"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 121.
Colonel Hüsnü, Yildirim, Page 121.
[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 - Brigade Church Parade at 0900.
1917
Monday, November 5, 1917
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Karm.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - At 0500 moved to El Imara. C Squadron moved forward and held day outpost line Pt 300 - 2 Tree Farm at Abu Shawish - 510. Relieved by B Squadron at 1500. In addition one squadron standing in lines. Watered at Karum Abu el Hiseia. At 1900 the whole Regiment moved to day outpost line and held that line during the night less the post on 300 which was taken over by 10th Light Horse Regiment.
3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary -
The role of the Australian Mounted Division in the Karm area was: -
[a]. To watch the gap between Wadi Hanafish, on the right, [the left of the 20th Corps], and Karum Abu el Hiseia, on the left, [the right of the 21st Corps];
[b]. Protect the rail head which was now at Karm; and,
[c]. To be in readiness on the fall of the enemy's position at Tel Abu Hareira and Tel el Sheria to take up the pursuit.
At 0630 on 5th November 3rd Light Horse Brigade relieved the 6th Mounted Brigade, taking over the left sector - 550 exclusive to Karum Abu el Hiseia inclusive - of the Divisional Line. 9th and 10th Light Horse Regiments held the day outpost lines, and both Regiments came under heavy shelling during the early part of the morning from the direction of Hareira.
Our infantry attack on Tel el Sheria was now developing, and a very heavy bombardment on Gaza could be heard. At about 1300 considerable enemy movement about five miles north easterly direction was observed.
On the night of 5th November, 9th and 10th Light Horse Regiments held the night outpost line. The night was quiet throughout.
1918
Tuesday, November 5, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Homs
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Information received that the following honours and awards had been granted by the Commander In Chief:
Bar to DSO, Scott, Lieutenant Colonel WH, CMG DSO.
Military Medal: Wuchatach, 504 Staff Sergeant Major BG.
Orders received that Australian Mounted Division less 5th Light Horse Brigade would march to Tripoli in Brigade groups. 3rd Light Horse Brigade to move from present area on the 6th November 1918. Information received that an armistice had been concluded with Austria.
1919
Wednesday, November 5, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Adelaide
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Regiment disbanded.
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 5 November 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
5 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, 5 - 9 November 1918
[Click on page for a larger print version.]
Bert Schramm
Tuesday, November 5, 1918
Bert Schramm's Location - Homs, Syria
Bert Schramm's Diary - More good news today. Official news says we are now at peace with Austria. Hostilities ceased at 4 pm yesterday. Haven't heard the terms but believe it amounts to unconditional surrender and we have full access of manoeuvring through Austria to attack Germany from that way. But the general opinion is that Germany will have peace also within a few weeks. We are moving to Tripoli tomorrow, a small town near the coast sixty eight miles from here.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Homs, Syria
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Information received that the following honours and awards had been granted by the Commander In Chief:
Bar to DSO, Scott, Lieutenant Colonel WH, CMG DSO.
Military Medal: Wuchatach, 504 Staff Sergeant Major BG.
Orders received that Australian Mounted Division less 5th Light Horse Brigade would march to Tripoli in Brigade groups. 3rd Light Horse Brigade to move from present area on the 6th November 1918. Information received that an armistice had been concluded with Austria.
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 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.
2425 Pte Jack Costello, 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.
2425 Pte Jack Costello, 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.
2425 Pte Jack Costello, 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.
2425 Pte Jack Costello, 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.
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 4 November 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
4 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
Monday, November 4, 1918
Bert Schramm's Location - Homs, Syria
Bert Schramm's Diary - No news today. We hear we are to move near the coast in the course of a few days. I am feeling pretty confident we will have peace by Xmas.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Homs, Syria
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Led horses left at Damascus for reinforcements regained Regiment at 1730. Two reinforcements received for 9th Light Horse Regiment. The 9th led horses were used by reinforcements of other reinforcements of the division. These horses on arrival showed lack of attention and 33% had sore backs.
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 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.
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