"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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Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 14 October 1917 Topic: AIF - DMC
Apart from the War Diary which presents a reflected view of Regimental history, one of the best sources of understanding the immediate challenges facing a regiment is to be found in the Routine Orders. They are a wealth of detail.
In this case, the Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders for October 1917 have been highlighted to illustrate the tempo of this formation from the beginning of October towards the end. The aim is to illustrate the implementation of the Allenby Offensive that began at the end of October 1917 with the capture of Beersheba.
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders - 14 October 1917
Desert Mounted Corps Routine Orders, 14 October 1917, p. 1.
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Of interest are the initiallings at the bottom of the page. It indicates order and precedence amongst the staff officers commanding the Desert Mounted Corps.
The following weeks will see the various pages of the Hotchkiss Machine Gun Pack for Cavalry. The Hotchkiss Gun was introduced in the Light Horse formations during the early months of 1917. The introduction of this robust and portable gun gave the Light Horse Regiments additional mobile fire power which considereably added to their ability to sustain light combat situations and defend against vastly numerically superior forces. Apart from being an excellent weapon, it was in much demand by the Turkish forces who considered the capture of a Hotchkiss Gun well worth any risks involved in the process. This is a manual produced in 1917 and illustrates the method by which the Hotchkiss Gun was packed and moved throughout the Palestine campaign.
Another entry from the book written by Lieutenant Colonel Hüseyin Hüsnü Emir, called Yildirim. Every day, one page of the book will be posted. This is Page 30.
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 -0400 Regiment left for Bir el Enna but being unable to find the hod, returned to Hod Nagid where it rested.
1500 Regiment moved off as rearguard to the Brigade and proceeded to Hod Abu Darem where the Brigade camped for the night.
The enemy had fallen back after the encounter at Hamisan and no contact was gained during the day.
1917
Monday, August 6, 1917
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tel el Marakeb
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - The Regiment undertook routine work for the day.
Musketry as per syllabus.
Twelve Reinforcements marched in from Training Regiment Moascar and allotted.
1918
Tuesday, August 6, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Madhbeh
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 0430, standing patrol returned to camp and reported that during the night an enemy patrol had been encountered and one post under Logan, 434 Sergeant WA, had had to withdraw.
This was reported to Officer in Command, Patrol, McDonald, Lieutenant JM, at 0100 and he immediately ordered patrol to reoccupy the position. McDonald, Lieutenant JM, personally led the patrol out and during advance McIntosh, 1589 Lance Corporal WP, was wounded by a bomb. The enemy patrol retired and we reoccupied position and situation remained quiet for remainder of night.
McIntosh, 1589 Lance Corporal WP, was removed to 8th Light Horse Regiment Headquarters at the Bluff at dawn where his wounds found to be only slight.
Wastell, Lieutenant NF; and, two Other Ranks returned from Imperial School of Instruction, Zeitoun.
1919
Wednesday, August 6, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - SS Oxfordshire
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 6 August 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
6 August 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's Handwritten Diary, 2 - 10 August 1918
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Bert Schramm
Tuesday, August 6, 1918
Bert Schramm's Location - Madhbeh, Jordan Valley, Palestine.
Bert Schramm's Diary - Everything very quiet except for the artillery activity.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - 0430, standing patrol returned to camp and reported that during the night an enemy patrol had been encountered and one post under Logan, 434 Sergeant WA, had had to withdraw. This was reported to Officer in Command, Patrol, McDonald, Lieutenant JM, at 0100 and he immediately ordered patrol to reoccupy the position.
McDonald, Lieutenant JM, personally led the patrol out and during advance McIntosh, 1589 Lance Corporal WP, was wounded by a bomb. The enemy patrol retired and we reoccupied position and situation remained quiet for remainder of night. McIntosh, 1589 Lance Corporal WP, was removed to 8th Light Horse Regiment Headquarters at the Bluff at dawn where his wounds found to be only slight.
Wastell, Lieutenant NF; and, two Other Ranks returned from Imperial School of Instruction, Zeitoun.
Nominal Roll, AWM133, Nominal Roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-1918 War.
War Diaries and Letters
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