"In grateful and reverent
memory of the Empire's horses (some 375,000)
who fell in the Great War (1914-1918). Most obediently, and
often
most painfully, they died."-- Memorial at Church of St.
Jude, London
By World War I, sophisticated armaments were
taking their toll of horses, and many military advisors felt
that horses would not be crucial in warfare anymore, except
as transportation and beasts of burden. But a daring charge
by the Australian Lighthorse, a mounted infantry, proved differently.
In 1917, German forces had to be stopped in
the arid deserts of present day Israel. The British commanded
a contingent of 800 Australian Lighthorseman near the strategically
important town of Beersheba. Beersheba was the only place
for water, which meant the British had only 24 hours to fight
the battle and secure the town before the desert would defeat
them. Facing a well fortified town defended by Germans and
Turks, there seemed to be little hope. General Grant of the
Australian Lighthorse, devised the plan of having his men
make a mounted charge. The defenders would expect them to
dismount and fight on foot allowing the Lighthorse time to
get close to the trenches fast enough that the gunners would
not have time to readjust their guns trajectories.
The Lighthorse made the charge, running through a wave of
bombs and shrapnel, then facing machine guns and rifles for
the final 1600 meters. The defenders were not prepared for
the sight of 800 horses charging down at them, with riders
wielding bayonets as swords. The horses bravely carried their
soldiers to the trenches, then jumped the trenches, getting
their men behind the lines to take the town and its precious
wells. Less than 40 Lighthorsemen died in the charge, although
the toll was greater on the horses. After the war, most of
the horses were left behind with desert dwellers. The wife
of an English military man was concerned for their well-being
and she set up a foundation which provided veterinary care
for the horses to the new owners.
In Australia, October 31, 1917 is known as Z-day -- a day
that turned the tide of the war on the eastern front. Historians
today see the battle of Beersheba as an important event which
helped allow Israel to be established.
The charge on Beersheba is considered one of the most courageous,
and successful charges in the history of mounted warfare.
