"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
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre aims to present an accurate history as chroniclers of early Australian military developments from 1899 to 1920.
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre site holds over 12,000 entries and is growing daily.
Contact:Australian Light Horse Studies CentreLet us hear your story:
You can tell your story, make a comment or ask for help on our Australian Light Horse Studies Centre Forum called:
WARNING: This site contains: names, information and images of deceased people; and, language which may be considered inappropriate today.
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Bothaville, South Africa, November 6, 1900, Contents Topic: BatzB - Bothaville
Bothaville
South Africa, 6November 1900
Contents
Bothaville, an action during the Second South African War, fought on 6 November 1900 around Doornkraal farm eight kilometres south of this town in the Orange Free State, between a Boer commando under General Christiaan de Wet and British forces commanded by Major-General C.E. Knox.
1st Australian Signal Troop, Page 2 Topic: AIF - 1B - 1 Sig Trp
1st Australian Signal Troop, AIF
History
Below is a transcription from a manuscript submitted by by Major R. Smith called 1st Australian Signal Troop. This is Page 2.
Formation of Troop in Australia, training in Egypt and work on Gallipoli at Anzac and Helles.
December 7th 1914:
Disembarked at Alexandria and entrained for Cairo where we, arrived at 1600, then after men and horses had been rested and here we commenced training again and competitive tests held in all branches of the unit.
Occasionally we established communication with the Signal Coy who were at Mena and who used to set up a Helio Station on the Pyramids while ours was established on one of the many houses in Maadi.
January 1915:
Moved by road from Maadi to, Heliopolis where Brigade training was carried out, in the manner of skeleton schemes around Zeitoun and El Marg and then afterwards in sham fights against the N. Z. Bde in the same area.
On April 1st, the 2 Wireless Sections with pack horses and minus their riders, 6 Signallers under Sgt. Masters and the C.O. were ordered to proceed to Alexandria for embarkation and they left Heliopolis at 0700 next morning and entrained at Cairo.
The remainder of the Sig. Troop was then commanded by Lt. J. Bell, who was previously Automobile Officer on 1st Bde H.Q.
May 7th 1915:
Bde ordered to proceed to Alexandria to embark for Gallipoli where we arrived on 12th May. We then found that the 2 wireless sections under Capt. Downing were at Helles operating with the navy and R.F.C, while the 6 sigs. under Sgt. Masters were doing duty as Signallers on transports. On arrival at Anzac the Bde. moved up to Monash Gully and established H.Q. opposite Steels Post.
The Signal Troop took over the existing system of communications and commenced relaying lines and duplicating others where they became cut by shell fire.
Two sappers were detached for duty with the 21st Kiwat Indian Mountain Battery which used to fire on to Razor Back. These two Sappers worked the Telephone Station by themselves for 6 days working 2 hours on and 2 off and on the 18th May we were joined by a Signaller from the 3rd Regt. On the same day while out repairing lines 1 Sap, was wounded and was taken into the Indian Hospital in Shrapnel Gully and he would not go away but rejoined us after 4 days. The work fell very heavy on us through lines being cut etc and from the afternoon of the to that of the 22nd we had practically no sleep.
An armistice was declared for 3 hours on the 22nd and we took the opportunity to make all lines aerial wherever possible and to remove others from exposed positions.
The Troop at H.Q. were extremely busy having 28 buzzer lines and 4 magnetos these had to be looked after by 2 sappers per shift.
The 4 magneto lines were connected to H.Q. positions and were direct lines, 1 to Steels post, 1 to Quinn’s, and 2 to Courtney's Post. All lines were inspected daily by linemen and the instruments by the Troop Mechanic and through this precaution it was seldom that anything went wrong other than the lines being cut by Artillery fire or by some enterprising Billjim for use on his bivouac.
The bivouac area was in a saucer formation just off the main sap and very well protected by high banks, however one shell exploded in the Cook house and wounded 4 men, 1 seriously. Another man was wounded in the head whilst drawing water in Shrapnel Gully and 1 other by a shell which fell close to the Signal Office.
The Second Battle of Dernancourt, France, 5 April 1918, Roll of Honour Topic: BatzWF - Westn Front
The Second Battle of Dernancourt
France, 5 April 1918
AIF
Roll of Honour
Poppies on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men from the AIF known to have given their lives during the Second Battle of Dernancourt, France, 5 April 1918.
Roll of Honour
The Second Battle of Dernancourt, France, 5 April 1918, Roll of Honour
Bert Schramm's Diary, 5 April 1919 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
During part of the course of his military service with the AIF, 2823 Private Herbert Leslie Schramm, a farmer from White's River, near Tumby Bay on the Eyre Peninsular, 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 1918 breakout 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.
Bert Schramm's Diary, 5 April 1919
Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 4 - 7 April 1919
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Diaries
Bert Schramm
Saturday, April 5, 1919
Bert Schramm's Location - Zagazig, Egypt.
Bert Schramm's Diary - Nothing much doing but there is still more troops coming through. There has been another disturbance in Cairo today. So things haven't settled yet.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - B Squadron relieved 3rd Machine Gun Squadron personnel at No 3 Post Belbeis line.
Ghurkhas relived Aikman, Lieutenant GE; and, the 23 Other Ranks, C Squadron, at Abu el Akdar Station. Afterwards, Aikman, Lieutenant GE; and, 23 Other Ranks, C Squadron, then relieved 3rd Machine Gun Squadron personnel at Numbers 1 and 2 Posts, Belbeis Line. 3rd Machine Gun Squadron personnel on relief returned to 3rd Machine Gun Squadron Headquarters.
1800 Mounted Squadron passed to command of General Officer in Command Belbeis Sector. Luxmoore, Captain EM, with two troops returned from reconnaissance.
Darley
Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924.
The First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, France, 4 April 1918, Roll of Honour Topic: BatzWF - Westn Front
The First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
France, 4 April 1918
AIF
Roll of Honour
Poppies on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men from the AIF known to have given their lives during the The First Battle of Villers-Bretonneux, France, 4 April 1918.
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre is a not for profit and non profit group whose sole aim is to write the early history of the Australian Light Horse from 1900
- 1920. It is privately funded and the information is provided by the individuals within the group and while permission for the use of the material has been given for this
site for these items by various donors, the residual and actual copyright for these items, should there be any, resides exclusively with the donors. The information on
this site is freely available for private research use only and if used as such, should be appropriately acknowledged. To assist in this process, each item has a citation
attached at the bottom for referencing purposes.
Please Note: No express or implied permission is given for commercial use of the information contained within this site.
A note to copyright holders
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre has made every endeavour to contact copyright holders of material digitised for this blog and website and where
appropriate, permission is still being sought for these items. Where replies were not received, or where the copyright owner has not been able to be traced, or where
the permission is still being sought, the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre has decided, in good faith, to proceed with digitisation and publication. Australian Light
Horse Studies Centre would be happy to hear from copyright owners at any time to discuss usage of this item.
