What would you do for Beer and Sheilas?

The Light Infantry Charge at Beersheba, 90 years ago today is revered in Australian Military History. It is considered by some to be the greatest infantry charge in military history, where Australian infantrymen, from the Australian 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiment took the town of Beersheba on the 31 October 1917. It is considered especially significant because it was an infantry charge, not a cavalry charge and all they had were extended bayonets and not cavalry killing equipment.

The charging force comprised the 4th (Victorian) and 12th (New South Wales) Light Horse Regiments. They formed the 4th Light Horse Brigade under Brigadier-General William Grant (born Stawell, Victoria). Earlier, Australian General Sir H. G. Chauvel had been ordered 'to capture Beersheba today, in order to secure water and take prisoners'. Chauvel had other units available including British troops, but directed the 4th Brigade forward. 'Put Grant straight at it', he directed.

History's last great mounted charge thus was hastily organised in an atmosphere of urgency. Dwindling supplies of water demanded that the water wells at Beersheba be taken at once. Any delay, while the large British force gradually assembled nearby, would only lead to demolition of the wells by the Turkish defenders. Without water, the whole Sinai-Palestine campaign would be halted perhaps for months, and the Gaza-Beersheba line would remain unbroken. A victory here over the Turkish defenders would help avenge the disasters of Gallipoli.

The 4th Light Horse Brigade had spent a quiet day till then. Widely scattered as a precaution against any surprise aircraft attack, the men and horses rested in small clusters. It took an hour-and-a-half to assemble the brigade behind a ridge overlooking Beersheba. The Victorians were on the left, the 12th Regiment on the right. It was 4.30 pm on 31 October 1917. Without swords (they were not on issue to Lt Horse), the light horsemen drew their long bayonets to flash in the setting sun as swords. . .

As one observer noted.

'It was the bravest, most awe inspiring sight I've ever witnessed, and they were. . . yelling, swearing and shouting. There were more than 500 Aussie horsemen . . . As they thundered past my hair stood on end. The boys were wild-eyed and yelling their heads off'.

Listening to the story this morning on the radio this morning, one of the commentators stated that the primary motivation for the success was the prospect of beer and sheilas if they got to the town, a disappointing mispronounciation no doubt. These kinds of acts of bravery by ordinary Australians is pretty humbling considering the kinds of things that we worry about in our day to day life.