"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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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 119.
Colonel Hüsnü, Yildirim, Page 119.
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
This chapter deals with Hüsnü observations and critiques on the Ottoman conduct of the capture of Beersheba, 31 October 1917.
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 - Lieutenant General Sir WR Birdwood, GOC, inspected the trenches and position today. Instructions received to get ready to vacate portion of the position in a few days. The New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade are to take over B, C(1), C(2), D, E(1) and E(2) sections of the fire trench.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Prior to the capture of Beersheba the enemy destroyed all the wells. Today large parties were detailed from this Regiment in repairing wells in vicinity of the battery. Water for both men and animals was very scarce. At 1700, C Squadron returned from Karm having handed prisoners over to 20th Corps.
1918
Sunday, November 3, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Homs
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Usual camp routine.
1919
Monday, November 3, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Adelaide
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Regiment disbanded.
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 3 November 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
3 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, 1 - 4 November 1918
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Bert Schramm
Sunday, November 3, 1918
Bert Schramm's Location - Homs, Syria
Bert Schramm's Diary - Had more official news today concerning the Turkish armistice and it practically amounts to an unconditional surrender and demobilisation of the whole army. We are to have full control of all railways and the Tories Tunnel.
[Note: Tories Tunnel = The Taurus rail tunnel. Ed. The fifty-four-kilometer Taurus Tunnel complex, as the final link of the Berlin - Baghdad Railway, was completed through the Taurus Mountains during October 1918. Many Allied POW's were employed on this project as forced labour. The original idea was to penetrate the range by one tunnel, but a series of twelve tunnels and bridges had to be built. The concrete bridges have a total length of 362 yards, and the tunnels a total length of 7 miles 580 yards.]
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Homs, Syria
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Usual camp routine.
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:
Index to Common B103 Terms Topic: AIF - Aboriginal LH
Education Centre
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre in conjunction with the various Education authorities in Australia, has embarked upon producing a program of instruction targeted initially towards the Later Adolescence band of scholars, characteristically those who are studying in Year 9 and 10 within Australia. Each lesson will be a self contained module. Some will be more difficult than others and graded accordingly.
Lesson 11 Aboriginal Light Horsemen
Resource -Index to Common B103 Terms
When examining the Light Horseman's Service File, one of the most common forms in the Service File is the B103, the Casualty Form - Active Service. Every movement of the soldier is recorded. The reasons for this are fourfold.
1. The location of the soldier at any one time was essential to establish where his rations were to be drawn.
2. The form established the entitlements to drawing pay at a particular level. A soldier in the field was allowed to draw pay but when in hospital was not allowed to draw their pay as it was considered that everything to assist the soldier's recovery was provided.
3. By tracking the movements of the soldier, it allowed early detection of desertion if that were to occur.
4. At the end of the war, the chronology of this form was used as the basis for post war entitlements such as medals, pensions, repatriation assistance, access to hospitals and any other service available for an ex-serviceman for the rest of his life.
The B103 may be as simple as one sheet or multiple sheets. It depended upon the individual serviceman.
To assist in understanding this particular form in relation to the men from the 11th LHR, Lesson 11 Resource, a list of terms and names are available within this Index to Common B103 Terms. Note, this list is only specific to the men who made up the 11th Light Horse Regiment 20th Reinforcements.
Map from Cairo to Haifa
[Click on map for larger version.]
[Adapted From: Melbourne Age, 6 February 1915, p. 11.]
Common B103 Terms
Locations
The numbers next to the towns refer to the numbers in the map above.
Abbassia - 1 - A major city precinct in Cairo. Many of the major Allied hospitals were located in this district. Alexandria - 2 - The chief northern port located in the Nile Delta. Belah - 3 - Full name is Deir el Belah, a small village in Palestine about half way between Gaza and the Egyptian - Palestine border. It served as the camping area of the Desert Mounted Corps in 1917. Gaza - 4 - The major southern coastal city of Plaestine where three major battles took place in 1917. It became a hub for Allied supply receipt and distribution. Haifa - 5 - A coastal city in northern Palestine with a substantial Jewish population [1918] Kantara - 6 - The largest Allied supply depot in Egypt during the war. Moascar - 7 - An Egyptian town near the Suez Canal where the Allied training depots were located. Port Said - 8 - Port at the northern end of the Suez Canal. It contained many Allied Rest Camps Suez - 9 - Port at the southern end of the Suez Canal. The main embarkation destination for Australian and New Zealand troops
Units
1st MD - 1st Military District. This District incorporated all Queensland, part of Northern New South Wales and Darwin from the Northern Territory. 2nd MD - 2nd Military District. This District incorporated most of New South Wales except for the Northern District in the 1st MD, a few towns on the Murray River which are included in the 3rd MD and the Broken Hill region which is included in the 4th MD. 3rd MD - 3rd Military District. This District included all Victoria and some towns along the Murray River that are in New South Wales. 4th MD - 4th Military District. This District included all South Australia and the Broken Hill region in New South Wales. 2nd Aus Stat Hosp - 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital 4 Tng Reg - 4th Light Horse Brigade Training Regiment 4th F Amb - 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance 9 MVS - 9th Mobile Vet Section 11 LH Regt - 11th Light Horse Regiment 14 AGH - 14th Australian General Hospital 21 Gen Hosp - 21st General Hospital (British) 31 Gen Hosp - 31st General Hospital (British) 24 Stat Hosp - 24th Stationary Hospital (British) 36 Stat Hosp - 36th Stationary Hospital (British) 44 Stat Hosp - 44th Stationary Hospital (British) 45 Stat Hosp - 45th Stationary Hospital (British) 47 Stat Hosp - 47th Stationary Hospital (British) 33 CC Stn - 33rd Casualty Clearing Station (British) 66 CC Stn - 66th Casualty Clearing Station (British) 76 CC Stn - 76th Casualty Clearing Station (British) Bde HQ - Brigade Headquarters Bonlac - An isolation hospital for contagious diseases Con Dept - Convalescent Depot EEF - Egypt Expeditionary Force FP Compound - Field Punishment Compound Isol Compound - Isolation Compound PSRC - Port Said Rest Camp R Camp - Rest Camp Rfts Camp - Reinforcements Camp
Abbreviations
A/Cpl - Acting Corporal CB - Confined to Barracks, usually a punishment Cpl - Corporal. The NCO grade above Lance Corporal. DMC RO 288 - Desert Mounted Corps Routine Order Number 288, 28 April 1918. do - ditto, same as above. Dvr - Driver. Usually the person driving the horse drawn wagons. Drivers were paid 1/- per day above the private or trooper. EDP Cpl - Extra Depot Corporal. A person promoted to a NCO rank over and above the establishment of the unit. ER Cpl - Extra Regimental Corporal. A person promoted to a NCO rank over and above the establishment of the Regiment. FGCM - Field General Court Martial FP - Field Punishment. For minor offences Field Punishment was implemented to ensure the soldier remained at all time with his unit. GSW - Gun Shot Wound, most frequently to describe a shrapnel wound. HMAT - His Majesty's Australian Transport. One of the many ships leased to the Australian government at the outbreak of war. HT - see HMAT. L/Cpl - Lance Corporal, the lowest NCO grade. M/in - Marched in. The date when a soldier joined a unit. M/out - Marched out. The date when a soldier departed from a unit. MU - Medically Unfit. This was one of the most common reasons for a soldier's early discharge from the AIF. NCO - Non Commissioned Officer. ND - No diagnosis. Nom Roll - Nominal Roll. NYD - Not yet diagnosed. Pte - Private. The lowest rank in the force. Sgt - Sergeant. The NCO grade above Corporal. TOS - Taken on Strength. This was the process of adding a person to the ration strength of a unit. Tpr - Trooper. In early 1915, the AIF ordered that all members of the Australian Light Horse who were at the rank of Private were to be thenceforth called "Trooper". vice - In the place of ... usually a name follows. VO Cpl - Voyage Only Corporal. WOAS - When on active service
The Australian Light Horse Studies Centre in conjunction with the various Education authorities in Australia, has embarked upon producing a program of instruction targeted initially towards the Later Adolescence band of scholars, characteristically those who are studying in Year 9 and 10 within Australia. Each lesson will be a self contained module. Some will be more difficult than others and graded accordingly.
Lesson 11 Aboriginal Light Horsemen
Resource - Light Horseman Service Record - Essential Pages
The front cover of the Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad provides the reader with the following information:
Service Number,
Surname,
Given Names,
Age,
Employment,
Married or Single,
Next of Kin Relationship,
Next of Kin Name and Address,
Enlistment Date.
This information is vital as it identifies the specific soldier and in case of death or injury, allows the relatives to be informed. The next of kin was important for another reason. Each soldier was compelled to give an allotment of their daily wage to the person nominated as the next of kin. This was an essential financial consideration.
Once this information was gathered, the second page dealt with an oath to the King. The next page to give information was page 3.
2424 Pte Edward Collins, Attestation Paper, p. 3.
[Click on document for larger version.]
The third page of the Attestation Paper of Persons Enlisted for Service Abroad provides the reader with the following information:
Age,
Height,
Weight,
Chest Measurement
Complexion,
Eyes,
Hair,
Religion.
The health of the potential soldier was important as the life was particularly strenuous. The ability to carry heavy weights for great distances was most important.
The next form that is most common in the Service File is the B103, the Casualty Form - Active Service. Every movement of the soldier is recorded. The reasons for this are fourfold.
1. The location of the soldier at any one time was essential to establish where his rations were to be drawn.
2. The form established the entitlements to drawing pay at a particular level. A soldier in the field was allowed to draw pay but when in hospital was not allowed to draw their pay as it was considered that everything to assist the soldier's recovery was provided.
3. By tracking the movements of the soldier, it allowed early detection of desertion if that were to occur.
4. At the end of the war, the chronology of this form was used as the basis for post war entitlements such as medals, pensions, repatriation assistance, access to hospitals and any other service available for an ex-serviceman for the rest of his life.
The B103 may be as simple as one sheet or multiple sheets. It depended upon the individual serviceman.
To assist in understanding this particular form in relation to the men from the 11th LHR, Lesson 11 Resource, a list of terms and names are available at the Index to Common B103 Terms. The link is below.
2424 Pte Edward Collins, B103, p. 1.
[Click on document for larger version.]
The front of the B103, the Casualty Form - Active Service provides the reader with the following information:
Regiment
Rank on Enlistment,
Terms of Enlistment,
Embarkation Date,
Embarkation Port,
Embarkation Ship,
Date Taken on Strength.
As can be seen, the form is a chronology of the man's service in the AIF. All B103 forms in every service file is similar.
In this case the man has two pages to the form. To finish his story, the page will be turned over.
2424 Pte Edward Collins, B103, p. 2.
[Click on document for larger version.]
The back of the B103, the Casualty Form - Active Service provides the reader with the following information:
Chronology,
Fate,
Date.
Once the B103, the Casualty Form - Active Service was completed due to the expiration of service, any transactions during subsequent to service were recorded on a flimsey called Transferred to Australian Imperial Force D and it was here that all post service information was maintained.
2424 Pte Edward Collins, AIF D, p. 1.
[Click on document for larger version.]
Page 1 of the Transferred to Australian Imperial Force D provides the reader with the following information:
The last rank held in the AIF,
The date of Discharge,
The place where Discharged,
The eligible medals awarded to the serviceman.
Information on this form depends upon the individual. This particular form can at times run into many pages.
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