Topic: AIF - 3B - 9 LHR
9th LHR, AIF
War Diary, 18 April
Pro Gloria et Honore - For Glory and Honour
Regimental March - Marching Through Georgia
The Diary
1914
Saturday, April 18, 1914
See 4th Military District, South Australia for militia activities.
1915
Sunday, April 18, 1915
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Mena Camp, Egypt.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - No entry.
Carew Reynell Diary - No entry.
1916
Tuesday, April 18, 1916
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Serapeum, Egypt.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - No entry.
1917
Wednesday, April 18, 1917
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tel el Jemmi.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Moved the Regiment to El Mendur at 1100. Watered horses and off-saddled.
Squadron sent to dig crossing over Wadi Sheria on a bearing of 255 degrees from Tel el Jemmi.
Two Squadrons and Regimental Headquarters sent to reinforce 8th Light Horse Regiment at Aseiferiyeh.
C Squadron was shelled on way up. A Squadron commenced digging a line of redoubts from the wadi near Aseiferiyeh running in a south easterly direction.
12th Light Horse Regiment took over above redoubts and Regiment returned to Tel el Jemmi and bivouacked for the night.
0200 the Regiment moved and with the Brigade to support 6th Mounted Brigade on outpost. Halted about two miles south west of El Mendur.
2000 returned to Tel el Jemmi, watered horses and bivouacked just east of the Wadi Ghuzze.
2130 orders received for the Brigade in conjunction with other troops to make a dismounted attack at dawn of the 19th April 1917, on the Turkish position south east of Rujm el Atawineh on the Beersheba Road.
Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924, pp 84 - 86.
The Second Gaza Battle
The British Force engaged in the second battle of Gaza numbered between 50,000 and 60,000, the composition of the Force being as follows:
1. East Force [Dobell, Lieutenant General] consisted of the 52nd, 53rd, and 54th Infantry Divisions.2. Desert Column [Chetwode, Lieutenant General Sir Philip] consisted of the Anzac Mounted Division [Chauvel, Major General Sir HG], the Imperial Mounted Division, Hodgson, Major General W, and the Imperial Camel Corps [Smyth, Brigadier General, VC].3. Detachments, Royal Air Force, Armoured Cars, and Tank Corps.
The enemy numbers in the zone of operations were estimated at about 25,000, but this figure is probably far below the estimate. This force, in view of the strength and strategical advantages of their positions, made the task confronting our force a formidable one. Still no one, from General to Private, doubted that Gaza was as good as taken.
The scheme of operations appear to have been as follows:
[a] The seizure of Sheikh Abbas by the Infantry;[b] The capture of the redoubt at Rujm el Atawineh, and the position at Khirbit Erk, by the mounted troops;[c] The capture of Gaza by East Force, whilst Desert Column carried out a holding attack against Abu Hareira.
To the Imperial Mounted Division, consisting of the 3rd and 4th Light Horse Brigades, the 5th and 6th Mounted Brigades [Yeomanry], with the Imperial Camel Corps attached, was allotted the task of capturing the redoubt at Atawineh.
On the 17th April, the Regiment stood to arms at 4 a.m., and patrols were pushed well out to the front. These patrols returned at 6.30 a.m. and reported "All clear." Several crossings, suitable for wheeled traffic, had been constructed over the Wadi Ghuzze, and at 11 a.m. the Regiment moved forward to El Mendur, where horses were off-saddled and watered.
At 2 p.m. the Regiment, less B Squadron, moved out to reinforce the working parties of the 8th Light Horse Regiment at Aseiferiyeh, which were being disturbed by enemy patrols. At 6.30 p.m. the work was taken over by the 12th Light Horse Regiment, 4th Light Horse Brigade, and the Regiment returned to bivouac at Tel el Jemmi. On the 18th the Regiment, with the Brigade, moved out to support the 6th Mounted Brigade on outpost, and halted two miles south-west of El Mendur, returning to bivouac at 10 a.m.
The Brigadier and Commanding Officers proceeded to El Aseiferiyeh at 10 a.m., and made a reconnaissance over the ground in the direction of the Atawineh position. Whilst this reconnaissance was being carried out parties of enemy riflemen were pushed out to keep our officers as far as possible from their position, but the reconnaissance was successfully carried out and the party returned to camp.
A party of reinforcements arrived from the Training Regiment at Moascar at about 8 p.m., being conducted from Deir el Belah by Elsdon, 118 Lance Corporal C. Immediately on arrival these men were provided with rations and ammunition, and posted to their respective troops, ready for the strenuous work at hand. Every man in the Regiment was served with extra ammunition, making the total 250 rounds per man, which was to be carried into action, as it was considered that the replenishing of supplies during the fighting would be practically impossible.
At 9.30 p.m. the Regiment moved off with the rest of the Brigade, via the Wadi Sheria, to the vicinity of Aseiferiyeh, at which place they left the horses under the charge of Ragless, Captain BB, and the intention being to make the attack dismounted from this point. The wheeled transport of the Brigade, containing the reserves of ammunition and water, had been left at the wadi under the command of Darley, Captain TH, with orders to move up to the line at 9 a.m. on the following day.
1918
Thursday, April 18, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Selmieh
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 0500 Commanding Officer proceeded by motor car to Jericho.
1919
Friday, April 18, 1919
Location - Zagazig
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Good Friday voluntary church services held at 0930, 10th Light Horse Regiment.
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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 April