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..."
an eye witness account by Trooper Ion Idriess
Pictured are just one section of two regiments of Australian Light Horse that on the 31st of October 1917, braved shell and machine-gun fire to gallop over 3 miles of open plain, and with bayonets drawn,charge the Turkish stronghold of Beersheba.
The men and horses were ravenously thirsty, the horses having had no water for nearly 60 hours, which gave an urgency to the attack, for once the horses smelled water there was no stopping them.
TheTurks overwhelmed by the speed and sheer audacity of the attack, failed to lower their gun-sights quickly enough, enabling the light horse regiments to gallop beneath their fire.
Within an hour Beersheba was won, and most of the precious wells were saved. This victory was strategically important as it opened the way to the taking of Palestine and Jerusalem, thus changing the course of history in the Middle East.
Of the 800 men and horses involved in this charge, 44 horses were killed, 32 horsemen died and 36 were injured. It was one of the last great cavalry charges in military history and one of the most successful.
The Light Horse Charge At Beersheba: http://www.lighthorse.org.au/famous-battles/world-war-one/famous-battles-the-battle-at-beersheba
”Beersheba Remembered”
“Spur” OFFICIAL AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE
17TH EDITION, April 1999
