"At a mile distant their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened a man - they were an awe inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze - knee to knee and horse to horse - the dying sun glinting on bayonet points..." Trooper Ion Idriess
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The following entries are extracted and transcribed from the 9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary, the originals of which are held by the Australian War Memorial. There are 366 entries on this site. Each day has entries as they occurred from 1914 to 1919. In addition to the 9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary, when appropriate, entries from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary and other regiments with the Brigade will also appear. Entries from the unit history, Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924 will also appear from time to time. The aim is to give the broadest context to the story and allow the reader to follow the day to day activities of the regiment. If a relative happened to have served in the regiment during the Great War, then this provides a general framework in which the individual story may be told.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - At 0720 on the 10th inst the Regiment [less A Squadron] moved off with the Brigade and returned to Hod Masaid via El Arish where horses were watered. The condition of both men and horses in spite of the arduous operations is good.
1918
Thursday, January 10, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Deir el Belah, Palestine
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Shaw, Lieutenant OJ, appointed Adjutant to date from 19 October 1917.
Gallipoli Campaign - 1915-16, 10th Company, Australian Army Service Corps, AIF, Roll of Honour Topic: BatzG - Gallipoli
Gallipoli Campaign - 1915-16
10th Company, Australian Army Service Corps
AIF
Roll of Honour
Poppies on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men from the 10th Company, Australian Army Service Corps known to have given their lives during the Gallipoli Campaign - 1915 - 1916.
Roll of Honour
2418 Driver Sydney Duncan McLEOD, 10th Company, Australian Army Service Corps, Died of wounds, 31 August 1915.
The following entries are extracted and transcribed from the 9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary, the originals of which are held by the Australian War Memorial. There are 366 entries on this site. Each day has entries as they occurred from 1914 to 1919. In addition to the 9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary, when appropriate, entries from the 3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary and other regiments with the Brigade will also appear. Entries from the unit history, Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924 will also appear from time to time. The aim is to give the broadest context to the story and allow the reader to follow the day to day activities of the regiment. If a relative happened to have served in the regiment during the Great War, then this provides a general framework in which the individual story may be told.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Moved off again at 0100. A Squadron fielding one troop under Luxmoore, Lieutenant EM, left flank guard - one troop under Sharp, Lieutenant RC, right flank guard to the Brigade and one troop under Blackman, Captain as rearguard to the column.
At about 0600 the column arrived about two miles south east of the Divisional position at El Magruntein and here the left flank guard was fired on by a Turkish outpost. The outpost fired two green lights and was captured. The Brigade moved toward east of the "border" and remained in reserve until 1100 when orders were received to make a joint attack on redoubt C2, C3 and C4 at 1130. The 9th Light Horse Regiment was detailed to make good trenches known as C2 and C3 to keep touch with the 10th Light Horse Regiment on the right and Imperial Camel Corps on the left.
The Regiment [less A Squadron, and less Lewis Gun] then formed one column of C Squadron on left and three troops of B Squadron on right with one troop from each squadron in support and A Squadron, Lewis Gun on the extreme left. Trench was gained on the right with 20 Other Ranks and at 1400 the line moved forward mounted to maintain about 2,000 yards of the Turkish position. The Regiment here dismounted and maintained the advance on foot to within about 1,400 yards when the left guard joined up with the Imperial Camel Corps. From here onwards the enemy's rifle fire was becoming heavy the advance was continued short pushes by the troops from the left of Squadrons then advance being covered and supported by the fire of the remaining troops.
The Lewis Guns advanced with the leading troop and covered the advance of the remainder - doing excellent work and again proving their adaptability for this kind of warfare. From the results of El Magdhaba and Rafa engagement it is evident that the automatic rifles are invaluable and that the efficiency of the troops would be greatly increased if the establishment of these or similar automatic rifles was increased.
At about 1,000 yards the line was straightened up only a slight fold in the ground. The left of the Regiment in trench known as Z4 - the general direction of the line being 75 degrees - and a constant fire opened up on the enemy trenches known as C group. The intervening ground was a slight concave and bare and offered absolutely no cover making further advance impossible for the time.
At 1430 the situation remained unchanged on the Regiment's front but the 1st Light Horse Brigade on the right flank could be seen to be advancing and a number of Turks were observed to give themselves up. The Imperial Camel Corps on our left were also unable to make headway. During the intense bombardment of the enemy trenches by our guns [from 1430 to 1600] a continued fire was kept up by rifles and Lewis Guns on assault offering in the C Group. And the enemy's fire was greatly subdued.
About 1330 Brown, Lieutenant AR, took up a position on our left flank in a vacated enemy trench with two machine guns and opened up fire with excellent effect. At 1530, a message was received from Fulton, Lieutenant Colonel G, 3rd Light Horse Regiment asking if the 9th Light Horse Regiment would advance. The message with a footnote asking if they could wait, was sent to Commanding Officer 10th Light Horse Regiment but no answer was received.
At 1540 a message was received from 3rd Light Horse Brigade ordering an advance to take place at 1530. At 1540 Royston, Brigadier General JR, came up and gave verbal order for the 9th Light Horse Regiment's advance to be timed by 10th Light Horse Regiment's advance on our right. Up to this time our casualties had been comparatively slight considering the heaviness of the fire on both sides - and the absolute lack of cover. About this time McDonald, Lieutenant JH was wounded in the knee.
At 1545 the extreme right of the line [1st Light Horse Brigade] was observed to be falling back and the enemy's fire at once greatly increased. Numerous enemy stood up to fire and afforded good targets to our Lewis Guns and rifles. At 1610 a second message was received from Fulton, Lieutenant Colonel G, 3rd Light Horse Regiment asking for covering fire as he was being very hard pressed, and our fire was at once increased. A verbal message was received from Robertson, Major, 10th Light Horse Regiment via Siekmann, Major TA, [Officer Commanding B Squadron 9th Light Horse Regiment] that the two troops 10th Light Horse Regiment on the right of the line were retiring and would we if necessary cover the retirement of the 10th Light Horse Regiment - which was agreed to.
Soon after this a number of troops [New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade] were seen to come over the skyline to the west of large tree and the Turks appeared to be surrendering. The signal "Cease Fire" was given and the Imperial Camel Corps on our left and the 9th Light Horse Regiment at once advanced directly on the trenches C2 and C3 - the enemy all surrendering before the trenches were reached. Chanter, Captain JC, pushed forward and C Squadron with some Imperial Camel Corps found four [4] Mountain Guns and a number of the enemy. He placed a guard over same and reported the matter to Brigade. The led horses having been brought up to regiment was rallied and took up a line of outposts in accordance with orders received from the General Officer in Command Brigade.
During the engagement 15,000 rounds of SAA [small arms ammunition] were expended the supply being replenished from the horse bandoliers and pack ammunition.
At about 2100 the Regiment [less A Squadron and one troop C Squadron] left Rafa with the Brigade and returned to Sheikh Zowaiid arriving there at about 0200. Horses were watered [having been without water for 36 hours] and rations drawn.
During the bombardment the artillery fire was most effective.
Our total casualties for the engagement were wounded: one Officer, McDonald, Lieutenant JH; and, 14 Other Ranks.
Wounded in Action:
645 Private Alfred Currie
921 Private Arthur Christopher Down
2573 Private Desmond Landseer Fitzgerald
1105 Private Ernest John Godwin
1106 Private William Hains
275 Private Austin James Heithersay
1108 Private Ronald George Hogg
802 Private Frank Mayfield
309 Corporal James Purnell Muir
449 Corporal James Murray
596 AMC Corporal Hubert Hamilton Nickels
1273 Private Ernest Daniel Pearman
473 Private William Ernest Quirk
1045 Private John Seeley
2831 Private John Bradbury Young
Horses: two killed and nine wounded.
1918
Wednesday, January 9, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Deir el Belah, Palestine
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Settling down in new camp situated about half a mile from the beach sand and fine weather very welcome after the rain and mud of the preceding days.
The Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917, Anzac Mounted Division, Signal 0832 Topic: AIF - DMC - Anzac MD
The Battle of Rafa
Sinai, 9 January 1917
Anzac Mounted Division, Signal 0832
Signal 0832
The following is a transcription of the War Diary Signal 0832 of the Anzac Mounted Division of their role at the Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917.
To:
1st LH Brigade
3rd LH Brigade
NZMR Brigade
CRA
Desert Column
1st Camel Brigade
Sender's Number: GK 76
Date: 9 January 1917
Message:
There is no further information AAA GOC Anzac Mounted Division intends to attack enemy's position AAA NZMR Brigade will attack C4 and C5 AAA The GOC Brigade will make provision for the protection of his own right flank and rear AAA 1st LH Brigade will attack C3, C2, and C1 AAA When these works are carried Brigades will rally and attack the Reduit AAA The Imperial Camel Corps will attack B Group of works commencing with B4 AAA The CRA will select positions from which to support the assault concentrating his fire on C4 in the first place and following on to C5, C3, C2 and C1 and the Reduit AAA If enemy opens artillery fire one battery will be detached as Counter Battery AAA Artillery preparation will commence at 0930 AAA Attack will commence a 1000 AAA 3rd LH Brigade in reserve AAA Divisional Headquarters will be at Karm ibn Musleh.
From: Anzac Mounted Division
Time: 0832
War Diaries
All War Diaries cited on this site should be read in conjunction with the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, AIF War Diaries of the Great War, Site Transcription Policy which may be accessed at:
The Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917, Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein Account Topic: BatzP - Rafa
The Battle of Rafa
Sinai, 9 January 1917
Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein Account
General Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein
[From: Kress, Mit den Tèurken zum Suezkanal, 1938, Plate facing p. 48.]
The following is an extract from General Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein, Mit den Tèurken zum Suezkanal, 1938,, about the role of the Turkish forces at the Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917.
Rafa
The 9 January brought us a new slap to the face. The British gazed upon our garrison at Rafa. It consisted of the staff and six companies of the 31st Regiment, a German-Turkish machine gun company and a mountain battery. The camp was constructed similar to that at Magdhaba by a ring of interconnected redoubts with good fields of fire. Unfortunately it was not possible to add on any barbed wire entanglements. We let the defences stand despite the experiences of Magdhaba, because its position was substantially stronger than that at Magdhaba, above all however, because twenty kilometres away, at Shellal, the 160th Regiment could render timely assistance to the garrison at Rafa. Our superiors wanted it, and Colonel Reffed Bey, who was responsible for the security of the border, had driven to Jerusalem the day before, was out of contact because the telegraph lines had been damaged by a storm and not been repaired. Regardless of this, without any instruction, the Regimental Commander could stand on a height at El Shellal and clearly hear the noise of canon fire from Rafa and hurry to fulfil his mission. The commander of the 160th Regiment did nothing until an aeroplane brought him instructions at 1pm to bring march to Rafa to engage the enemy. By 3pm, the Regiment finally began its march. Until that Regiment became visible the fate of the courageous defenders at Rafa was already sealed.
The commander of the Desert Column, Lieutenant General Sir P. W. Chetwode, was with the Anzac division, Camel Corps, 5th Mounted Brigade and Light Patrol Car Unit No 7 - altogether twelve cavalry regiments, three battalions of cameleers and five batteries - on 8 January left El Arish for a night march after our observation pilot had finished his evening patrol. With an attack on the Turkish positions in a similar manner which made Magdhaba a tactical success – they surrounded Rafa with the mounted troops and then after one half-hour fire preparation from its five batteries, began a concentric attack against the Turkish position. Despite their heavy numeric superiority the British could advance over the area very slowly. Once the ammunition ran out for the German controlled machine gun lines, the New Zealanders succeeded in taking the Turkish redoubt by storm. The other redoubts held out for a little time but by 5pm the whole garrison was in the hands of the British. Only a few of the courageous crew could escape from the capture; the total captured came to about 1200 men - including the regiment commander. The British paid for their success with 71 dead and 415 wounded.
On receiving the news that the 160th Regiment was coming from the direction of Shellal, General Chetwode had already decided to break off the combat. As he was writing up the retreat instructions, he received the message that the New Zealanders had succeeded in taking one of the Turkish redoubts by storm. After the fight was over, the British returned immediately back to El Arish.
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