Brief history of ANZAC Mounted Division
Division formed at Serapeum Ferry in Egypt from 16 March 1916, the division was initially under command of 1st ANZAC Corps. It took over responsibility for “A” Subsection of the No 2 Suez Canal Defences on 19 March 1916. The division, having moved to the command of Eastern Force, is recognised as having participated in the following battles and engagements:
Commanding officer Major-General Henry George Chauvel (Harry Chauvel, later knighted)
1916
The Raid on Jifjafa (11-14 April 1916)
The Battle of Romani (3-5 August 1916)
The Battle of Bir-el-Abd (9 August 1916)
From, the division came under command of the Desert Column. It remained so until after hostilities ceased, although it was attached to XX Corps in 1918 (see below). The name changed to Desert Mounted Column in the period between the First and Second Battles of Gaza in 1917.
The Battle of Maghdabah (23 December 1916)
1917
The Battle of Rafa (Rafah) (9 January 1917)
The First Battle of Gaza (26 March 1917)
The Second Battle of Gaza (17-19 April 1917)
Under command of Major-General Sir Edward Walter Clervaux Chaytor (promoted from command of New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, Chauvel having been promoted to command the Desert Column)
The Third Battle of Gaza and the Capture of Beersheba (31 October 1917)
The Battle of Tel-el-Khuweilfe (1-6 November 1917)
The Battle of Hareira and Sheria (6-7 November 1917)
Action of El Maghar, sometimes called the Battle of El Maghar Ridge (13 November 1917)
Action of Ayun Kara (14 November 1917)
The crossing of the Auja (24 November 1917)
Defence against Turjish counterattack in Turkish defence of Jerusalem
1918
In February 1918 the ANZAC Mounted Division, initially except for 2nd Light Horse Brigade, was temporarily attached to XX Corps for operations in the Jordan valley. This included:
The Capture of Jericho (19-21 February 1918)
First Trans-Jordan Raid or First Attack on Amman (21 March – 2 April 1918)
Second Trans-Jordan Raid or Raid on Es Salt (30 April – 4 May 1918)
The Battle of Abu Tellul (14 July)
Third Trans-Jordan attack including Capture of Amman (21 – 25 September 1918). This proved to be the division’s final major action.
The “Surafend massacre” (10 December 1918), when troops of the New Zealand Mounted Brigade took law into their own hands following the murder of a trooper of the New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron. Reports vary but as many as 137 local civilians were reportedly murdered in retaliation. No soldier was tried for these actions, mainly as enquiries were apparently met with a wall of silence. Presence and participation of Australian troops is uncertain.
Major-General Sir Granville Ryrie took command on 15 December 1918 (promoted from command of 2nd Light Horse Brigade) and oversaw demobilisation of the division.
Order of Battle
Divisional headquarters
1st Australian Light Horse Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 1st Australian Light Horse
- 2nd Australian Light Horse
- 3rd Australian Light Horse
- 1st Machine Gun Squadron
- 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance
2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- 5th Australian Light Horse
- 6th Australian Light Horse
- 7th Australian Light Horse
- 2nd Machine Gun Squadron
- 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance
3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade (left to join new Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917)
- Brigade headquarters
- 8th Australian Light Horse
- 9th Australian Light Horse
- 10th Australian Light Horse
- 3rd Machine Gun Squadron
- 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
- Brigade headquarters
- Auckland Mounted Rifles
- Canterbury Mounted Rifles
- Wellington Mounted Rifles
- NZ Machine Gun Squadron
- NZ Mounted Field Ambulance
22nd (1st North Midland) Mounted Brigade (joined February 1917, left for Yeomanry Mounted Division 6 July 1917)
- 1/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry (Queen’s Own Royal Regiment)
- 1/1st Lincolnshire Yeomanry
- 1/1st East Riding Yeomanry
- 18th Machine Gun Squadron, Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry)
- 22nd Mounted Brigade Signal Troop, Royal Engineers
- 1st North Midland Cavalry Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
- 3/1st North Midland Mobile Veterinary Section
Divisional artillery
- III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (ceased to exist when XVIII Brigade RHA formed, below)
- 1/1st Ayrshire RHA
- 1/1st Somersetshire RHA
- IV Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (ceased to exist when XVIII Brigade RHA formed, below)
- 1/1st Inverness-shire RHA
- 1/1st Leicestershire RHA (left for Yeomanry Mounted Division 20 June 1917)
- XVIII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (formed July 1917)
- 1/1st Ayrshire RHA (supported NZMR Brigade)
- 1/1st Somersetshire RHA (supported 1st ALH Brigade)
- 1/1st Inverness-shire RHA (supported 2nd ALH Brigade)
Divisional Royal Engineers
1st Field Squadron
1st Signal Squadron
Divisional Royal Army Medical Corps
1st Light Horse Field Ambulance
2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance
New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance
7th Sanitary Section
Divisional Army Veterinary Corps
6th, 7th and 2nd New Zealand Mobile Veterinary Sections
Divisional Train
32nd, 33rd and 34th Australian Companies ASC and 5th New Zealand Company ASC
Attached Troops
Imperial Camel Corps (at times, including the Jordan valley operations in 1918)
1st RAN Bridging Train (from 18 March 1916)
Links
War diaries of the division and its units at Australian War Memorial