9th Light Horse Regiment (South Australia and Victoria)  [3rd Light Horse Brigade] Served in Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai, Palestine Formed South Australia October 1914 for 3rd Light Horse Brigade.  Badges displayed either unofficial or CMF.

3 Unnamed 9th ALHR Diggers

Australian WW1 photo of 2 soldiers, one seated with dark skin, has name on back as "Trooper R Tuhera No. 3139 9th Light Horse Egypt". The name didn't look aboriginal, so researched and found it is a Maori name. With some research found listed under this name : Robert Tuhera No: 3139 9th Light Horse, 26th Reinforcements, enlisted 4.11.16, Embarked Adelaide on RMS Morea, Died of Disease 12.9.18. TUHERA Robert : Service Number - 3139 : Place of Birth - Otaki New Zealand : Place of Enlistment - Adelaide SA : Next of Kin - (Mother) KIRIONA Ngapera

• Departed Melbourne on Karroo 11 February 1915 and Armadale 12 February 1915. 
  • 1st Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Surada 6 February 1915, 
  • 2nd Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Armadale 12 February 1915, 
  • 3rd Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Mashobra 29 January 
    • and Pera 8 February 1915, 
  • 4th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Wiltshire 13 April 1915 
    • and Adelaide on Port Lincoln 1 April 1915, 
  • 5th Reinforcements departed departed Melbourne on Kabinga 8 May 1916 
    • and Adelaide on Botanist 2 June 1915, 
  • 6th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Afric 22 May 1915 
    • and Adelaide on Afric 26 May 1915, 
  • 7th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Kanowna 24 June 1915 
    • and Sydney on Marere 16 August 1915, 
  • 8th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Morea 26 August 1915 
    • and Melbourne on Kyarra 21 August 1915, 
  • 9th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Star of England 21 September 1915 
    • and Melbourne on Hororata 27 September 1915, 
  • 10th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Ballarat 9 September 1915 
    • and Adelaide on Ballarat 14 September 1915, 
  • 11th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Hawkes Bay 28 October 1915 
    • and Melbourne on Ulysses 27 October 1915 
    • and Adelaide on Benalla 27 October 1915, 
  • 12th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Geelong 18 November 1915 
    • and Melbourne on Ceramic 23 November 1915, 
  • 13th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Borda 11 January 1916 
    • and Melbourne on Afric 5 January 1916, 
  • 14th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Warilda 10 February 1916, 
  • 15th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Anchises 16 March 1916, 
  • 16th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Bakara 29 April 1916, 
  • 17th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Kabinga 8 May 1916, 
  • 18th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Katuna 23 June 1916, 
  • 19th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Mongolia 13 July 1916, 
  • 20th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Malwa 27 July 1916, 
  • 21st Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Mooltan 24 August 1916, 
  • 22nd Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Bakara 4 November 1916, 
  • 23rd Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Bulla 16 January 1917, 
  • 24th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Clan MacCorquodale 5 February 1917, 
  • 25th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Karmala 8 February 1917, 
  • 26th Reinforcements departed Adelaide on Morea 22 February 1917 
    • and Fremantle on Morea 26 February 1917, 
  • 27th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Port Sydney on 9 May 1917, 
  • 28th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Port Lincoln 22 June 1917, 
    • Melbourne on Kyarra 7 September 1917, 
    • Melbourne on Commonwealth 2 November 1917, 
  • 29th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Port Lincoln 22 June 1917, 
    • Kyarra 17 September 1917, 
    • Melbourne on Commonwealth 2 November 1917, 
  • 30th Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Commonwealth 2 November 1917, 
  • 31st Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Commonwealth 2 November 1917, 
  • 32nd Reinforcements departed Melbourne on Commonwealth 2 November 1917, 
  • 33rd Reinforcements departed Sydney on Port Darwin 30 April 1918, 
  • 34th Reinforcements departed Sydney on Port Darwin 30 April 1918.

Battle Honours:  

9th Light Horse Regiment

The 9th Light Horse Regiment was formed in Adelaide and trained in Melbourne between October 1914 and February 1915. Approximately three-quarters of the regiment hailed from South Australia and the other quarter from Victoria. As part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade, it sailed from Melbourne on 11 February and arrived in Egypt on 14 March 1915.

The light horse were considered unsuitable for the initial operations at Gallipoli, but were subsequently deployed without their horses. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade landed in late May 1915 and was attached to the New Zealand and Australian Division. The 9th was fortunate to be the reserve regiment for the Brigade’s disastrous attack on the Nek on 7 August, but subsequently suffered 50 per cent casualties attacking Hill 60 on 27 August. Exhausted and under-strength, the 9th then played a defensive role until it finally left the peninsula on 20 December 1915.

Back in Egypt, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade became part of the ANZAC Mounted Division and, in March 1916, joined the forces defending the Suez Canal from a Turkish drive across the Sinai Desert. The Turks were turned at Romani. Although it didn’t take part in the actual battle, the 9th Light Horse was involved in the advance that followed the Turks’ retreat back across the desert.

By December 1916, this advance had reached the Palestine frontier and the 9th was involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outposts of Maghdaba (23 December) and Rafa (9 January 1917), both of which were captured at bayonet point. The next Turkish stronghold to be encountered was Gaza. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade, now part of the Imperial Mounted Division (later re-named the Australian Mounted Division), was involved in the two abortive battles to capture Gaza directly (27 March and 19 April 1917) and then the operation that ultimately led to its fall – the wide outflanking move via Beersheba that began on 31 October.

With the fall of Gaza on 7 November 1917, the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. The 9th participated in the pursuit that followed and led to the capture of Jerusalem in December. The focus of British operations then moved to the Jordan Valley. In early May 1918 the 9th was involved in the Es Salt raid. It was a tactical failure but did help to convince the Turks that the next offensive would be launched across the Jordan.

Instead, the offensive was launched along the coast on 19 September 1918. The mounted forces penetrated deep into the Turkish rear areas severing roads, railways and communications links. The 9th Light Horse took part in the capture of Jenin on 20–21 September and Sasa on 29 September. It entered Damascus on 1 October, and was on the road to Homs when the Turks surrendered on 31 October. While awaiting to embark for home, the 9th Light Horse were called back to operational duty to quell the Egyptian revolt that erupted in March 1919; order was restored in little over a month. The regiment sailed for home on 10 July 1919. Text from AWM

• 190 killed, 481 wounded

• Decorations

  • 2 CMG
  • 5 DSO, 1 bar
  • 1 OBE
  • 6 MC
  • 8 DCM
  • 14 MM
  • 1 MSM
  • 44 MID
  • 2 foreign awards