"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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Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Bir el Mazar, Sinai, 17 September 1916, 1st LHFA, AIF, War Diary Account Topic: AIF - 1B - 1 LHFA
Bir el Mazar
Sinai, 17 September 1916
1st LHFA, AIF, War Diary Account
War Diary account of the 1st LHFA, AIF.
The transcription:
16 September 1916
0330 - Arrived at Bir el Abd with 1st Light Horse Brigade. Camels with Captain Parry arrived at 0645. Major Robertson reported 0700. Drivers Gillies and Caulfield reported from New Zealand Mounted Rifles Field Ambulance and Private McLean from Camel Convoy (to which he had been acting as Guide.) Bivouacked all day. Received message from Assistant Director of Medical Services, ANZAC Mounted Division to proceed with 1st Light Horse Brigade to Salmana and await orders.
17 September 1916
0130 - Left Bir el Abd with the 1st Light Horse Brigade.
0330 - Arrived Salmana. Bivouacked in Hod all day.
1645 - Under orders from Division Headquarters, removed to site 600 yards south east of hod.
1930 - 3 casualties arrived from 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance.
2000 - 10 casualties arrived from 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance.
2045 - 6 casualties from 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance arrived without dressings.
2300 - All casualties dressed and fed, loaded into sandcarts and sledges. Left Salmana independently.
18 September 1916
0030 - arrived Bir el Abd and drew rations and water.
0130 - Left Bir el Abd.
0530 - Arrived Kilo 60 and handed over all cases to Casualty Clearing Station (2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance) in fairly good condition.
Bivouacked all day under orders from Assistant Director of Medical Services. Drew rations at 1600.
1740 - Left Kilo 60.
2230 - Arrived Romani. Horses and Camels in fairly good shape.
Bir el Abd, Sinai, 9 August 1916, 1st LHFA, AIF, War Diary Account Topic: AIF - 1B - 1 LHFA
Bir el Abd
Sinai, 9 August 1916
1st LHFA, AIF, War Diary Account
War Diary account of the 1st LHFA, AIF.
The transcription:
9 August
0400
Left Qatia
0830
Arrived Hod ed Debabis and reported to Assistant Director Medical Services. Opened dressing station.
1200
Started receiving cases.
1430
Captain McLaren with "A" Section Bearers and 4 Sand Carts proceeded forward to New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Collecting Post and 2 Sand Carts were detailed to Collecting Post of 5th Light Horse Regiment.
1500
Sent 2 Sand Carts and 1 sledge to Kilo 47 Casualty Clearing Station with urgent cases.
1700
Despatched 16 Camels with casualties and camel convoy at Oghratina.
1730
1 Sledge sent out with orders to collect wounded men. Had not returned in time to move with unit but arrived Oghratina 0500 10 August.
2030
Received orders from Assistant Director Medical Services to pack up and return to Oghratina abandoning any equipment on which we had no transport.
2110
Finished dressing casualties.
2130
Reported all ready to move. Had to abandon cacolets as our camels had not returned. All casualties loaded on and our carts and sledges and 2 in cacolets. Total number wounded 56 including 6 Turks.
2400
Arrived Oghratina and handed our wounded to Camel Convoy.
The Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917, 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance Transport Subdivision, War Diary Account Topic: AIF - 1B - 1 LHFA
The Battle of Rafa
Sinai, 9 January 1917
1st Light Horse Field Ambulance Transport Subdivision, War Diary Account
1st Light Horse Field Ambulance Transport Subdivision, War Diary Account
The following is a transcription of the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance Transport Subdivision, War Diary Account detailing their role at the Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917.
Report on work of Transport Subdivision under Captain Parry
Sheikh Zowaiid 9 January 1917
0100 Moved out with horse transport and bearers and arrived at Shokh el Sufi at 0700 and joined up with 1st Light Horse Brigade keeping in touch with Brigade Headquarters.
1430 Captain Parry requested Staff Captain to wire Assistant Director Medical Services for our camel transport to be sent forward to 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance Dressing Station at Karm ibn Musleh.
1630 Fighting increased and wounded began to collect quickly. Sent all sandcarts to Regimental Collecting posts. While accompanying these Private Robertson receive an abdominal wound. About 1430 Private Davis was shot in the back.
1730 Message received from Brigade Headquarters notifying retirement and request made to get in wounded as quickly as possible. Ordered all bearers at Collecting Station to locate wounded and if possible to bring them back to Regimental Collecting Posts. the enemy by this time had surrendered. With w sandcarts cleared all remaining wounded to 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance Dressing Station and informed Brigade that all wounded had been collected. With last sand cart absent under Lieutenant Blackett, Captain Parry returned to 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance Dressing Station and then with 2 sand carts collected wounded from other Brigades and enemy wounded until 0145.
Sheikh Zowaiid 10 January 1917
0145 Left Karm ibn Musleh and returned to Receiving Station with convoy of wounded.
0730 Arrived Sheikh Zowaiid.
War Diaries
All War Diaries cited on this site should be read in conjunction with the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, AIF War Diaries of the Great War, Site Transcription Policy which may be accessed at:
The Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917, 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, War Diary Account Topic: AIF - 1B - 1 LHFA
The Battle of Rafa
Sinai, 9 January 1917
1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, War Diary Account
1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, War Diary Account
The following is a transcription of the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, War Diary Account detailing their role at the Battle of Rafa, Sinai, 9 January 1917.
El Arish 8 January 1917
1525 Mobile Section proceeded to assembly point of Division. Officers present: commanding Officer Captain Parry, Bateman and Machin.
1630 Marched out from El Risa with Division.
2230 Arrived at point about 2 miles west of Sheikh Zowaiid. Captain Parry reported to Assistant Director Medical Services for orders. Tent subdivision bivouacked.
Sheikh Zowaiid 9 January 1917
0100 Captain Parry with bearer transport moved out with Column.
0630 Tent subdivision with all camel transport proceeded to wells at Sheikh Zowaiid and opened dressing station.
0730 Received 2 EP Tents from 17th Welch Field Ambulance Casualty Convoy.
0845 6 men from 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance reported for duty with 2 EP and 1 Operating Tent from motor patrol cars.
Sent Signal Message to Assistant Director Medical Services notifying position of Dressing Station.
1500 5 Casualties from 5th Mounted Brigade and New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade arrived slightly injured and were evacuated to El Arish on horseback.
1530 Received signal message from Assistant Director Medical Services to send to front line our cacolet camels and No. 1 Convoy Welch Field Ambulance.
1630 This convoy left Sheikh Zowaiid.
1800 Casualties began to arrive and continued all night and following day completely overtaxing our tent accommodation. Could not get into communication with Assistant Director Medical Services.
2230 Sergeant Knox returned with camels and reported that he had been ordered to return by a Staff Officer. Captain Bateson (Welch Field Ambulance) also returned with his convoy not having reached his destination.
Sheikh Zowaiid 10 January 1917
0400 Lieutenant Colonel Powles reported that camel convoy was awaited at Dressing Station at Karm ibn Musleh. Notified Captain Bateson.
0500 Camel Convoy (Welch Field Ambulance) with 28 sitting cases left for El Arish.
0700 General Chetwode (General Officer Commanding Desert Column) visited Receiving Station and gave orders for telephone to be installed and urgent supplies to be obtained by sand cart and aeroplane. Signalled Colonel Trew accordingly.
0930 Camel Convoy (Welch Field Ambulance) with 56 cases left for El Arish. Captain Bateson with convoy left for Karm ibn Musleh.
1030 Assistant Director Medical Services arrived at Receiving Station.
1300 Convoy left for El Arish with 62 Cases.
1400 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance camels left for El Arish with 41 cases.
1430 convoy of Sandcarts and sledges (3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance and Lowlands Field Ambulance) left for El Arish with 101 cases.
1500 Small supply of dressings and medical comforts received by aeroplane.
Lowland Field Ambulance took over the Dressing Tent and dressed Turkish wounded.
1730 Camel convoy left with 23 cases.
1800 Obtained 400 rations but no fodder.
2300 Finished dressing all casualties.
Sheikh Zowaiid 11 January 1917
0730 Drew fodder from Wellington Mounted Rifles.
0800 Started loading cases and striking camp.
1100 Finished loading cases.
1130 Left Sheikh Zowaiid under escort of Wellington Mounted Rifles with 132 cases.
1820 Arrived El Risa.
War Diaries
All War Diaries cited on this site should be read in conjunction with the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, AIF War Diaries of the Great War, Site Transcription Policy which may be accessed at:
1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, AIF, Embarkation Roll, Roll: A - Z Topic: AIF - 1B - 1 LHFA
1st LHFA, AIF
1st Light Horse Field Ambulance
Embarkation Roll: A - Z
The following is a composite alphabetical roll of all members of 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance, AIF who are known to have embarked overseas during the Great War.
Each man is listed with:
Service Number
Rank at Embarkation
First Names
Family Name
If applicable, the false name used
Notes
Note 1: All soldiers’ names are linked to the specific unit and date when embarkation occurred. By utilising the link, upon the Embarkation Roll is a brief military biography of the individual. Also on the page are details and picture of the ship in which embarkation occurred for that specific soldier.
Note 2: There are duplications of some names in the following list. The reason for this is that the soldier embarked on more than one occasion. This was the simplest way of resolving the problem of multiple entries for a single individual.
Note 3: In comparing this roll with the official Embarkation Rolls published by the Department of Defence during the Great War, it will be noticed that some names are absent. The reason for this lies in the fact that when the official Embarkation Rolls were compiled, last minute absentees for one reason or another were recorded as embarking whereas in actuality, no embarkation occurred. In addition, there are other names that have been included that do not appear in the official Embarkation Rolls and yet they embarked with that particular group.
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