Woombye honours ‘last great cavalry charge’ at Beersheba

by Cameron Outridge
A Beersheba Day Parade and Commemoration Service was held in Woombye on Sunday November 1. More than 20 horses and troopers, Red Cross nurses, veterans and Woombye businessman Adam Kither in his Blitz Wagon paraded down Blackall Street.

Joining the 2nd Light Horse Regiment Woombye Troop were the 5th Light Horse Regiment Gympie Troop, the 5th Light Horse Maleny Troop, the Cooroy and District historical Troop, Australian Army Veterinary Corps Memorial Troop, the Queensland Mounted Infantry Historical Troop, the Red Cross nurses, the RSL, veterans and current serving members of the defence force.

Troop chaplain Major Peter Walsh said the ceremony reminded people what made Australia great.

“It’s not war that makes us great but it’s the young men and women who in times of grave circumstances continue to show what we now know as the Anzac spirit of courage, endurance, initiative and mateship.

“This battle was such an amazing battle at the time because if the Beersheba Gaza line wasn’t taken, the desert forces were going to be virtually crippled and would have been lost due to the desert environment,” said Major Walsh.

“But what makes the charge of the Light Horse so significant was that for 11 hours, the British cavalry had tried multiple attacks against Beersheba. As we heard they had failed.

“This charge of the Light Horse was so amazing it showed again incredible courage and initiative. These men were trained to be mounted infantry, which meant that you actually fought from the ground, you never fought from your horse. And on this day they were directed, without training, to cross a large distance in open territory to do something that they had not been trained to do and required great initiative, mateship as well. And so was born the legend.

“We’re not here to commemorate war, we’re more here to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and those willing to serve, not for themselves, but for their nation and their community.

‘These men were trained to be mounted infantry, which meant that you actually fought from the ground, you never fought from your horse.’

“We remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. They gave up their tomorrow so we could have today. And we are a nation now proud to have the freedoms that we have because these people had paid that sacrifice.”

Major Walsh said 2020 has been an interesting year and had posed a lot of difficulties.

“And I would say all of us here today has been affected by the circumstances of 2020. Different to what, obviously, the Light Horse faced in World War one, but still requiring courage, endurance, initiative and mateship.

“And I don’t think these things were born on the battlefield of Gallipoli. I believe these four characteristics are what makes Australia, since our settlement and since the time of our indigenous people. It’s a hallmark of who we are. And at Gallipoli we were shown a great example of what it is to be Australian. We are full of courage, we have the endurance to endure difficult times, the initiative to make things better and the mateship that goes with that.”

Keynote speaker Cr Winston Johnston said he had great respect for people who served their country and for people who kept commemorations of great events alive.

“Because without people like yourselves, many people in Australia would never know

very much about the Battle at Beersheba. Briefly the battle was the charge of the 4th Australian Light Horse at Beersheba late in the afternoon of the 31st of October 1917. It’s remembered as the last great cavalry charge.

“With time running out for the Australians to capture Beersheba and its wells before dark Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel, the Australian commander of the Desert Mounted Corps ordered Brigadier General William Grant, commanding the 4th Light Horse Brigade, to make a mounted attack directly towards the town.

“The Australian Light Horse was used purely as cavalry for the first time. Although they were not equipped with cavalry sabres, the Turks who faced the long bayonets held by the Australians did not consider there was much difference between a charge by cavalry and a charge by mounted infantry. The Light Horse moved off at the trot, and almost at once quickened to a gallop. As they came over the top of the ridge and looked down the long, gentle open slopes to Beersheba, they were seen by the Turkish gunners, who opened fire. But the pace was too fast for the gunners.

“After 3km Turkish machine-gunners opened fire from the flank, but they were detected and silenced by British artillery. The rifle fire from the Turkish trenches was wild and high as the Light Horse approached. The front trench and the main trench were jumped and some men dismounted and then attacked the Turks with rifle and bayonet from the rear. Some galloped ahead to seize the rear trenches, while other squadrons galloped straight into Beersheba. Nearby, all the wells of Beersheba were intact and further water was available from a storm that had filled the pools. The 4th and 12th Light Horse casualties were 31 killed and 36 wounded. This is hard to believe but they captured over 700 men. The capture of Beersheba meant that the Gaza-Beersheba line was turned. Gaza fell a week later and on 9 December 1917, the British troops entered Jerusalem. And so the legend of Beersheba was born.”