"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, 3 March 2010
The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, 1st Field Company Engineers War Diary Topic: BatzG - Anzac
The Battle of Anzac Cove
Gallipoli, 25 April 1915
1st Field Company Engineers War Diary
War Diary account of the 1st Field Company Engineers, AIF.
The following is a transcription of the War Diary of the 1st Field Company Engineers, AIF, of their role in the landings at Anzac on 25 April 1915.
24 April 1915
The Company less two Officers, drivers and Company Headquarters Details embarked on HMS "Prince of Wales", "London" and "Queen" leaving Lemnos about 2 pm afternoon.
25 April 1915
Arrived at rendezvous off Gallipoli Peninsular about 2 am, transferred to ships boats and taken in tow by pinnaces proceeded to land. The landing was hotly opposed, the enemy well posted used machine guns and rifle fire. Without hesitation all ranks pushed forward and as day broke the heights adjacent to the landing place were in our possession. The first shots noted were fired at 4.27 am and 4.30 about the landing had begun. The Company having landed in three different divisions and each division going on with the Infantry unit it came ashore with it was some hours before sufficient sappers could be collected to commence a road that it was noticed was necessary to get guns, water and ammunition to the troops higher up. At 11.45 am this was commenced and worked at through the night completed next morning.
26 April 1915
Ordered to report to Brigadier General Walker on what is now named Plugge’s Plateau (worked up there during the operations of the 26th, 27th and 28th April. Relieved on morning of 29th. Casualties on landing and up to 29th, 4 killed 14 wounded.
The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, 1st Field Company Engineers, Roll of Honour Topic: BatzG - Anzac
The Battle of Anzac Cove
Gallipoli, 25 April 1915
Roll of Honour
1st Field Company Engineers, AIF
Poppies on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men from the 1st Field Company Engineers known to have served and lost their lives during the Battle of Anzac, 25 April 1915.
Roll of Honour
Walter FREEBAIRN, 1 Field Company Australian Engineers.
Alexander Joseph MCDONALD, 1 Field Company Australian Engineers.
William MOORE, 1 Field Company Australian Engineers.
Cleveland Edmund PAGE, 1 Field Company Australian Engineers.
Fred REYNOLDS, 1 Field Company Australian Engineers.
3rd Light Horse Signal Troop, AIF, Roll of Honour Topic: AIF - 3B - 3 Sig Trp
3rd LH Sig Trp, AIF
3rd Light Horse Signal Troop
Roll of Honour
Poppies on the Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men enrolled within the 3rd Light Horse Signal Troop, AIF known to have served and lost their lives during the Great War.
Roll of Honour
Reginald Frank CLARKE, Died of Disease, 8 April 1919, 2nd Australian Light Horse Signal Squadron.
Albert Reginald Stanley GARTRELL, Died of Disease, 26 March 1916, 1 Australian (Wireless) Signal Squadron.
Jesse HUMPHRYIS, Died of Disease, 2 April 1915, 3rd Australian Light Horse Signal Troop.
George ROBINSON, Killed in Action, 11 August 1918, 5th Division Signal Company.
Lewis THORNTON, Died of Wounds, 28 September 1917, 4th Division Signal Company.
Australian Mounted Division, Aus MD, Outline Topic: AIF - DMC - Aus MD
Aus MD
Australian Mounted Division
Outline
The formation of the Aus MD (Australian Mounted Division) began during February 1917, although initially called the (IMD) Imperial Mounted Division. The first units included the o 3rd Light Horse Brigade hived off from the Anzac Mounted Division; o 4th Light Horse Brigade, reconstituted after having been broken up as reinforcements to Gallipoli in August 1915; and, o two British mounted brigades.
The Australian government protested about the name and as a result, the division was renamed the Australian Mounted Division on 20 June 1917 and reflecting its substantial Australian composition. British units were gradually withdrawn except for the artillery, which remained entirely British to the end of the war.
The Imperial Mounted Division first saw action in the First Battle of Gaza in March 1917 and it was heavily engaged in the Second Battle of Gaza in April 1917.
During the Third Battle of Gaza it took part in the charge at Beersheba. Afterward it took part in all major operations that led to the fall of Jerusalem.
In April 1918, the division participated in an invasion of Moab across the Jordan River.
In September 1918, the Australian Mounted Division participated in the final breakthrough known as the Battle of Meggido and engaged in a high speed pursuit to Damascus, which it entered ahead of any other allied troops in October 1918.
Between 19 September 1918 and 3 October 1918 the division captured 31,335 prisoners.
Commanders
Major General W. Hodgson, from 8 February 1917 to past November 1918.
Casualties
During the period of campaigning, the Australian Mounted Division suffered the following casualties.
British Imperial Mounted Division (Egypt, February 1917)
* Imperial Mounted Division Artillery o British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade [16 x 18 pounders] + 1/1 Nottingham, 1/1 Berkshire Batteries + A and B Batteries, Honourable Artillery Company + British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column * Imperial Mounted Division Engineers o Imperial Field Squadron + 3rd, 4th Field Troops + British 6th, 7th Field Troops o Imperial Signal Squadron * Imperial Mounted Division Medical Services o 3rd, 4th Light Horse Field Ambulances o British 1/1, 1/2 South Midlands Mounted Brigade Field Ambulances o 8th Sanitary Section
(Victoria; Queensland and South Australia; New South Wales)
o 4th Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] o 4th Signal Troop * British 5th Mounted Brigade o 1/1 Warwickshire Yeomanry,1/1 Gloucester Hussars, 1/1 Worcestershire Yeomanry o British 16th Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] * British 6th Mounted Brigade o 1/1 Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars,1/1 Queens Own Dorsetshire Yeomanry, 1/1 Berkshire Yeomanry o British 17th Machinegun Squadron [Vickers machine guns] * Imperial Mounted Division Train o 3rd, 4th Supply Sections o 27th Depot Unit of Supply * Imperial Mounted Division Veterinary Services o 8th, 9th Mobile Veterinary Sections o British 3/1, 4/1 South Midlands Mobile Veterinary Sections
Australian Mounted Division (Palestine, August 1917)
* Australian Mounted Division Artillery o British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade [18 x 18 pounders] + British 1/1 Nottingham Battery + British A and B Batteries, Honourable Artillery Company + British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column * Australian Mounted Division Engineers o 2nd Field Squadron o 2nd Signal Squadron * Australian Mounted Division Medical Services o 3rd, 4th Light Horse Field Ambulances o British 1/1 South Midlands Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance o 8th Sanitary Section
(Victoria; Queensland and South Australia; New South Wales)
o 4th Machine Gun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] o 4th Signal Troop * British 5th Mounted Brigade o British 1/1 Warwickshire Yeomanry,1/1 Gloucester Hussars, 1/1 Worcestershire Yeomanry o British 19th Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] o British 6th Signal Troop * Australian Mounted Division Train o 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th Australian Army Service Corps Companies o 27th Depot Unit of Supply * Australian Mounted Division Veterinary Services o 8th, 9th Mobile Veterinary Sections o British 3/1 South Midlands Mobile Veterinary Section
Australian Mounted Division (Palestine, July 1918)
* Australian Mounted Division Artillery o British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade [18 x 13 pounders] + British 1/1 Nottingham Battery + A and B Batteries, Honourable Artillery Company + British 19th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column * Australian Mounted Division Engineers o 2nd Field Squadron o 2nd Signal Squadron * Australian Mounted Division Medical Services o 3rd, 4th, 5th Light Horse Field Ambulances o 8th Sanitary Section
o New Zealand 2nd Machine Gun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] o 5th Signal Troop * Australian Mounted Division Train o 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th Australian Army Service Corps Companies o 27th Depot Unit of Supply * Australian Mounted Division Veterinary Services o 8th, 9th, 10th Mobile Veterinary Sections
Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division Outline Topic: AIF - DMC - Anzac MD
Anzac MD
Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division
Outline
The formation of the Anzac MD (Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division) began during February 1916. During this time of formation the 1st Light Horse Brigade was despatched to the Western Desert to fight the Senussi while the balance of the Division moved to the Suez Canal defensive zone to relieve the 1st Infantry Division, which was preparing to transfer to the Western Front.
The division soon became involved in raiding the Turkish positions.
An attempt by the Turks to attack the Suez Canal in August 1916 resulted in their force being intercepted and defeated by the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division in the Battle of Romani. The division followed up its victory, pursuing the Turks to the Palestine frontier, capturing major Turkish positions at Magdhaba in December 1916 and Rafah in January 1917.
In March 1917 the division surrounded Gaza during the First Battle of Gaza but was ordered to withdraw.
It played a minor role in the Second Battle of Gaza before participating in the Third, successful Battle of Gaza in October 1917. Afterward it pursued the enemy as far as Jaffa.
In March and again in April 1918, the division made major raids across the Jordan River.
In August 1918, the Anzac Mounted Division participated in the final breakthrough and captured Amman in September 1918, capturing 10,300 prisoners in just nine days.
Units of this division reoccupied Gallipoli in December 1918.
Commanders
Major General Harry G. Chauvel, from 16 March 1916 to 20 April 1917; and,
Major General E.W.C. Chaytor, from 21 April 1917 to past November 1918.
Casualties
During the period of campaigning, the Anzac MD and Australian Mounted Division suffered the following casualties.
Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division (Egypt, April 1916)
* Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division Artillery o British 3rd (Territorial Force) Horse Artillery Brigade [8 x 18 pounders] + British Leicester, Somerset Batteries + British 3rd Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column o British 4th (Territorial Force) Horse Artillery Brigade [8 x 18 pounders] + British Inverness, Ayr Batteries + British 4th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column * Anzac Mounted Division Engineers o Anzac Field Squadron o Anzac Signal Squadron * Anzac Mounted Division Medical Services o 1st, 2nd, 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulances o New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance
o New Zealand Mounted Rifles Signal Troop * Anzac Mounted Division Train o 1st, 2nd, 3rd Supply Sections o New Zealand Mounted Rifles Supply Section * Anzac Mounted Division Veterinary Services o 6th, 7th, 8th Mobile Veterinary Sections o New Zealand 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section
Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division (Egypt, February 1917)
* Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division Horse Artillery o British 3rd (Territorial Force) Horse Artillery Brigade [8 x 18 pounders] + British Leicester, Somerset Batteries + British 3rd Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column o British 4th (Territorial Force) Horse Artillery Brigade [8 x 18 pounders] + British Inverness, Ayr Batteries + British 4th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column * Anzac Mounted Division Engineers o Anzac Field Squadron o Anzac Signal Squadron * Anzac Mounted Division Medical Services o 1st, 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulances o New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance o British 22nd Mounted Field Ambulance o 7th Sanitary Section
o New Zealand 1st Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] o New Zealand Mounted Rifles Signal Troop * British 22nd Mounted Brigade o British 1/1 Staffordshire Yeomanry, 1/1 Lincoln Yeomanry, 1/1 East Riding Yeomanry o British 18th Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] o British 22nd Mounted Brigade Signal Troop * Anzac Mounted Division Train o 1st, 2nd Supply Sections o New Zealand Mounted Rifles Supply Section o 26th Depot Unit of Supply * Anzac Mounted Division Veterinary Services o 6th, 7th Mobile Veterinary Sections o New Zealand 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section
Anzac Mounted Division (Palestine, February 1918)
* Anzac Mounted Division Artillery o British 18th Horse Artillery Brigade [18 x 13 pounders] + British Somerset , Inverness, Ayr Batteries + British 18th Horse Artillery Brigade Ammunition Column * Anzac Mounted Division Engineers o 1st Field Squadron o 1st Signal Squadron * Anzac Mounted Division Medical Services o 1st, 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulances o New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance o 7th Sanitary Section
o New Zealand 1st Machinegun Squadron [12 x Vickers machine guns] o New Zealand Mounted Brigade Signal Troop * Anzac Mounted Division Train o 32nd, 33rd, 34th Australian Army Service Corps Companies o 5th New Zealand Army Service Corps Company o 26th Depot Unit of Supply * Anzac Mounted Division Veterinary Services o 6th, 7th Mobile Veterinary Sections o New Zealand 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section
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