Light Horse Art

Overwhelmingly outnumbered by the attacking Turkish forces the Light Horsemen were forced to fall back. The retreat was unable to be concealed from the Turks who attacked with renewed zeal shouting ‘Allah, Allah …finish Australia”. As the horse handlers came forward for the Light Horsemen to remount and retreat the Turks were upon them. Many horses floundered in the loose sand, and in…

His nickname, ‘Galloping Jack’, would stick. Late in the first day’s battle a bullet lodged in Royston’s calf. Ordered by Major General (Sir) Harry Chauvel to have the wound treated, he galloped off before the dressing was completed, trailing strips of bandage. On the second day of battle Chauvel ordered him to hospital. Royston left within a…

Pictured are Corporal Austin Edwards, his horse Taffy, and all equipment. Corporal Edwards was seriously wounded at the Battle of Romani. During the battle, Taffy stood still for his wounded rider to remount and escape. Military Articles & Anecdotes THE AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE AT WAR 1914 – 1918 By Lt Col Edwin L. Kennedy Jnr . US Army Artist’s…

This is how this event happened as related by trooper Ion Idriess of the 5th Australian Light Horse Regiment in his diary in 1916 The 11th of August was a happy day-for the section….The 2nd Brigade was moving somewhere to our left among sandhills. The section was sent out to find them, so trotted away well content at…

“An incident of the days immediately after the Romani operations throws an interesting light on the chivalrous attitude of Chauvel’s Light Horsemen towards their enemy. On August 19, 5th regiment was sent out to investigate an air report of a party of men with camels. It looked like another wild goose chase when an alert youngster…

Here is the true story related in the book ‘CHAUVEL OF THE LIGHT HORSE’ by Alec Hill p 84… “An incident of the days immediately after the Romani operations throws an interesting light on the chivalrous attitude of Chauvel’s Light Horsemen towards their enemy. On August 19, 5th regiment was sent out to investigate an air…

Here is the true story related in the book ‘CHAUVEL OF THE LIGHT HORSE’ by Alec Hill p 84… “An incident of the days immediately after the Romani operations throws an interesting light on the chivalrous attitude of Chauvel’s Light Horsemen towards their enemy. On August 19, 5th regiment was sent out to investigate an air…

This light horseman has been bitterly disappointed, for the mail has come and he has missed out again. This was the experience of trooper Ion Idriess for this is what he wrote in his diary in 1916… “June 21st  _ Yesterday fifteen bags of mail (thousands of letters) came for the 5TH. And yet there was not…

During World War 1 letters and parcels were sent by ship and took many weeks, sometimes months to reach the intended recipient; especially if they were out on a “stunt” in the desert . Soldier’s on deployment overseas eagerly await news from home by mail, and these communications can be a great morale booster to…

The loyalty, respect and affection between many a trooper and his  assigned horse became legendary, and man and horse became equally reliant on each other for their continued wellbeing and survival. These strong and hardy horses known as  Walers, had been bred in Australia and like the men that rode them they had developed the strong constitution…