Topic: AIF - Aboriginal LH
Education Centre
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre in conjunction with the various Education authorities in Australia, has embarked upon producing a program of instruction targeted initially towards the Later Adolescence band of scholars, characteristically those who are studying in Year 9 and 10 within Australia. Each lesson will be a self contained module. Some will be more difficult than others and graded accordingly.
Lesson 11 Aboriginal Light Horsemen
Resource -Index to Common B103 TermsWhen examining the Light Horseman's Service File, one of the most common forms in the Service File is the B103, the Casualty Form - Active Service. Every movement of the soldier is recorded. The reasons for this are fourfold.
1. The location of the soldier at any one time was essential to establish where his rations were to be drawn.
2. The form established the entitlements to drawing pay at a particular level. A soldier in the field was allowed to draw pay but when in hospital was not allowed to draw their pay as it was considered that everything to assist the soldier's recovery was provided.
3. By tracking the movements of the soldier, it allowed early detection of desertion if that were to occur.
4. At the end of the war, the chronology of this form was used as the basis for post war entitlements such as medals, pensions, repatriation assistance, access to hospitals and any other service available for an ex-serviceman for the rest of his life.
The B103 may be as simple as one sheet or multiple sheets. It depended upon the individual serviceman.
To assist in understanding this particular form in relation to the men from the 11th LHR, Lesson 11 Resource, a list of terms and names are available within this Index to Common B103 Terms. Note, this list is only specific to the men who made up the 11th Light Horse Regiment 20th Reinforcements.
[Click on map for larger version.]
[Adapted From: Melbourne Age, 6 February 1915, p. 11.]
Common B103 Terms
Locations
The numbers next to the towns refer to the numbers in the map above.
Abbassia - 1 - A major city precinct in Cairo. Many of the major Allied hospitals were located in this district.
Alexandria - 2 - The chief northern port located in the Nile Delta.
Belah - 3 - Full name is Deir el Belah, a small village in Palestine about half way between Gaza and the Egyptian - Palestine border. It served as the camping area of the Desert Mounted Corps in 1917.
Gaza - 4 - The major southern coastal city of Plaestine where three major battles took place in 1917. It became a hub for Allied supply receipt and distribution.
Haifa - 5 - A coastal city in northern Palestine with a substantial Jewish population [1918]
Kantara - 6 - The largest Allied supply depot in Egypt during the war.
Moascar - 7 - An Egyptian town near the Suez Canal where the Allied training depots were located.
Port Said - 8 - Port at the northern end of the Suez Canal. It contained many Allied Rest Camps
Suez - 9 - Port at the southern end of the Suez Canal. The main embarkation destination for Australian and New Zealand troops
Units
1st MD - 1st Military District. This District incorporated all Queensland, part of Northern New South Wales and Darwin from the Northern Territory.
2nd MD - 2nd Military District. This District incorporated most of New South Wales except for the Northern District in the 1st MD, a few towns on the Murray River which are included in the 3rd MD and the Broken Hill region which is included in the 4th MD.
3rd MD - 3rd Military District. This District included all Victoria and some towns along the Murray River that are in New South Wales.
4th MD - 4th Military District. This District included all South Australia and the Broken Hill region in New South Wales.
2nd Aus Stat Hosp - 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital
4 Tng Reg - 4th Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment
4th F Amb - 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance
9 MVS - 9th Mobile Vet Section
11 LH Regt - 11th Light Horse Regiment
14 AGH - 14th Australian General Hospital
21 Gen Hosp - 21st General Hospital (British)
31 Gen Hosp - 31st General Hospital (British)
24 Stat Hosp - 24th Stationary Hospital (British)
36 Stat Hosp - 36th Stationary Hospital (British)
44 Stat Hosp - 44th Stationary Hospital (British)
45 Stat Hosp - 45th Stationary Hospital (British)
47 Stat Hosp - 47th Stationary Hospital (British)
33 CC Stn - 33rd Casualty Clearing Station (British)
66 CC Stn - 66th Casualty Clearing Station (British)
76 CC Stn - 76th Casualty Clearing Station (British)
Bde HQ - Brigade Headquarters
Bonlac - An isolation hospital for contagious diseases
Con Dept - Convalescent Depot
EEF - Egypt Expeditionary Force
FP Compound - Field Punishment Compound
Isol Compound - Isolation Compound
PSRC - Port Said Rest Camp
R Camp - Rest Camp
Rfts Camp - Reinforcements Camp
Abbreviations
A/Cpl - Acting Corporal
CB - Confined to Barracks, usually a punishment
Cpl - Corporal. The NCO grade above Lance Corporal.
DMC RO 288 - Desert Mounted Corps Routine Order Number 288, 28 April 1918.
do - ditto, same as above.
Dvr - Driver. Usually the person driving the horse drawn wagons. Drivers were paid 1/- per day above the private or trooper.
EDP Cpl - Extra Depot Corporal. A person promoted to a NCO rank over and above the establishment of the unit.
ER Cpl - Extra Regimental Corporal. A person promoted to a NCO rank over and above the establishment of the Regiment.
FGCM - Field General Court Martial
FP - Field Punishment. For minor offences Field Punishment was implemented to ensure the soldier remained at all time with his unit.
GSW - Gun Shot Wound, most frequently to describe a shrapnel wound.
HMAT - His Majesty's Australian Transport. One of the many ships leased to the Australian government at the outbreak of war.
HT - see HMAT.
L/Cpl - Lance Corporal, the lowest NCO grade.
M/in - Marched in. The date when a soldier joined a unit.
M/out - Marched out. The date when a soldier departed from a unit.
MU - Medically Unfit. This was one of the most common reasons for a soldier's early discharge from the AIF.
NCO - Non Commissioned Officer.
ND - No diagnosis.
Nom Roll - Nominal Roll.
NYD - Not yet diagnosed.
Pte - Private. The lowest rank in the force.
Sgt - Sergeant. The NCO grade above Corporal.
TOS - Taken on Strength. This was the process of adding a person to the ration strength of a unit.
Tpr - Trooper. In early 1915, the AIF ordered that all members of the Australian Light Horse who were at the rank of Private were to be thenceforth called "Trooper".
vice - In the place of ... usually a name follows.
VO Cpl - Voyage Only Corporal.
WOAS - When on active service
Further Reading:
Reveille Articles on Aboriginals in the AIF
Citation: Index to Common B103 Terms
