Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Battle Honour - "Gaza-Beersheba" , 1917

Overview

Colours and Guidons are the symbol of the spirit of a regiment and carry battle honours and badges granted to the unit to mark deeds performed by its members. The Battle Honour, “Gaza-Beersheba” was awarded to 10 Light Horse for participation in operations, collectively known as the third battle of Gaza, mounted to breakthrough the Gaza-Beersheba line, including the capture of Beersheba, the assault on Sheria, and the capture of Gaza.

Historical information

In 1917, Beersheba was a heavily fortified town 43 km from the Turkish bastion of Gaza. Beersheba anchored the right end of a defensive line that stretched inland from Gaza on the Mediterranean coast.
After two failed attempts to attack Gaza frontally it was decided to outflank it by turning the Turkish line around Beersheba. The attack was launched at dawn on 31 October but by late afternoon the British 20 Corps had made little headway toward the town and its vital wells. Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel, commanding the Desert Mounted Corps, ordered the 4th Light Horse Brigade forward to secure the position.
Brigadier William Grant responded by ordering the 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments to charge the unwired Turkish trenches. Employing their bayonets as "swords", the momentum of the surprise attack carried them through the Turkish defences. The fall of Beersheba opened the way for a general outflanking of the Gaza-Beersheba Line. After severe fighting, Turkish forces abandoned Gaza on 6 November 1917 and began their withdrawal into Palestine.

Details

Details

Registration number
cwa-org-32-54-955
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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Beersheba
Gaza Map
Gaza
‘Led’ horses sheltering from shellfire at Gaza. This image is from the collection of 1328 Private Richard Goldsmith Hummerston, 10th Light Horse Regiment and 3rd Light Horse Brigade Machine Gun Section.

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