"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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Sunday, 23 November 2008
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 23 November 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
23 November 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, 17 - 23 November 1918
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Bert Schramm
Saturday, November 23, 1918
Bert Schramm's Location - Mejdelaya, Tripoli
Bert Schramm's Diary - Little news through today stating that Germany has already handed over certain number of submarines and cruisers. Otherwise, nothing doing today.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Swordsmanship dismounted for quarter of an hour before midday stables. McLaurin, Lieutenant Colonel AW, Commanding Officer, 8th Light Horse Regiment died during night 22nd/23rd. The Commanding Officer and part of officers and Other Ranks attended funeral.
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 139.
Colonel Hüsnü, Yildirim, Page 139.
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
This chapter deals with Hüsnü observations of the Turkish response to Beersheba on other parts of the battlefield.
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 - Formation of Regiment occurring at Morphettville Race Course Camp, Adelaide, while "C" Squadron is formed at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Second Lieutenant Tunbridge WB was evacuated today, sick, enteric.
1916
Thursday, November 23, 1916
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Bir Etmaler
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Regiment moved out of camp at 0930. Strength 18 Officers 390 Other Ranks with 417 riding horses, 20 pack, four transport and 18 mules and joined the remainder of the Brigade which moved off from Romani at 1000.Brigade reached Ein Negiliat at 1230. Watered and fed horses and moved on to Hod el Khirba and bivouacked for night.
1917
Friday, November 23, 1917
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - El Mejdel.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Resting and reorganising.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Swordsmanship dismounted for quarter of an hour before midday stables. McLaurin, Lieutenant Colonel AW, Commanding Officer, 8th Light Horse Regiment died during night 22nd/23rd. The Commanding Officer and part of officers and Other Ranks attended funeral.
1919
Sunday, November 23, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Adelaide
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Regiment disbanded.
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 22 November 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
22 November 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:
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Charley, Major WT, transferred from C Squadron to Regimental Headquarters [supernumerary]. Brinkworth, Major TA, transferred from A Squadron to command C Squadron. Luxmoore, Captain EM, from 2nd in command C Squadron to 2nd in command A Squadron.
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:
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 - Formation of Regiment occurring at Morphettville Race Course Camp, Adelaide, while "C" Squadron is formed at Broadmeadows Camp, Victoria.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - A Turkish deserter appeared in front of our Fire Trench today at 1700. He was brought in by the sentries and handed over to the Officer in Command. He was given a hot meal and drink as he was nearly famished with the cold. He was then brought to Regimental Headquarters.
Statement of Eskender Sarkisian
Statement of Eskender Sarkisian [Armenian] from Deortyol near Alexandretta, a shoemaker by trade, aged 31. Rank: Sergeant, 3rd Company - Commander Ali Effendi, 1st Battalion - Commander Abdul Karim, 48th Regiment - Commander Ilham Bey, 16th Division - Commander Rushti Bey, 6th Army Corps.
In his company 160 men, four companies in a Battalion, three battalions in a Regiment, three Regiments in a Division, in this case 47th, 48th and 125th Regiments made up 16th Division.
Seven years ago he was called up and went to a Mounted Police School at Thersus near Adana for five months after which he performed police work for five years in Kozan, then returned to his trade. Three months later, on mobilisation he was called up and sent to Constantinople and did ten months training under German methods.
The 48th Regiment was formed in his home town. He marched to Gallipoli with the whole Division and proceeded to Maidos by transport and marched to Ari Burnu arriving there about 6 May 1915 and was wounded in the first night attack made by his Regiment. He was sent to Tekedar and returned about 1 August 1915 to the same place and was present when we attacked on the 6th August [Lone Pine] and was again wounded in the counter attack by the Turks. He was then sent to Constantinople and came back two months after to the same place.
After a few days the Regiment proceeded to Gaba Tepe and remained in vicinity for one month and one month ago came to the present position Battleship Hill. The 3rd Battalion is on Chunuk Bair while the 2nd is opposite Quinn's Post with 72nd in between.
Sniper's Nest is considered very important; held by 40 men with remainder of two Companies in dugouts on wither side of the communication trench with two Companies in support on the main ridge [from 72nd Regiment], a special divisional order to hold this position. From here can see hospital tents and beach but frightened to fire as they draw shell fire. No telephone. Nearest Brigade Headquarters half an hour away.
Battleship Hill - lower trench held by about 50 men with a Company on top - three machine gun positions [these pointed out]. Two machine guns in his battalion manned by Germans - five men and one Sergeant per gun with one Officer in charge of two guns. Fire very little and then only at night.
Our shells do a lot of damage and cause casualties daily. Also our machine guns, especially one gun they cannot locate which in daytime fires down into Snipers Nest from Table Top.
Each Battalion has 12 periscopes, five periscope rifles, Then don't use them much. He first saw them when he returned from hospital about 1 August 1915. They had been copied from one taken from us at Ari Burno or Quinn's Post. He had only seen two mortars. They are always changing their position.
He was shown an underground shelter of ours but did not know what it was for. They have none of such. Bombs are mostly cricket balls. Their patrols do not go down into the Sazli - Beit - Dere but they have a standing patrol [25 men] on the small plateau. Their Turk trenches are not like ours. All have head cover. His company has never had orders to snip their cartridges. The Germans promised to send big guns but none have arrived yet. Rumoured that 40 big guns coming and ammunition but they have been coming for three months and now don't believe it.
The Turks have sent men to help the Bulgars. 200,000. Three divisions have gone from this part, that is, 13th, 14th, and 15th Regiments from here, one Division from Amafarta and one from Sedd el Bahr. In his Regiment, all Battalions are in the front line.
He surrendered as he is weak, having been wounded twice and is an Armenian and is not well treated by the Turks. He knows all country between Ari Burnu and Gaba Tepe. Behind Gaba Tepe is flat country, then trees and in these trees, two big guns, He has seen them [when he first came to these parts] Sergeant Osman Cnavoush is in charge. They never move. They are in emplacement below level of ground. Our guns are always firing at but have never troubled them. Thinks he should be able to point them out from our right. Only at Sedd el Bahr are Germans in charge of big guns.
In his company none of the men have blankets, only the officers. Blankets are not allowed. There is no preparation for the winter. They have six aeroplanes now. At first there were only two. He heard one had been brought down about two months ago. An intelligent man who answers without hesitation.
1916
Wednesday, November 22, 1916
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Bir Etmaler
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Parsons, Major HM; Chanter, Captain JC; and, Ragless, Captain BB; and, Wilkinson, Lieutenant R, returned from Cavalry School, Zeitoun. Siekmann, Major TA; and, Williams, Lieutenant H, returned from leave and Grison, Captain, Australian Army Medical Corps, from Hospital. Brigade ordered to move by stages to Bir el Malha Sq J7 Sabkhet el Bardawil
1917
Thursday, November 22, 1917
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - El Mejdel.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - In bivouac at El Mejdel some two miles north east of ancient Askalan. Camp site pleasantly situated among the orange groves on the sand hills.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Charley, Major WT, transferred from C Squadron to Regimental Headquarters [supernumerary]. Brinkworth, Major TA, transferred from A Squadron to command C Squadron. Luxmoore, Captain EM, from 2nd in command C Squadron to 2nd in command A Squadron.
1919
Saturday, November 22, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Adelaide
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Regiment disbanded.
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