Topic: AIF - 3B - 9 LHR
9th LHR, AIF
War Diary, 18 November
Pro Gloria et Honore - For Glory and Honour
Regimental March - Marching Through Georgia
The Diary
1914
Wednesday, November 18, 1914
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Morphettville Race Course Camp and Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Formation of Regiment occurring at Morphettville Race Course Camp, Adelaide, while "C" Squadron is formed at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria.
See: Broadmeadows 1909
1915
Thursday, November 18, 1915
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Rhododendron Spur
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Extract from Brigade Order dated 18 November 1915, paragraph 613 Authority ZA 2125. Squadrons of 4th Light Horse Brigade both officers and men will be absorbed as reinforcements but the Regiments concerned will have 4 Squadrons instead of three. Officers so absorbed are of course eligible for promotion or transfer outside the Squadrons of the 4th Light Horse Brigade. Similarly, officers of other Squadrons are eligible for promotion or transfer to the Squadrons of the 4th Light Horse Brigade, In other words all four Squadrons will be treated as one Regiment.
1916
Saturday, November 18, 1916
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Bir Etmaler
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Inspection of new remounts by General Officer in Command 3rd Light Horse Brigade.
1917
Sunday, November 18, 19179th Light Horse Regiment Location - Selmieh - el Kubab.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 0500 Moved via El Mansura crossing Jaffa to Jerusalem railway, Abu Shusheh thence to El Kubab.
0800 O85 K9 Sheet XVII relieving there a regiment of 7th Mounted Brigade Slight enemy shelling and machine gun fire continued all morning from direction of Latron and Amwas. At 1000 report dropped from aeroplane onto Regimental Headquarters stating 4,000 Turkish infantry and 100 horse transport moving through Jerusalem from Bethlehem and to a point on the Nablus Road, 6 miles north of Jerusalem. It made a splendid bombing target. This report was forwarded by galloper to Infantry Brigade Headquarters at Abu Shusheh who dispatched it to destination [General Officer in Command Desert Mounted Corps].
At 1115 orders received to advance and occupy Bir Imman. C Squadron was at once pushed forward followed closely by three troops of B Squadron. 8th Light Horse Regiment had now arrived and was placed under orders of 9th Light Horse Regiment. Orders issued were as follows: C Squadron to occupy Bir Imman to Khirbit el Haditheh, B Squadron Khirbit el Haditheh to Khirbit Baraduk. 8th Light Horse Regiment were ordered to occupy line Khirbit Baraduk to K29 central [All references O85 sheet XVII] C Squadron had orders to maintain touch and watch flank between Yeomanry Division and 9th Light Horse Regiment. Regimental Headquarters with A Squadron two sub sections of 3rd Machine Gun Squadron and A echelon moved into position in Sq O85. Heavily shelled when crossing flat north west of Kubab.
9th Light Horse Regiment sector of the line was occupied by 1330.
At 1215 orders were sent out. 8th Light Horse Regiment will push on to Khirbit el Kusr. 9th Light Horse Regiment less one Squadron on Deir Eyub, owing to extreme toughness of country and having enemy opposition progress was very slow.
At 1600 orders were issued for A Squadron 9th Light Horse Regiment to reconnoitre Yalo, B Squadron supported 8th Light Horse Regiment to move on Deir Eyub. C Squadron to maintain touch between Yeomanry Division and 9th Light Horse Regiment and to continue moving forward on Beit Sira. Masson, 151 Sergeant GG, with patrol from A Squadron reconnoitred Yalo reporting village clear but high ground to the east strongly held by enemy.
At 1630 orders for withdrawal were sent out. The Regiment less C Squadron concentrated on Sq K126 and at 1800 withdrew to Sq E21 sheet XVI arriving there at 2300.
3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary -
At 0500 the 9th Light Horse Regiment with two sub-sections machine guns moved forward to relieve Regiment of 7th Mounted Brigade at el Kubab. The Yeomanry Mounted Division would operate against the enemy to the north whilst the Australian Mounted Division was directed on Latron and Amwas.
At 0800 the remainder of the Brigade moved forward and reached Kubab at 1100, coming under enemy shelling. Patrols from 9th Light Horse Regiment were sent east and north - east, and gained touch with the left of the Yeomanry Division at Annabeh. Owing to the mountainous nature of the country, great difficulty was being experienced in moving to the required position. The guns and wheeled ambulance had to be left to the north of Amwas. Horses had to be led as the ground was too rocky to ride them. 4th Light Horse Brigade was to cooperate on the right of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. One squadron 9th Light Horse Regiment was directed on Bir Main - Beit Sira to maintain communication with the 8th Mounted Brigade on their left. The remainder of the 9th Light Horse Regiment moved to occupy Yalo and Deir Eyub with a view to cut the main Latron - Jerusalem road beyond Latron. The 8th Light Horse Regiment in moving to support the 9th Light Horse Regiment also came under artillery fire. Owing to the rough and rocky nature of the locality the movement of the Mounted Troops became very difficult and touch with flanking troops was continually lost. The 9th Light Horse Regiment was unable to reach its objective in the rear of the Turkish position owing to the heavy fire from numerous machine guns which the Turks had emplaced on the right flank of their position. Masson, 151 Sergeant GG, of the 9th Light Horse Regiment with a patrol reconnoitred Yalo village and reported that place clear but high ground to east strongly held by enemy.
At 1025 the Divisional Commander ordered a general withdrawal. The guns of the Notts Battery had been pushed as far forward as the ground would allow. This proved a difficult task and the guns had taken considerable hauling over the rough country. The gunners were well rewarded with good targets and the guns were kept in action throughout the afternoon at a range of 5,000 yards. Enemy guns in Latron were silenced at 1530. Enemy then attempted to manhandle his guns and withdraw them, but rapid fire was opened up and the enemy was dispersed without removing the guns. The Notts Battery had fired 189 rounds during the afternoon. On the advance of the infantry the following day they found four enemy guns were abandoned.
At 1800 the Brigade had withdrawn and commenced to march back to the previous night's bivouac in the vicinity of Junction Station, a distance of 13 miles. Movement through and from the high and rocky hills was very slow. Two water carts and three sand carts, [two carrying wounded], collapsed, and many horses were lamed. At 2230 the Brigade bivouacked.
1918
Monday, November 18, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Mejdelaya, Tripoli
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Information received that a large draft of reinforcements expected within a few days. These were urgently required as the strength of the Regiment was only 21 Officers and 244 Other Ranks. Ten minutes smartening up drill commenced. Board of Enquiry re Shortages - President Daly, Major TJ, DSO.
1919
Tuesday, November 18, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Adelaide
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Regiment disbanded.
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Sources:
See: 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Contents
Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, AIF War Diaries of the Great War, Site Transcription Policy
Further Reading:
9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour
Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920
Citation: 9th LHR AIF War Diary, 18 November