How many Australian Light Horsemen charge Beersheba?

58,000 light horsemen
By 10 pm on 31 October, approximately 58,000 light horsemen and 100,000 animals had swarmed into Beersheba. It took 1,800,000 litres of water to shed their battle thirst.

How many light horsemen died at Beersheba?

31 light horsemen
31 light horsemen were killed in the charge and 36 were wounded. Some originals from the Brigade who had enlisted in 1914 such as Edward Cleaver and Albert “Tibbie” Cotter, the famous Australian cricketer, were killed.

Who was the Australian general who commanded the light horse?

General William Grant
With time running out for the Australians to capture Beersheba and its wells before dark, Lieutenant General Harry Chauvel, the Australian commander of the Desert Mounted Corps, ordered Brigadier General William Grant, commanding the 4th Light Horse Brigade, to make a mounted attack directly towards the town.

Who led the charge at Beersheba?

Lieutenant Colonel Donald Cameron
As the main body of the charge made contact with the trenches, Lieutenant Colonel Donald Cameron, commanding officer of the 12th Light Horse later described how, “On reaching a point about 100 yards from these trenches, one Troop of ‘A’ Squadron dismounted for action, and the remainder of the Squadron galloped on.” …

When was the Light Horse charge at Beersheba?

For nearly sixty years, the authenticity of this photograph has been hotly debated. It was claimed to show the light horse charge at Beersheba on 31 October 1917. But the photographer was unidentified, the original negative could not be located and the viewpoint of the charge seemed unlikely.

What was the charge of the Australian Light Horse?

The charge of the Australian Light Horse at Beersheba, 1917, painted by George Lambert in 1920, shows troopers with bayonets in their hands and .303 rifles slung across their backs.

What was the weapon used in the Battle of Beersheba?

Shortly afterwards, the Australian Mounted Division ‘s 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments ( 4th Light Horse Brigade) conducted a mounted infantry charge with bayonets in their hands, their only weapon for mounted attack, as their rifles were slung across their backs.

When did the photo of Beersheba first appear?

The photograph first appeared as a copied snapshot passed around among light horsemen on the Palestine front in 1918. By December 1920, when an exhibition of war photographs toured Australia under the direction of Donovan Joynt, VC, the Beersheba picture was “a notable exhibit”.