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From:
Date: 2/15/2002
Time: 10:17:29 PM
Remote Name: 211.28.148.172
BUTE ALFRED CHARTERS, Lance Corporal, regimental number 1154, 12th Australian Light Horse Regiment, died on Wednesday 31st October 1917. Age 28. Son of Daniel and Caroline Charters, of Hilltop, Barraba, New South Wales. Native of Queanbeyan, New South Wales. Buried in BEERSHEBA WAR CEMETERY, Israel Grave Reference/Panel Number: D. 64. Location: Beersheba is a town 43 kilometres south-east of Gaza, and about 74 kilometres south-west of Jerusalem. The Cemetery is situated on the south west of the town By October 1917, General Allenby's force had been entrenched in front of a strong Turkish position along the Gaza-Beersheba road for some months, but they were now ready to launch an attack with Beersheba as its first objective. On 31 October, the attack was carried out by the XXth Corps (10th, 53rd, 60th and 74th Divisions) on the west, and the Desert Mounted Corps on the east. That evening the 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade charged over the Turkish trenches into the town. The cemetery was made immediately on the fall of the town, remaining in use until July 1918, by which time 139 burials had been made It was greatly increased after the Armistice when burials were brought in from a number of scattered sites and small burial grounds. The cemetery now contains 1,241 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 67 of them unidentified.