15th Light Horse Regiment
The 15th Light Horse Regiment was
formed in Palestine in June 1918 from members of the Australian
companies of the Imperial Camel Corps (ICC). The ICC had been disbanded
because camel-mounted troops, a valuable addition to the British forces
in the deserts of Egypt and the Sinai, were not suitable for the
conditions being encountered in Palestine. Although many former light
horse troopers were to be found in the ranks of the ICC, large numbers
had also been recruited from infantry battalions and so several months
of training were needed before the 15th was fit to commence operations
as a horse-mounted regiment. The new regiment, along with another
regiment of former cameleers – the 14th – and a regiment of French
colonial cavalry, formed the 5th Light Horse Brigade, which became part
of the Australian Mounted Division.
The 5th Light Horse Brigade fought in
only one major operation – the great offensive launched by the battle
of Megiddo on 19 September 1918. On this morning British infantry opened
a gap in the Turkish front to the north of Jaffa, allowing mounted
forces to penetrate deep into their rear areas, severing roads, railways
and communications links. In ensuing days the Turkish front collapsed
and as the Turks retreated into Syria they were harried by mounted
troops, supported by aircraft, in close pursuit. In ten days from 19
September, the 5th Light Horse Brigade advanced over 650 kilometres. The
Brigade entered Damascus on 1 October 1918, and carried out mopping-up
and garrison tasks in the vicinity of Damascus for most of October. The
Brigade was moving forward to join the drive on Aleppo when Turkey
surrendered on 30 October.
While waiting to embark for home, the
15th 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 men of the 15th Light Horse sailed for home without
their horses, which had either been shot or transferred to Indian
cavalry units, on 24 July 1919. As a successor to the ICC, the 15th
Light Horse inherited its battle honours. Text from AWM
- 16 killed, 3 wounded
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Decorations
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15th
Light Horse Regiment
