Topic: Militia - LHW - WA
Western Australian Militia
West Australian Mounted Infantry
The following is an extract from the book written in 1962 by George F. Wieck called The Volunteer Movement in Western Australia 1861-1903, pp. 57 - 60:
West Australian Mounted Infantry
It was the custom for the Infantry corps to form within themselves small bodies of mounted infantry for the purpose of performing certain cavalry duties and records indicate that at least four such bodies were formed i.e. at Perth, Guildford, Geraldton and Bunbury.
There are references to a body of men called the Southern Troop of Volunteer Light Horse: no authority was ever given to form such a corps so it must be presumed that the references are to the mounted infantry of the Bunbury Rifle Volunteers.
A half-company of mounted infantry was officially formed in January 1900 as part of the Bunbury Rifle Volunteers, with Lieutenant N. J. Moore in Command. Detachments were raised at Harvey (9 February 1900), Donnybrook (12 February 1900), and Brunswick Junction (21 February 1900). Total strength was 90 all ranks. On 1 March 1900, Lieutenant Moore was promoted to the rank of Captain. Then a Division was formed at Pinjarrah (1 March 1900) with a detachment at Coolup, and a Division at Busselton (18 October 1900) with a detachment at Capel.
It is clear that the foregoing moves were preliminary to the formation of a mounted Regiment, for on 7 June 1900 these bodies were incorporated as a Company of the West Australian Mounted Infantry Regiment. Orders were then issued to raise two Divisions each of 30 all ranks, at Geraldton, Cannington, Northam, Newcastle, and Karridale. On 11 August 1900 authority was given to raise a Division at Fremantle. There were to be four Companies, each of four Divisions, with Regimental Headquarters at Perth. The Establishment of each Company was fixed at 114 all ranks. Company distribution was as follows:“A" Company-S.W. District. (Bunbury, Pinjarra, Busselton.)
"B" Company-Victoria District.
"C" Company-Eastern District."D" Company Central District.
The organization was not completed until 1901. By that time "A" Company had 161 names on its Roll and good progress had been made by the others.
On 1 January 1903 the designation of the corps was changed to "18th Light Horse Regiment (W.A.M.I.) " and the Establishment was altered to 294 all ranks. There were other changes, such as Squadrons instead of Companies and Troops instead of Divisions. The Regiment was re-distributed as follows:
Headquarters-Perth.
No. 1 Squadron-Perth, Fremantle.
No. 2 Squadron-Bunbury, Pinjarra, Cannington.
No. 3 Squadron-Geraldton, Northampton, Greenough, Nawaba-Walkaway.
No. 4 Squadron-Newcastle, Northam, Mukinbudin.
On 1 July 1903 Geraldton and Cannington were abandoned as centres for mounted troops.
Officers of the West Australian Mounted InfantryCaptain NJ Moore, 1 April 1900
Lieutenant MW Clifton, 1 April 1900
Captain J Mitchell, 17 July 1900
Second Lieutenant AE Thomas, 22 May 1900
Second Lieutenant H Davies, 22 May 1900
Second Lieutenant A Purslove, 22 May 1900
Lieutenant SJ Chipper, 8 June 1900
Captain R Robson, 4 September 1900
Lieutenant AN Piesse, 17 July 1900
Captain JW Clydesdale, 31 August 1900
Second Lieutenant WE Oliver, 4 September 1900
Second Lieutenant AW Green, 4 September 1900
Second Lieutenant HW Mills, 26 October 1900
Lieutenant GB Beard, 1 December 1900
Second Lieutenant RH Holmes, 1 December 1900
Second Lieutenant RA Strachan, 15 December 1900
Second Lieutenant JG Milligan, 1 January 1901
Second Lieutenant LMT Hungerford, 19 May 1901
Lieutenant HW Clarkson, 19 June 1901
Second Lieutenant H Farmer, 1 August 1901
Second Lieutenant LH Spencer, 17 August 1901
Second Lieutenant CP Alderson, 17 August 1901
Captain E Wisdom, 1 October 1901
Lieutenant ER Andrews, 3 March 1903
Second Lieutenant HF Throssell, 16 March 1903
Second Lieutenant JW Harvey, 26 March 1903
Second Lieutenant FE Davis, 26 March 1903
Second Lieutenant CH Garratt, 26 March 1903
Second Lieutenant JC Kidd, 26 March 1903
Second Lieutenant NM Malcolm, 4 April 1903
Second Lieutenant AJ Love, 4 April 1903
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Next: Pinjarrah Mounted Infantry
Further Reading:
Western Australian Mounted Infantry
Western Australian Militia, Light Horse
Western Australian Militia, Infantry
Citation: The Volunteer Movement in Western Australia, West Australian Mounted Infantry