"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 weeks will see the various pages from the Hotchkiss Portable Machine Gun Handbook, the official manual issued by the company for the use of troops in the field. 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.
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 24 September 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
24 September 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, 23 - 27 September 1918
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Bert Schramm
Tuesday, September 24, 1918
Bert Schramm's Location - El Affule
Bert Schramm's Diary - Have been camped around Affule all day collecting prisoners and war material. Haifa, Acre and Nazareth have all been occupied by our troops. Something like thirty thousand prisoners have been taken since we started on the stunt.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - El Affule
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - In bivouac. Supplied several local working parties. Bleechmore, Major C, with 60 men from Regiment watered another 4,000 prisoners and supplied escort until relieved by 11th Light Horse Regiment.
3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary
The 8th Light Horse Regiment pushed out patrols to Ailut, and Beit Lahm, and reported all clear. The 10th Light Horse Regiment escorted 4,000 more prisoners from Shutta to Afule after which the Regiment withdrew from the line Shutta - Zerin which was then taken over by the 5th Light Horse Brigade, and came into bivouac near Brigade Headquarters. Orders were issued for the 8th Light Horse Regiment to send one squadron from Nazareth at dawn the next day to reconnoitre Tiberias.
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:
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 79.
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