"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.
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 Location - Abasan el Kebir
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - The Regiment undertook routine work for the day. Replacement khaki tunics issued.
Chauvel, Major General Sir HG, spoke to all officers of the Brigade on his taking over command of the Desert Column.
1918
Thursday, April 25, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - 1½ miles north west of Jericho
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Daly, Major TJ, returned from three days Jerusalem leave.
Mueller, Lieutenant GLH, returned from Instruction School.
Stevens, Lieutenant WJ, returned from Scouts School at El Arish.
1919
Friday, April 25, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Zagazig
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Lieutenant Lawrence with patrol locating all Europeans, Jews, Greeks, Syrians and Armenians in El Abbasa sub sector.
Cruddas, Lieutenant GF, DCM, marched to A Details, Moascar for early embarkation to Australia.
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 Location - Abasan el Kebir
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - The Regiment paraded at 0600 and went down to Deir el Belah camp where the men changed clothes and swam. Returned to Abasan el Kebir at 1800.
Seventy five reinforcements marched in from Moascar and were allotted.
1918
Wednesday, April 24, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Talaat ed Dumm, Jericho
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - The Regiment with Regimental transport moved from Talaat ed Dumm, watered and proceeded by the old Jericho Road towards Jericho. The transport experienced great difficulty in negotiating the exceptionally steep decline leading down onto the plains of Jericho. The last steep decline leading down onto the plain of Jericho near Wadi Kelt presented the worst difficulties. Here the 8th Light Horse Regiment wagon collapsed and the items bolting into Wadi Kelt. B Squadron of the 9th Light Horse Regiment was dismounted and given orders to stand by and assist the 9th Light Horse Regiment Transport down this last decline. This was completed with the exception of the Maltese cart which was in the rear of the Regimental Transport and unfortunately when crossing a rut at the bottom of the hill the shaft broke throwing the driver, Learmonth, 2816 Trooper WJ onto the road, the cart passing over him and dragging him down until it collided with a limbered wagon in front. Trooper Learmonth died a few minutes afterwards.
The Regiment arrived at a point 11/2 miles north west of Jericho near Wadi Nueiameh. This completed a 61 mile trek from Selmieh and is up to date the most interesting trek undertaken by the Regiment.
The first two days of the march were down and across the fertile coastal plain, thence up into the well watered Judean hills between Latron and Jerusalem at an altitude of 2,920 feet above sea level, thence across the barren hills east of Jerusalem down onto the Plain of Jericho which is 800 feet below sea level.
An Officers' reconnaissance went to Auja Ford; El Mundessa Ford; and, El Ghoraniyeh Bridgehead.
Wastell, Lieutenant MF; and Lane, Lieutenant BGB; and, two Other Ranks proceeded to School of Instruction El Arish.
Three Other Ranks to Zeitoun.
1919
Thursday, April 24, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Zagazig
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Remainder of A and B Squadrons less A Squadron mounted troop at El Abbasa and B Squadron personnel at Belbeis Station exchanged positions.
el Qatiya, Sinai, 23 April 1916, Snow Account Topic: AIF - 2B - 7 LHR
el Qatiya
Sinai, 23 April 1916
Snow Account
Snow report of the 7th LHR, AIF.
The Transcription:
Qatia Patrol Report, 25 April 1915.
As instructed, I proceeded to Qatia at 0430, which was reached without opposition. I found 6 wounded men, 2 of whom have since died, there are 23 dead. The whole Camp is gutted and 60 horses and 30 camels are dead also, several of the Native Camel Transport drivers are dead, I could only find (1) Identification Disc, the bodies had all been stripped of clothing and Identity Discs (the Soldiers I brought in, state that it was the Bedouins and NOT the Turks who stripped the bodies.) I left Qatia at 0910 and reached the Brigade Bivouac at 1145 without seeing any Enemy.
Notes:
Enemy
When leaving Qatia a Bedouin that had just come in from north east of Qatia states that he had seen Turks in that direction, I could not find out how many or how far away they were.
Soldiers' information
The wounded soldiers state that they had expected an attack, and had stood to arms all night of 22/23 inst., they were shelled for an hour and attacked about 0900 on 23rd inst., the Turks had 4 or 5 Machine Guns and were about (800) Eight Hundred strong, they seem to think that (2) Officers and a number of men and also some wounded were taken prisoner.
Aerial
They state that our own Aeroplanes bombed the Qatia Camp on Monday morning when unoccupied by the Enemy.
Water
There are (2) two wells, 1 of which is quite good drinking water and the other Brackish, supply good.
Soldiers' Information (later)
Colonel Coventry and Lieutenant Gooch of the Worcestershire Yeomanry and another officer of same Regiment surrendered to Enemy. Lord Elcko of Gloucester Yeomanry also surrendered, he was wounded, also Lieutenant Strickland.
The Officer in Command of Enemy was German, there were also Turkish Officers, the force marched away about 350 Infantry and 100 mounted men strong, seemingly regular Troops, they were very keen to get the boots from our dead and wounded.
I hand Identification Disc labelled Lt GH Fox, RFA.
Bir Etmaler
George Snow, Lieutenant, 7th Light Horse Regiment.
el Qatiya, Sinai, 23 April 1916, Ryrie Account Topic: AIF - 2B - 2 LHB
el Qatiya
Sinai, 23 April 1916
Ryrie Account
Ryrie report of the 2nd LH Bde, AIF.
The Transcription:
To: Anzac Mounted Division, Romani, April 26th 1916.
Report of Lieutenant Snow, Officer Commanding Quatia Patrol.
Report of Lieutenant Snow who took the patrol out to Qatia this morning attached.
It would appear from this that the Enemy had artillery, from a sample of a shell brought in I should say they were using twelve pounders.
He explained that he had not much opportunity of seeing what dead the Enemy had left as he did not get beyond our position and the Turkish dead would probably be 500 yards out. The Medical Officer, Captain O'Hara informs me that he examined two enemy dead and said they were typical Turkish soldiers similar to those at Gallipoli.
There would be no chance of occupying the camp or anywhere near it for a long time as the stench from the dead horses and camels is very bad.
Another patrol of a Squadron went out at midday under Major Sutton in accordance with your G486 with orders to do as much as possible but to return by dusk, another patrol of a Squadron will leave at dawn tomorrow morning to make a more extensive reconnaissance.
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