6th LHR, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment

Routine Order No. 47, 17 June 1916

Hill 70 Camp, Sinai, 1916

[From: AWM J02862]

Hill 70 has the look of a very hot and bleak bivouac. Any men stationed there would have been only too happy to march out as soon as possible to another location.

It was at Hill 70 Camp that the 6th LHR Routine Order No 156, 17 June 1916 was issued.

6th LHR Routine Order No 47, 17 June 1916

This RO itemises two men who disappeared for a day, returning the following morning in time for Revellie. The punishment was fairly light for being AWL. The third person appeared drunk. It is easy to speculate that the three men became enebriated with one turning up on parade and the other two sleeping it off to be available for the next day. The reason for suspecting this is the location of the camp - Hill 70 - a place in a flat, desert land without a tree in site. The picture below tells the story. There was no where for the men to go AWL except in the camp.

To put it into perspective, below is a 1:40,000 map illustrating the location of Hill 70 in relation to Kantara and Romani.

Hill 70 Camp between Kantara and Romani, 1916

The vast expanse of featureless sand as far as the eye could see characterised the location.

Further Reading:

6th Light Horse Regiment, AIF

6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour

Citation: 6th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Routine Order No. 47, 17 June 1916

Posted by Project Leader at 7:03 PM EADT

Updated: Tuesday, 24 August 2010 11:05 PM EADT

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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.

This RO illustrates the full range of issues related to the Regiment. It includes those returning from hospital as sick or wounded. In addition, some new faces drawn from the reinforcement pool for the 5th LHR. Reinforcements and men ready to rejoin the regiment came from the 2nd Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment. These training regiments held men who were returning from hospital but needed time for a full recovery and men who needed additional training prior to being taken on strength. When the men went into the training regiment, they were allocated to a training squadron which accorded with the regiment in which they enlisted. 

Following the reinforcements is the punishments. Two men were being punished.

The next item were those evacuated sick. The men on this list were away sick for a period greater than two weeks thereby allowing them to be struck off strength and so allowing a new reinforcement into the regiment.

Rest Camp list followed. These were specifically designed to allow a person to rest outside a military setting. This was a prized gift and all men were entitled to spend some time each year in a Rest Camp. Some men never bothered to exercise this option. There was a small group of superbly fit men who were suited for light horse work and actually thrived in the environment. Some never saw a hospital or field ambulance for the entire period of their service. 

Citation: 5th LHR Routine Order No 29, 19 June 1918

Posted by Project Leader at 6:30 PM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 18 June 2008 6:46 PM EADT

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At the beginning of the new century, the well known and top Australian rifle shooter,  P. Fargher of the Melbourne Rifle Club wrote the book called Hints on Rifle Shooting, published by Sands and Mcdougal in Melbourne. The text deals with all the problems people found with the commonly available service rifles employed in the first decade and beyond within the Australian military forces. As part of the Rifle Club Movement, shooting at rifle clubs was strictly carried out with the designated service weapon. This little book is a gem in detailing all aspects of the rifles from the shooter's point of view. To assist readers to fully understand the weapons used by the Mounted Rifles and Light Horse, the book will be serialised on this blog.
Fargher - Hints on Rifle Shooting, Part 1
Fargher - Hints on Rifle Shooting, Part 2
This is Part 3.

I would recommend beginners to get the Government rifle, and, when they have learnt to use it, if they have the money to spare, they might do worse than lay out eight or nine pounds in a target rifle of some well-known make. They will get a nice selected heart stock and carefully finished sights for that price.
One advantage of paying a good price for a private rifle is that it tends to make one more careful of his rifle, and its shooting qualities are likely to last longer on that account. If you buy a rifle of private make, see that it is of British manufacture and bears the Government Viewer's mark.
The fore end should be a bit of straight grained wood, and nicely fitted to the barrel. The bands should not be screwed up tight, but should be just tight enough to prevent them being moved easily with the hand. The foresight should be clean cut, evenly sloped on the sides, of medium thickness, and should have no burr or file marks on it. The sides of the ladder of the backsight should be perfectly parallel, so that the bar will fit it evenly all the way up and the bar should be just tight enough to ensure its not slipping with the shock of the discharge.
I spoilt a couple of long range scores at Sydney two or three years ago, and ruined my position in the Champion aggregate, through the ladder of my rifle being loose at the place the bar comes to at 800 and 900 yards, and for a time I failed to notice it had slipped down because it was all right at the middle ranges. This unevenness of the ladder may be caused by screwing up the ventometer too tight when putting on wind lines. The forecap should he square on top, not too thick, and the metal should be well gouged out in front of the V, which should be small, with bevelled edges. The top edge of the backsight should also be bevelled to a knife edge, and the bar should be straight and not capable of being tilted out of the horizontal line. The trigger pull should be short and clean, and there should be no suspicion of a move in it until it goes off. The pull should be as light as is permitted by the rules of rifle shooting, viz., 6 lbs. It should never be more than 6 lbs.
In my opinion 6 lbs. is much too heavy, and far better shooting could be done with a 5 lb. pull, which seems quite enough for safety.

Posted by Project Leader at 3:26 PM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 18 June 2008 3:56 PM EADT

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Diaries of AIF Servicemen

Bert Schramm

18 June 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, 17 - 22 June 1918

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Bert Schramm

Tuesday, June 18, 1918

Bert Schramm's Location - Talaat ed Dumm, Jordan Valley

Bert Schramm's Diary - Have had a very quiet day. Things are very quiet here. Hope we will get a few weeks spell.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Ain Ed Duk, Jordan Valley

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - In bivouac Talaat ed Dumm.

9th LHR AIF War Diary, 18 June

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

No Entry.

Previous: Bert Schramm's Diary, 17 June 1918

Next: Bert Schramm's Diary, 19 June 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, 18 June 1918

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Monday, 30 May 2011 6:20 PM EADT

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9th LHR, AIF

Pro Gloria et Honore - For Glory and Honour

Regimental March -  Marching Through Georgia

The Diary

1914

Thursday, June 18, 1914

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

1915

Friday, June 18, 1915

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Walkers Ridge

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 1100 The Regiment commenced to relieve the Auckland Mounted Rifles. Relief completed by 1400.

3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary - 9th Light Horse Regiment relieved Auckland Mounted Rifles in trenches.

By shrapnel yesterday: 8th Light Horse Regiment, four Other Ranks wounded. 9th Light Horse Regiment, one Other Rank wounded. 10th Light Horse Regiment, one Other Rank killed sapping with an inquiry asked.

Shell fire 1400, 10th Light Horse Regiment, six Other Ranks wounded.

Kenneth Alan McKenzie Diary - Monitor. Back in trenches.

Carew Reynell Diary  - No entry.

1916

Sunday, June 18, 1916

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Roadhead Serapeum.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Routine training and patrol work.

1917

Monday, June 18, 1917

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - El Shellal

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Letter of appreciation for the heroic manner in which Smith, 3131 Trooper HG, “C” Squadron, died received from the Commandant of the Detachment Francais in Palestine and from Tarrance, Captain, RAMC attached to the 5th Mounted Brigade.

Brigade ceased "Standing to Arms".

1918

Tuesday, June 18, 1918

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Talaat ed Dumm

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - In bivouac Talaat ed Dumm

1919

Wednesday, June 18, 1919

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tel el Kebir

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 1300, Scott, Lieutenant Colonel WH, CMG DSO, returned to duty and assumed command of Regiment.

2000 Party which proceeded to Jerusalem on 12th June 1919 returned.

2100, Party which proceeded to Cairo on leave on the 15th June 1919 returned.

Previous: 9th LHR AIF War Diary, 17 June

Next: 9th LHR AIF War Diary, 19 June

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: Saturday, 7 August 2010 3:34 PM EADT

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