Category: 8th Light Horse Regiment, Australian Imperial Force, World War I
Categories: Australian Imperial Force, World War I | Gallipoli Campaign
Landing level category
The regiment that would eventually become the 8th Light Horse Regiment was formed at Broadmeadows camp in Victoria on 23rd September 1914 as the 6th Light Horse Regiment. A reorganisation of the rapidly expanding AIF in early October resulted in the 6th being renumbered the 8th, and it became part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. It sailed from Melbourne on 24th February 1914 and arrived in Egypt on 14th March 1915. The 3rd Light Horse Brigade landed at Gallipoli in late May 1915 and was attached to the New Zealand and Australian Division. The 8th formed the first two waves for the Brigade's disastrous attack on the Nek on 7th August and suffered heavily. Exhausted and under-strength, the regiment then played a defensive role until it finally left the peninsula on 20th 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. By December 1916, this advance had reached the Palestine frontier and the 8th was involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outpost of Maghdaba on 23rd December, which was 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 (27th March and 19th April 1917) and then the operation that ultimately led to its fall - the wide outflanking move via Beersheba that began on 31st October. With the fall of Gaza on 7th November 1917, the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. The 8th participated in the pursuit that followed and led to the capture of Jerusalem in December. The 8th Light Horse took part in the capture of Tiberius on 25th September 1918 and Sasa on 29th September. It entered Damascus on 1st October, and was resting in Homs when the Turks surrendered on 31st October. While waiting to embark for home, the regiment was called back to operational duty to quell the Egyptian revolt that erupted in March 1919; order was restored in little over a month. The 8th sailed for home on 3rd July 1919.
Commanding officers:
- Alexander Henry White
- Arthur Vivian Deeble
- Leslie Cecil Maygar VC
- Archibald McGibbon McLaurin
- Herbert James Shannon,
- Thomas Joseph Daly
Australian_War_Memorial_8th_Australian_Light_Horse_Regiment
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