ARMY STRUCTURE EXPLAINED AND REGIMENTAL SERVICE
Divisions, Brigades and Regiments
Desert Mounted Corps
Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel 1917-1918
Anzac Mounted Division
Major General Harry Chauvel 1916-1917
Major General Edward Chaytor 1917-1918
1st Brigade 1st Light Horse Regiment (NSW)
2nd Light Horse Regiment (QLD)
3rd Light Horse Regiment (SA, Tas)
2nd Brigade 5th Light Horse Regiment (QLD)
6th Light Horse Regiment (NSW)
7th Light Horse Regiment (NSW)
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment
Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment
Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment
Australian Mounted Division
Major General HW Hodgson 1917-1918
3rd Brigade 8th Light Horse Regiment (Vic)
9th Light Horse Regiment (SA, Vic)
10th Light Horse Regiment (WA)
4th Brigade 4th Light Horse Regiment (Vic)
11th Light Horse Regiment (QLD, SA)
12th Light Horse Regiment ((NSW)
5th Brigade 14th Light Horse Regiment
15th Light Horse Regiment
As part of the 'Unattached Units'
- 13th Light Horse Regiment
- Imperial Camel Corps
- II ANZAC (XXII Corps) Mounted Regiment
Structure and Organisation
- Regiment = 400 men and 25 officers
- Squadron = A regiment was divided into 3 squadrons – A, B, C
- Troop = A squadron was divided into 4 troops
- Section = A troop was divided into 10 x 4 man sections
One of the men would take four horses out of danger while the other three went into battle.
World War 1 Light Horse Regiments
1st Australian Light Horse Regiment: From NSW. Sailed from Sydney 9/10/1914. Part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli (lost 147 of 200 men in one assault), Romani, Maghdaba, Rafa, Gaza 2, Beersheba, Coastal sweep via Jaffa to Jerusalem, Jericho, Amman 1, Es Salt/Amman 2 and Amman 3. Won 85 military awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51035/
2nd Australian Light Horse Regiment. From QLD (and northern NSW). Sailed from Brisbane 25/9/1914. Part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli (at Quinn’s point), Romani, Maghdaba, Rafa, Gaza 2, Beersheba, Coastal sweep via Jaffa to Jerusalem, Jericho, Amman 1, Es Salt/Amman 2 and Amman 3. Won 77 military awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51036/
3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment. From SA (2 squadrons) and TAS (1 squadron). Sailed Oct 1914. Part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli, Romani, Maghdaba, Rafa, Gaza 2, Beersheba, Coastal sweep via Jaffa to Jerusalem, Jericho, Amman 1, Es Salt/Amman 2 and Amman 3. Won 52 military awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51037/
4th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From VIC. Formed as a divisional cavalry unit. 20% of the regiment were city dwellers. Sailed from Melbourne 19/10/1914. They were part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade of the Australian Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli, initially as reinforcements then (Ryrie’s post). Half sent to the Western Front. Served in Beersheba (charge), Es Salt/Amman. Given swords in Aug 18 and joined the Megiddo sweep, Damascus, Homs. Won 112 military awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51038/
5th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From QLD. Sailed from Brisbane 21/12/14. Part of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli as reinforcements, Gaza 1 and 2 (were in the streets of Gaza when commanded to withdraw), Jericho, Amman 1, Es Salt/Amman 2, Amman 3. Won 71 honours and awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51039/
6th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From NSW. Sailed from Sydney 21/12/14. Part of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli as reinforcements, Romani, Katia, Gaza 1 and 2, sweep to Jerusalem, Jericho, Amman 1, Es Salt/Amman 2, Amman 3. Won 79 honours and awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51040/
7th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From NSW. Departed Sydney Dec 1914. Part of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli as reinforcements, Romani, Katia, Gaza 1 and 2, Beersheba, sweep to Jerusalem, Jericho, Amman 1, Es Salt/Amman 2, Amman 3. Won 75 awards and honours. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51041/
New Zealand Mounted Division. Departed New Zealand in October 1914. Consisted of the Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury Mounted Rifles plus medical, engineering and support units. They were part of the ANZAC Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli, Romani, Maghdaba, Gaza 1, Gaza 2, Beersheba (Tel al Saba), Jaffa, Jericho, Amman 1, Es Salt/Amman 2, Amman 3. http://www.nzmr.org/brigade.htm
8th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From VIC. Sailed from Melbourne in 24/2/1914. They were part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade of the Australian Mounted Division. They were involved in the disastrous attack at the Nek in Gallipoli and suffered significant losses. They served in Maghdaba, Rafa, Gaza 1 and 2, Beersheba, sweep to Jerusalem, Es Salt/Amman 2, Megiddo sweep, Jenin, Sasa, Damascus, Homs. They won 72 military awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51042/
9th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From SA (3/4) and VIC (1/4). Sailed from Melbourne 11/2/1915. They were part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade of the Australian Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli and lost half the regiment at Hill 60. They served in Maghdaba, Gaza 1 and 2, Beersheba, sweep to Jerusalem, Es Salt/Amman 2, Megiddo sweep, Tiberias, Sasa, Damascus, Homs. They won 85 military awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51043/
10th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From WA. They were part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade of the Australian Mounted Division. Sailed from Fremantle 7/2/1915. They were involved in the disastrous attack at the Nek in Gallipoli and Hill 60 and suffered significant losses. Captain V.H. "Hu" (Hugo) Throssell was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery at Hill 60, when although injured, he refused to leave his men until danger was averted and was largely instrumental in rescuing the situation at a crucial time. He was the only Australian light horseman to receive a VC during the Great War.
They served in Romani, Maghdaba, Gaza 1 and 2, Beersheba, sweep to Jerusalem (including entering Jerusalem), Es Salt/Amman 2, Megiddo sweep, Damascus. They were the first Australians to enter Jerusalem, and the first regiment to enter Damascus. Like the 4th Light Horse regiment, they were also given swords and made into conventional cavalry before the Megiddo sweep. They won 106 military awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51044/
11th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From QLD and SA. Sailed from Australia in June 1915. They were part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade of the Australian Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli, Gaza 2, Beersheba, another charge with the 12th Light Horse at Sheria on November 7, 1918, sweep to Jerusalem, Es Salt/Amman 2, Megiddo sweep, Semakh. They were also given military sabres before the Megiddo sweep. They won 67 honours and awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51045/
12th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From NSW. Sailed from Australia in June 1915. They were part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade of the Australian Mounted Division. They served in Gallipoli, Gaza 2, Beersheba (charge), Es Salt/Amman 2, Megiddo sweep, Damascus, Homs. They were also given military swords before the Megiddo sweep. They won 52 honours and awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51046/
13th Australian Light Horse Regiment. From VIC. Sailed from Australia 28/5/1915. They served in Gallipoli (Loan Pine), Western front. Won 58 Awards and honours. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51047/
14th Australian Light Horse Regiment. Formed in June 1918 from the former Camel Corps. This was disbanded because, while useful in the Sinai, the terrain in Palestine was less suitable for camels. They became part of the 5th Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in the Megiddo sweep and Damascus, covering 650 km in 10 days. They were heading for Aleppo before the armistice. They won 35 honours and awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51048/
15th Australian Light Horse Regiment. Formed in June 1918 from the former Camel Corps. They joined the 14th Light Horse regiment and a regiment of the French colonial cavalry to become the 5th Light Horse Brigade of the Anzac Mounted Division. They served in the Megiddo sweep and Damascus, covering 650 km in 10 days. They were heading for Aleppo before the armistice. They won 14 honours and awards. https://www.awm.gov.au/unit/U51049/
There are several Light Horse Units still in existence today, though tanks have generally replaced horses for warfare purposes. Cavalry units do still continue, generally as part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Cavalry units. These include:
- 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers
- 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
- 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles)
- 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse (Vic)
- 10th Light Horse Regiment (WA)
- 12th/16th Hunter River Lancers (NSW)
There are Light Horse monuments and museums around the nation. These include:
- Australian Light Horse Memorial Park – Seymour VIC
- Waler Memorial, Tamworth NSW
- ANZAC memorial, ANZAC Parade, Canberra, ACT
- Post Office Square, adjacent to ANZAC Square, Brisbane QLD
- Light Horse Interchange and sculptural installations along the M4 motorway where it is crossed by the M7 at Eastern Creek in Western Sydney, NSW.
- Light Horse Memorial Albany, WA
The War Horse Memorial in Kadlitpinna/Rundle Park/Park 13, on the corner of East Terrace and Botanic Road, commemorates the thousands of horses that served in the First World War (1914–1919).
Pictures:
- Australian Light Horse Park, Seymour – Jill
- Waler Memorial Tamworth – web www.lighthorseart.com.au Photographed and recorded by: Mr David Evans, Tamworth Waler Memorial Committee