G’Day Everyone,

This Saturday, the 31^st October, marks the 92^nd anniversary of the Charge at Beersheba by the 4^th Light Horse Brigade as part of the 3rd Battle of Gaza during the Sinai and Palestine campaign against the Turks.

The highlight of the battle was the now famous charge of the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade, which covered some six kilometres to overrun and capture the last remaining Turkish trenches, and secure the surviving wells at Beersheba.

The plan to break the Gaza-Beersheba line had been formulated by General Chetwode (Commander XX Corps) following the failure of the two frontal assaults against Gaza. The Turkish defences were formidable in the vicinity of Gaza but in the east there was a wide gap between the last redoubt and the Beersheba fortifications. The Turks trusted that the lack of reliable water in this region, other than at the wells in Beersheba, would limit British operations to mounted raids.

Chetwode believed that the lack of water would be easier to overcome than the Gaza fortifications and so a mammoth engineering and supply effort was undertaken to make a forward base in the vicinity of Beersheba from which infantry and mounted troops could stage an assault. The plan, however, depended on the town and water supply being captured swiftly. If the attack was repulsed on the first day, the British would be forced to retire in search of water.

The attack on Beersheba by Chetwode’s XX Corps commenced at 5.55am on 31 October when the artillery, more than 100 field guns and howitzers, commenced bombarding the Turkish trenches. Twenty of the heavy guns were engaged in counter-battery work against the enemy artillery, which was operated by Austrian gunners.

The first infantry went in at 8.30am to capture some Turkish outposts. The main attack of four infantry brigades began at 12.15pm. They quickly reached all their initial objectives and so were in position for the main assault on the township to coincide with the light horse and New Zealanders. It was at this point that the infantry commanders saw that the way to Beersheba was clear and asked for permission to carry the attack through to the town. Allenby refused permission and ordered the infantry to remain in their current positions as the task had been specifically assigned to the Desert Mounted Corps. So the first opportunity to take Beersheba within the next hour was lost.

When the Turks realised that the British infantry had halted, they began to regroup and strengthen their defensive line with a smaller perimeter. Prior to the fall of the southern trenches, the trench system supporting Tel el Saba to the south east of Beersheba was empty. Now it was filled with about 300 veterans, exactly in the line of the projected charge.

Positions of forces at dusk on October 31, 1917, during the Battle of Beersheba at the time of the charge of the 4th Light Horse Brigade.
British forces are shown in red, Turkish forces are shown in blue. The position reached by the regiments of the 4th Light Horse Brigade after the attack is shown in pale red.

The 4th Light Horse Brigade, commanded by Brigadier William Grant, contained the 4th (Victorian), 11th (Queensland and South Australia) and 12th (New South Wales) Light Horse Regiments. The 11th was dispersed but the 4th and 12th were quickly ready to make the charge. Although Grant commanded the Brigade, the charge on Beersheba was led by Lieutenant Colonel Bourchier. The plan for the attack was devised by Lieutenant Colonel Cameron.

Charge of Beersheba: Re-enactment during the Australian Movie “The  Light Horsemen”

The men who possibly charged with the 4th Light Horse Regiment and 12th Light Horse Regiment lined up in three consecutive squadrons, the first two, “A” then “B” Squadrons assembling in line of troop while the last squadrons, “C” Squadron assembled in line of column. A hand drawn map was made created by Lieutenant FR Massie, Adjutant of the 12th Light Horse Regiment which illustrated the lines prior to the famous charge.

The regiments commenced the charge at 4.30 pm, the 12th on the left and the 4th on the right. They advanced by squadrons (i.e., three waves) with about 500 yards between squadrons. They were armed with bayonets in hand; their rifles slung over their shoulders. The 11th Regiment and the 5th Mounted Brigade followed more slowly to the rear and the British 7th Mounted Brigade, which was attached to the Desert Mounted Corps headquarters, also approached from the south.

90th anniversary of the WW1 Battle of Beersheba: Re-enactment of the Australian Light Horse charge

The Turkish artillery opened fire with shrapnel from long range but it was ineffective against the widely spaced horsemen. Turkish machine guns that opened fire from the left (which might have inflicted heavy casualties) were quickly silenced by a battery of horse artillery. When the line of horsemen got within range of the Turkish riflemen in the trenches, they started to take casualties but the defenders failed to allow for the speed of their approach so once they were within half a mile of the trenches, the defenders’ bullets started passing overhead as altering sights on rifles when confronted with rapidly moving horsemen became a difficulty. This kept the numbers of casualties low for the charging Light Horsemen.

Unofficial collar badges (Egyptian made) worn by some members of the 4th Australian Light Horse Regiment

The light horsemen jumped the front trenches and dismounted behind the line where they turned and engaged the Turks with bayonets. The Turks were in many cases so demoralised that they quickly surrendered. One Australian who was dazed after having his horse shot from under him, recovered to find his five attackers with their hands up, waiting to be taken prisoner.

The later waves continued through the town which the Turks were abandoning in a panic. The charge was finally halted on the far (northwest) side of Beersheba where the light horsemen encountered more Turkish defences. Isolated resistance in the town continued for a little while but by nightfall, the remainder of the garrison had been captured. The Turks had attempted to torch some buildings and blow up the railway but the majority of the wells (15 out of 17) were captured intact. Also, a heavy rainfall left temporary pools of water on the ground, allowing the horses to drink.

After the capture of Beersheba, Allenby’s order directing Chauvel to take the town by night fall arrived. The action of the 4th Light Horse Brigade had saved the opening offensive of the Third Battle of Gaza and with it, Chauvel’s reputation.

The 31^st October is also celebrated as Beersheba Day by the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in recognition of the Australian Light Horse.

If you are interested in further reading on the Beersheba Charge or the Battle of Gaza, we currently have in stock copies of the 4^th Light Horse, 11^th Light Horse and 12^th Light Horse unit histories.

Other books of interest include:

The Advance of the Egytian Expeditionary Force – 1917 to 1918

Men of Beersheba, The Chargers of the 4th Light Horse Regiment

The Miraculous “Lives” of a Man Called Jack – 4th Light Horse

Hooves, Wheels and Tracks – 4th/19th Prince of Wales’s Light Horse

The Desert Mounted Corps

Good Reading,

Glenn and the Regimental Books Team