Topic: AIF - 3B - 9 LHR
9th LHR, AIF
War Diary, 22 November
Pro Gloria et Honore - For Glory and Honour
Regimental March - Marching Through Georgia
The Diary
1914
Sunday, November 22, 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
Monday, November 22, 1915
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Rhododendron Spur
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - A Turkish deserter appeared in front of our Fire Trench today at 1700. He was brought in by the sentries and handed over to the Officer in Command. He was given a hot meal and drink as he was nearly famished with the cold. He was then brought to Regimental Headquarters.
Statement of Eskender SarkisianStatement of Eskender Sarkisian [Armenian] from Deortyol near Alexandretta, a shoemaker by trade, aged 31. Rank: Sergeant, 3rd Company - Commander Ali Effendi, 1st Battalion - Commander Abdul Karim, 48th Regiment - Commander Ilham Bey, 16th Division - Commander Rushti Bey, 6th Army Corps.
In his company 160 men, four companies in a Battalion, three battalions in a Regiment, three Regiments in a Division, in this case 47th, 48th and 125th Regiments made up 16th Division.
Seven years ago he was called up and went to a Mounted Police School at Thersus near Adana for five months after which he performed police work for five years in Kozan, then returned to his trade. Three months later, on mobilisation he was called up and sent to Constantinople and did ten months training under German methods.
The 48th Regiment was formed in his home town. He marched to Gallipoli with the whole Division and proceeded to Maidos by transport and marched to Ari Burnu arriving there about 6 May 1915 and was wounded in the first night attack made by his Regiment. He was sent to Tekedar and returned about 1 August 1915 to the same place and was present when we attacked on the 6th August [Lone Pine] and was again wounded in the counter attack by the Turks. He was then sent to Constantinople and came back two months after to the same place.
After a few days the Regiment proceeded to Gaba Tepe and remained in vicinity for one month and one month ago came to the present position Battleship Hill. The 3rd Battalion is on Chunuk Bair while the 2nd is opposite Quinn's Post with 72nd in between.
Sniper's Nest is considered very important; held by 40 men with remainder of two Companies in dugouts on wither side of the communication trench with two Companies in support on the main ridge [from 72nd Regiment], a special divisional order to hold this position. From here can see hospital tents and beach but frightened to fire as they draw shell fire. No telephone. Nearest Brigade Headquarters half an hour away.
Battleship Hill - lower trench held by about 50 men with a Company on top - three machine gun positions [these pointed out]. Two machine guns in his battalion manned by Germans - five men and one Sergeant per gun with one Officer in charge of two guns. Fire very little and then only at night.
Our shells do a lot of damage and cause casualties daily. Also our machine guns, especially one gun they cannot locate which in daytime fires down into Snipers Nest from Table Top.
Each Battalion has 12 periscopes, five periscope rifles, Then don't use them much. He first saw them when he returned from hospital about 1 August 1915. They had been copied from one taken from us at Ari Burno or Quinn's Post. He had only seen two mortars. They are always changing their position.
He was shown an underground shelter of ours but did not know what it was for. They have none of such. Bombs are mostly cricket balls. Their patrols do not go down into the Sazli - Beit - Dere but they have a standing patrol [25 men] on the small plateau. Their Turk trenches are not like ours. All have head cover. His company has never had orders to snip their cartridges. The Germans promised to send big guns but none have arrived yet. Rumoured that 40 big guns coming and ammunition but they have been coming for three months and now don't believe it.
The Turks have sent men to help the Bulgars. 200,000. Three divisions have gone from this part, that is, 13th, 14th, and 15th Regiments from here, one Division from Amafarta and one from Sedd el Bahr. In his Regiment, all Battalions are in the front line.
He surrendered as he is weak, having been wounded twice and is an Armenian and is not well treated by the Turks. He knows all country between Ari Burnu and Gaba Tepe. Behind Gaba Tepe is flat country, then trees and in these trees, two big guns, He has seen them [when he first came to these parts] Sergeant Osman Cnavoush is in charge. They never move. They are in emplacement below level of ground. Our guns are always firing at but have never troubled them. Thinks he should be able to point them out from our right. Only at Sedd el Bahr are Germans in charge of big guns.
In his company none of the men have blankets, only the officers. Blankets are not allowed. There is no preparation for the winter. They have six aeroplanes now. At first there were only two. He heard one had been brought down about two months ago. An intelligent man who answers without hesitation.
1916
Wednesday, November 22, 1916
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Bir Etmaler
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Parsons, Major HM; Chanter, Captain JC; and, Ragless, Captain BB; and, Wilkinson, Lieutenant R, returned from Cavalry School, Zeitoun. Siekmann, Major TA; and, Williams, Lieutenant H, returned from leave and Grison, Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, from Hospital. Brigade ordered to move by stages to Bir el Malha Sq J7 Sabkhet el Bardawil
1917
Thursday, November 22, 19179th Light Horse Regiment Location - El Mejdel.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - In bivouac at El Mejdel some two miles north east of ancient Askalan. Camp site pleasantly situated among the orange groves on the sand hills.
1918
Friday, November 22, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Mejdelaya, Tripoli
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Charley, Major WT, transferred from C Squadron to Regimental Headquarters [supernumerary]. Brinkworth, Major TA, transferred from A Squadron to command C Squadron. Luxmoore, Captain EM, from 2nd in command C Squadron to 2nd in command A Squadron.
1919
Saturday, November 22, 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, 22 November