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Monday, 11 August 2008

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 21 October 1917
Topic: AIF - DMC

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 21 October 1917

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders, 21 October 1917, p. 1.

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Of interest are the initiallings at the bottom of the page. It indicates order and precedence amongst the staff officers commanding the Desert Mounted Corps.

Citation: Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 21 October 1917

Posted by alh-research at 10:42 AM EADT

Updated: Monday, 11 August 2008 2:33 PM EADT

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Sunday, 10 August 2008

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 19 October 1917
Topic: AIF - DMC

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 19 October 1917

Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders, 19 October 1917, p. 1.

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Of interest are the initiallings at the bottom of the page. It indicates order and precedence amongst the staff officers commanding the Desert Mounted Corps.

Citation: Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 19 October 1917

Posted by alh-research at 10:28 AM EADT

Updated: Sunday, 10 August 2008 10:36 PM EADT

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A note on copyright

The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre is a not for profit and non profit group whose sole aim is to write the early history of the Australian Light Horse from 1900 - 1920. It is privately funded and the information is provided by the individuals within the group and while permission for the use of the material has been given for this site for these items by various donors, the residual and actual copyright for these items, should there be any, resides exclusively with the donors. The information on this site is freely available for private research use only and if used as such, should be appropriately acknowledged. To assist in this process, each item has a citation attached at the bottom for referencing purposes.

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