5th LHR, AIF

5th Australian Light Horse Regiment

284 Trooper David Laing Clark

David Laing Clark's post card to his sister, Miss E Clark.

The letter written by David Laing Clark on the post card reads:

"These are solid walls they should stand a fair bumping about before they should fall down I have my spot marked out for the first go in if there is ever going to be any. You may have seen this picture before in some magazine but will not make any difference you never took the trouble to look at it with interest."

The card uses some very interesting expressions. "Bumping" seems to imply some form of artillery fire which would explain why he has a spot marked out for himself.

284 Trooper David Laing Clark, a dairy farmer from Bexhill, NSW enlisted in the 5th Australian Light Horse Regiment, "B" Squadron, on 20 October 1914. During the war he was promoted to Driver. He returned to Australia on 23 December 1918. His brother was Oliver George Clark who served with the 9th Field Artillery Brigade.

The following is a brief military biographical outline of 284 Trooper David Laing Clark.

Further Reading:

5th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF

5th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour 

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 11:34 AM EADT

Updated: Monday, 8 March 2010 8:07 PM EAST

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Another entry from the book written by Lieutenant Colonel Hüseyin Hüsnü Emir, called Yilderim. Every day, one page of the book will be posted. This is Page 16.

Colonel Hüsnü, Yilderim, Page 16.

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Posted by Project Leader at 11:21 AM EADT

Updated: Thursday, 24 July 2008 11:47 AM EADT

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9th LHR, AIF

Pro Gloria et Honore - For Glory and Honour

Regimental March -  Marching Through Georgia

The Diary

1914

Friday, July 24, 1914

See 4th Military District, South Australia for militia activities.

1915

Saturday, July 24, 1915

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Walkers Ridge

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - All precautions were taken in expectation of a big attack by enemy as secret information was received that he had got large reinforcements; and "Constitution" day and the termination of the first week of "Ramadan" were due.

3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary - Endeavoured to knock out machine gun on Nek with Mountain Gun, quarter charge but unsuccessful.

Colonel FG Hughes temporarily appointed Brigadier General while so employed as Brigadier 3rd Light Horse Brigade from 9 July 1915.

Lieutenant Dale, 8th Light Horse Regiment, to be Adjutant in place of Captain Crowl killed 28 June 1915. Squadron Sergeant Major Marsh, 8th Light Horse Regiment, to be Second Lieutenant in place of Lieutenant Dale.

Enemy continues to improve positions. Shelled 5 inch Howitzer on Anzac heavily. The Turks shell fire is very accurate and guns splendidly served, masked and moved when registered.

Chelma TPT does excellent work daily on shelling enemy's posts in this, the 4th or Left Section of defence.

Completed barbed wire entanglements in front of our trenches. Blew in one of E Sector saps yesterday.

Carew Reynell Diary   - No Entry.

 

1916

Monday, July 24, 1916

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Roadhead Serapeum.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Routine Patrol and Outpost Work.

Training in musketry and mounted work.

1917

Tuesday, July 24, 1917

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tel el Marakeb

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - The Regiment undertook routine work for the day. All horses taking to swimming.

Eighth leave party of twelve Other Ranks left for Cairo.

1918

Wednesday, July 24, 1918

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Madhbeh

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - O'Neil, 686 Trooper T, marched out to Alexandria to undergo sentence.

1919

Thursday, July 24, 1919

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - SS Oxfordshire

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - No leave.

Boat sailed 1700.

No absentees.

Educational classes have been arranged so far with not very good results. Instruction on Internal Combustion engines being far the best attended.

Boat parades have been held from time to time and the men get to their places in very good time.

Previous: 9th LHR AIF War Diary, 23 July

Next: 9th LHR AIF War Diary, 25 July

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 Light Horse Regiment AIF

Bert Schramm Diary

9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour 

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 15 September 2010 6:50 PM EADT

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Diaries of AIF Servicemen

Bert Schramm

24 July 1918

Bert Schramm

2823 Private Herbert Leslie SCHRAMM, a 22 year old Farmer from Whites River, South Australia. He enlisted on 17 February 1916; and at the conclusion of the war Returned to Australia, 10 July 1919.

During part of the course of his military service with the AIF, Bert Schramm kept a diary of his life. Bert was not a man of letters so this diary was produced with great effort on his behalf. Bert made a promise to his sweetheart, Lucy Solley, that he would do so after he received the blank pocket notebook wherein these entries are found. As a Brigade Scout since September 1918, he took a lead part in the September Offensive by the Allied forces in Palestine. Bert's diary entries are placed alongside those of the 9th Light Horse Regiment to which he belonged and to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade to which the 9th LHR was attached. On this basis we can follow Bert in the context of his formation.

The Diaries

The complete diary is now available on the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre Site at:

Bert Schramm Diary

Finding more about a service person. See:

Navigating the National Archives Service File 

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 19 - 25 July 1918

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Bert Schramm

Wednesday, July 24, 1918

Bert Schramm's Location - Madhbeh, Jordan Valley, Palestine.

Bert Schramm's Diary - Had a quiet day but fair amount of artillery firing at intervals. We had to go out tonight burying enemy dead. Rather a gruesome job.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Madhbeh, Jordan Valley, Palestine.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - O'Neil, 686 Trooper T, marched out to Alexandria to undergo sentence.

9th LHR AIF War Diary, 24 July

Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924.

No Entry

Previous: Bert Schramm's Diary, 23 July 1918

Next: Bert Schramm's Diary, 25 July 1918

Sources Used:

Bert Schramm's Diary

National Archives Service File.

Embarkation Roll, AWM8.

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour

Nominal Roll, AWM133, Nominal Roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-1918 War.

War Diaries and Letters

All War Diaries and letters cited on this site should be read in conjunction with the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, War Diaries and Letters, Site Transcription Policy which may be accessed at:

Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, War Diaries and Letters, Site Transcription Policy 

Further Reading:

Bert Schramm Diary

Bert Schramm Diary, Album

Bert Schramm's Photo Album

9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF

9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, War Diary, Day by Day Account

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Citation: Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 24 July 1918

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Thursday, 2 June 2011 3:37 PM EADT

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Military Order 151, 1907 deals with the syllabus for an up coming officer training course for 15 carefully selected candidates.

Military Order 151, 1907

[Click on picture for larger version.]

Examination of this order relating to the training of officers reveals a great deal about the mindset of military at the time. In 1907 the Civil War in America was still instructive, especially that of Stonewall Jackson. In addition, they are examining the latest information from the Russo-Japanese War. It is interesting that the experience of the Boer War is not taken into account in Officer training, something that did not occur until about 1915 for the Light Horse. For the infantry, it would have been more instructive to look at the consequences of massed cannonades at Gettysburg and Port Arthur on charging troops as well as the importance of entrenchments for the defenders. The romance of war is key to this training course rather than the reality of mechanised warfare.

Posted by Project Leader at 11:49 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 23 July 2008 11:52 AM EADT

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