"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.
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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 122.
Colonel Hüsnü, Yildirim, Page 122.
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This chapter deals with Hüsnü observations of the Turkish response to Beersheba on other parts of the battlefield.
Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 6 November 1918 Topic: Diary - Schramm
Diaries of AIF Servicemen
Bert Schramm
6 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
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Bert Schramm
Wednesday, November 6, 1918
Bert Schramm's Location - Homs, Syria
Bert Schramm's Diary - We left Homs at 5.30 tonight and travelled fourteen miles and camped at a place called Umm Hartein. Good roads but country very rough and hilly. No fresh news through today.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Homs, Syria
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 1730 The Regiment joined remainder of 3rd Light Horse Brigade and moved to Umm Hartein arriving there at 2300 and bivouacked for remainder of night. Allen, 3439 Trooper H, died of illness.
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 - Very heavy firing on our right last night. Troops stood to arms from 2000 to 2130.
1916
Monday, November 6, 1916
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Bir Etmaler
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Syllabus of Refresher Course for all Non Commissioned Officers and Troopers desirous of promotion.
1917
Tuesday, November 6, 1917
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - El Imara; Abu Shawish.
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Moved from night outpost line at 0600. Watered Hiseia and rationed Ilimara and moved at 1100 back towards Abu Shawish. From this place our infantry could be observed advancing on the Rushdi System
The Regiment moved at the trot to Australian Mounted Division Headquarters on 550 where orders were received to occupy night outpost line. Regiment moved forward into position. A Squadron held the line from one mile south west of Turkish railway viaduct near Khirbit Kauwukah to Wadi Imleih 1000 yards north west of Bir Ifteis. B Squadron with two troops of C Squadron held from Wadi Imleih exclusive to point 510 inclusive. A Squadron linked up with the infantry on the right who were well established in the Rushdi System having captured that place late in the afternoon. Regimental command post was established 800 yards north west of Bir Ifteis.
The night passed quietly on 9th Light Horse Regiment sector. Brigade field message received stating Lane, Staff Sergeant Major BGB; and, Cattle, 1527 Staff Sergeant HJ, promoted to Second Lieutenants.
3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary -
The 8th Light Horse Regiment; at 0030 on 6th Nov. relieved troops from the 9th and 10th Light Horse Regiments in the day outpost line. Relief of troops continued throughout the day and all horses of the Brigade were enabled to be watered once that day at Hiseia or at Fara in the Wadi Ghuzze.
The situation along the Divisional front remained quiet but at 1100 our Infantry could be seen advancing on the Rushdi System.
At 1500 orders were received for 9th Light Horse Regiment to move rapidly and take up a line on the left on the Infantry who were now well established in the Rushdi System. The line held was from Khirbit Kauwukah to point 510.
Enemy shelled throughout the day but only two casualties were inflicted on our troops. Special reconnaissances to El Magam, Khirbit el Rijm and Wadi el Baha, were made by troops from 8th Light Horse Regiment during the morning, and were found clear of enemy, but enemy were observed at Rijm el Atawineh. It was now evident that the enemy had fallen back everywhere on to his stronghold at Tel el Sheria.
At 1600 orders were received for 3rd Light Horse Brigade, to come under the direct of GHQ, and at 2300 GHQ ordered the Brigade to concentrate in the vicinity of Karm in readiness for rapid movement to Tel el Sheria, via Wadi Imleih and Bir Salim Abu Irgeig.
1918
Wednesday, November 6, 1918
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Homs
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 1730 The Regiment joined remainder of 3rd Light Horse Brigade and moved to Umm Hartein arriving there at 2300 and bivouacked for remainder of night. Allen, 3439 Trooper H, died of illness.
1919
Thursday, November 6, 1919
9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Adelaide
9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Regiment disbanded.
9th LHR, AIF, Roll of Honour, Harry Allen Topic: AIF - 3B - 9 LHR
9th LHR, AIF
9th Australian Light Horse Regiment
Roll of Honour
Harry Allen
Harry Allen's name on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial
Harry Allen
Service number: 3439
Rank: Trooper [Tpr]
Unit: 9th Australian Light Horse
Service: Army
Conflict: 1914-1918
Date of death: 6 November 1918
Cause of death: Pneumonia
Cemetery or memorial details: EGYPT 7 Port Said War Memorial Cemetery
War Grave Register notes: ALLEN, Tpr. Harry, 3439. 9th Australian Light Horse. Died of pneumonia 6th Nov., 1918. Age 38. Son of Harry and Hannah Allen; husband of R. J. Allen, of Port Rd., Kilkenny, South Australia. H. 9.
Source: AWM145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army.
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.
2430 Pte John Johnston, Attestation Paper, p. 3
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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.
2430 Pte John Johnston, B103, p. 1.
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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.
Chronology,
Fate,
Date.
The B103, the Casualty Form - Active Service indicates that 2430 Pte John Johnston was killed in action on 1 June 1918. To find the details of the incident which resulted in his death, the unit War Diary is necessary. Below is the specific entry for that particular day from the War Diary of the 11th Light Horse Regiment, 1 June 1918.
2430 Pte John Johnston, 11th LHR War Diary, 1 June 1918.
At 4pm, 1 June 1918, the Turkish artillery sent two shells amongst a group of horse being led by the horseholders, possibly for the purposes of watering them. 2430 Pte John Johnston was badly wounded by the shelling and removed to the 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance for care. It was here that he died.
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.
2430 Pte John Johnston, AIF D, p. 1.
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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 death,
Contacts with the next of kin,
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.
One contact with the relatives of a deceased soldier was the words to be placed upon the tombstone.
2430 Pte John Johnston, Tombstone Inscription.
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When the Australian Military Forces, 1st Military District, the medals belonging to 2430 Pte John Johnston were sent to his next of kin who was his mother.
2430 Pte John Johnston, Medal delivery problems.
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The medals could not be delivered and after exhausting all efforts to find the mother, the medals were returned unclaimed. This was by no means unusual. Over 30% of medals earned during the Great War in Australia were never claimed.
2430 Pte John Johnston, a brief military biography from The AIF Project:
John JOHNSTON
Regimental number
2430
Religion
Church of England
Occupation
Station hand
Address
Oondooroo, Winton, Queensland
Marital status
Single
Age at embarkation
26
Next of kin
Mother, Mrs Lucy Johnston, Spring Vale Station, Winton, Queensland
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