The significance to all of us of the Australian Light Horse charge at Beersheba…..read on……….
Over the past few days Australian Reserve Forces Day has been marked by military parades in sixteen major Australian towns and cities.
I was privileged to attend the Sydney parade on Sunday 01 as a guest of Reserve Forces Day organiser Lieutenant Colonel John Moore OAM, with over 3,000 reserve forces veterans and current serving soldiers from Australia, Canada, UK, New Zealand parading in from of the NSW Parliament taking the salute from NSW Governor Her Excellency professor Marie Bashir.
The core theme of the parade was to honour the 90th Anniversary of the Australian Light Horse charge at Beersheba on October 31, 1917 and as some Travel Mole readers would be aware this was the last successful horse cavalry charge in military history and was Australia’s most significant military triumph in World War I.
The capture of Beersheba and its vital water supplies by the Australian Light Horse was a catalyst for the British advance on Jerusalem and Damascus and ultimately set in train the historical circumstances for the creation of Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon as independent states.
Thee key speakers including NSW Governor Marie Bashir, Bronwyn Bishop representing Prime Minister John Howard and Vice Chief of the defence Force Lt. Gen Ken Gillespie and all referred to the Beersheba charge as an inspirational chapter in Australian military history.
The parade in Sydney and was led by a contingent of 16 horsemen representing the the 12th Light Horse Regiment and the 1st/15th Royal NSW Lancers, with the 12th Light Horse regiment one of the main components of the Beersheba charge.
On October 31 this year the 90th anniversary of the charge, 300 Israel horsemen will join with members of the Australian Light Horse Association to conduct a re-enactment of the charge in Beersheba Israel.
On April 28, 2008 there will also be an unveiling of an Australian funded and produced sculpture to honour the Australian Light Horse charge and its links with Christianity, Judaism and Islam which will be unveiled at the Beersheba Peace Park.
The timing of the 2008 event will make it possible for Australians to combine their 2008 commemoration of ANZAC Day in Gallipoli with the ceremony in Beersheba.
Currently, Greece and Mediterranean Travel Centre is the only mainstream tour wholesaler in Australia which offers packages which include these events and information can be obtained by calling 1300 661 666.
Report by David Beirman
John Alwyn-Jones
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