As we, including me, wallow in disappointment and disgust by the lack of leadership from our political and civil leaders with their weasel-worded utterances, I would like to indulge myself in writing this exposé on one aspect of Australia’s past heritage.
I hope it will inspire us, despite the despondency we are deriving from our present leaders.
For almost 1,400 years, the Muslims dominated the Holy Land and the surrounding Levant.
“Jerusalem and indeed all the Holy Land was wrestled off the Christians to fall under Moslem control from 637 AD. During that time, it became unbearable for the Christians, (without mentioning the ubiquitous persecution of the Jews) as Christian services were forbidden, churches devastated and pilgrims murdered.”
There were a few temporary triumphs from the Crusades, but these ultimately failed.
That nexus was broken, in 1917 by, surprise, surprise, AUSTRALIANS.
The Australian Light Horse, Commander, Harry Chauvel
Even to this day, because of the actions of those brave Australians in 1917, the Holy Land is still not under Muslim control.
The Holy Land became a British Protectorate up until it became a legitimate Jewish state sanctioned by the U.N. in 1948, despite Britain’s duplicitous procrastination.
Israel is now a beacon of Western democracy and prosperity, in amongst a seething bed of turmoil, bloodshed, atrocities, self-induced poverty and wholesale fabricated propaganda.
At the time of the First World War, the Holy Land and the surrounding Levant, was controlled by the enemy, the Muslim Turks.
The Turks upheld a defensive line from the bastion of Gaza on the Mediterranean Coast to heavily fortified Beersheba, located in the desert, 43 kilometres away.
Again, and again the British Army was repulsed along that defensive line. An all-out assault in October 1917 was attempted.
This time with a contingency of 50,000 men from all over the British Empire including, Hong Kong, New Zealand, India, Australia, Welsh, Scottish, etc. which included a plethora of artillery, tanks, spotter planes and even kites.
This huge task force set off into the desert with only 4 DAYS provisions of food and water.
For the pompous Brits with their walrus moustaches and pretentious swagger sticks, FAILURE WAS NOT AN OPTION.
Well, guess what?
After being repulsed by the determined German-led Turkish defenders, on the 4th day with their provisions, especially water, running out, failure WAS indeed, not just an option, but an inevitable outcome for the British.
The Light Horse
“The generals were desperate, 50,000 British infantry with tank support had been driven back into the desert. With the sun about to set and with no water for many miles, disaster stared them squarely in the face.”
ALL THE TURKS HAD TO DO WAS HOLD OFF AN ATTACK FOR ONE DAY AND THE MERCILESS DESERT SUN WOULD DO THE REST. DESPITE CONSTANT ASSAULTS BY THE COMBINED FORCES OF THE BRITISH ARMIES, THE PLACE COULD NOT BE TAKEN. “
The Australian Light Horse, Commander, Harry Chauvel, on 31st October 1917, concocted a crazy plan.
Why not let his 800 horsemen charge the Turkish artillery?
A cavalry charge across 6,000 metres of open terrain straight into the face of the massed Turkish guns. The Light Horse were not cavalry, they were mounted infantry. They had no swords or lancers but were equipped with rifles and bayonets designed for infantry (close-quarter) warfare.
Being infantry, the Turks would expect them to charge then dismount at about 1,500 feet in front of them, and fight as foot soldiers, which they were.
Accordingly, the Turks set their sights (guns and artillery) for 1,500 feet to complete the inevitable slaughter of those “mad” Australians.
The Germans labelled them “mad”.
Contrary to the norm, the 800 Light Horsemen didn’t dismount but kept charging. It caught the Turks off-guard.
“The Light Horsemen charged magnificently across the dusty plains, so fast that the Turkish artillery could not keep pace with them and the "mad" horsemen were able to slip under their guns. As they leapt the trenches laced with machine gun bullets, a magnificent cheer went up from the British ranks, even some of the Turks stood and applauded, such was the magnificence of the feat. Although hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned they charged on.”
Beersheba - the gateway to Jerusalem, fell that day, not to the Crusaders, not to the British, nor the US Army - but to the Australian Light Horsemen!
Interestingly, after Beersheba and Gaza fell, Jerusalem offered very little, if at all, resistance.
IMAGINE THE AUSTRALIANS GALLOPING ON HORSEBACK TOWARDS THE ENEMY (TURKS) WHO, IN RELATIVE SAFETY IN TRENCHES AND BEHIND WALLS, WERE FIRING DIRECTLY AT THEM WITH MACHINE GUNS AND CANNONS AND YET THEY STILL CONTINUED.
This victory charge on the 31st OCTOBER, 1917, surely should rate up there with that of Anzac Day.
The state of Israel owes a lot to those “mad” Australians.
Footnote from Monty: I hope Plenty Wrong reads this after her reversal on the decision on moving our embassy to Jerusalem.
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