The last great cavalry charge in history – Beersheva 1917

The trigger to an extraordinary week for me was a re-enactment by descendents of those who took part in the charge of the Light Brigade, the horseback mounted attack by Anzac forces on the Turkish army at Beersheva in 1917. Can you imagine what it is like to actually witness a cavalry charge in the setting sun, dust streaming out from under the thundering horses hooves, flags flying in the wind, uniformed troops with bandoliers and Lee Enfield rifles slung over their shoulders, and their slouch hats with feather and glinting badge.   That is what I saw at Beersheva on October 30. It was an extraordinary experience, one I will never forget. Here was I a witness to what had really occurred on this spot exactly 90 years ago – the last great cavalry charge in history.
What special energy had propelled these people here today?  What had their comrades done on that day seemingly so long ago? That charge had extraordinary consequences, for it not only changed the history of the region, but gave the Anzac forces a sense of nationhood for the first time, the notion that under the command of their own officers, they could achieve great things, show strength and heroism, an achievement which has become the principle commemoration for both Australia and New Zealand. It was one of the great inspirational victories in their military history.
The troops were galloping into the setting sun. They were facing an Ottoman Turkish army deeply dug in to the defending perimeter of Beersheva, and they had to face artillery and machine gun fire. The Turks, outnumbered and taken by surprise, were no match for the onrushing forces as horses leapt over their trenches and onward into the town to capture the German officer who was about to blow up the vital water wells so desperately needed for the horses and men after days of desert marches. Two days later the Balfour Declaration was issued.   Those forces went on with Allenby to capture Jerusalem, and Palestine fell into British hands.  Thus a whole chain of events was to unfold - the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the establishment of the British Mandate in Palestine and ultimately the establishment of the State of Israel.    
It suddenly dawned on me that far from being just history, this action had taken place only 19 years before I was born.  I then had another astonishing realization, because only two days before, I had visited an arms factory established by the Jewish underground in 1945 to make 9mm bullets for Sten guns. Now called the Ayalon Institute and located on Kibbutz Hill just north of Rehovot, 45 people worked underground for three years to produce two million bullets.   The ammunition was crucial to the early success of the Jewish fighters.   In 1947, the British Government informed the United Nations that they intended to place the question of the future government of Palestine on the agenda of the next session of the Assembly and so the presence of the British Mandate was soon to draw to a close. In just one week, I had seen events and places which symbolized the rise and fall of British interests in this region.  
In Beersheva a brilliantly arranged memorial service was held for the fallen of the 1917 actions at the British Military cemetery.  An honor guard dressed in 1917 uniforms was drawn up, many of the men wearing the medals that had been awarded to their grandfathers. The flags of the powers flew proudly in the wind, anthems were sung and wreaths were laid by the ambassadors and representatives of Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Turkey, South Africa, Germany, Ireland, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Multinational force, the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization, the Australian Lights Horse Association and the Society for the Heritage of World War I. It was a grand sight.   As the last post was sounded, there were quite a few tears shed, and again when the immortal words of Laurence Binyon's ‘Ode to the Fallen’ were recited – ‘They shall not grow old as we are that are left grow old – Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn – At the going down of the sun, and in the morning – We will remember them’.
But what is that memory? Those who fell would indeed have been astonished that 90 years after those great events, such a multitude had gathered to pay them homage.  Did they give their lives in vain?   What did the worthy ambassadors have to say? The Australian Ambassador James Larsen spoke of the ‘conviction, courage and sacrifice’ of the young soldiers, and that Australia continued to be one of Israel’s staunchest supporters. Cooper said that that this was a day of commitment to resolve differences between nations without resorting to war. Today is an important day to show people over our troubled geography, that years of conflict can turn to years of friendship and compassion.    The lesson of history is not to look at each other with hatred. Today this area must be committed to friendship, solidarity and peace.  The message of the day was that if former enemies can become friends and allies, there is hope for Israel and the Palestinians.   
It was the opening campaign of the British conquest of Palestine in 1917 by General Allenby's forces and it was to change the history of the region. Then I realized that only two days before, I had seen one of the reasons for the departure of the British from the region after only 30 short years, for I had just been to the underground bullet factory for Sten guns at the Ayalon Institute and museum at Rehovot.
I have some living history for you.  My father-in-law was in hospital in Jerusalem in 1917 with a respiratory infection. He was a small boy - only 10 years old.  The nurses called him to the window, to witness General Allenby marching into the city ahead of his victorious troops. Yes my father is still alive. He is 100 years old.
This was only one of the remarkable things that we heard on this trip to Beersheva to witness a re-enactment of the Light Horse charge on the Turkish defenses of Beersheva in October 1917.  What were Anzac forces doing in this part of the world in any case, and why were we celebrating something that had occurred 90 years ago and was fading into history?  And another amazing fact - just as the troops were preparing to charge, discussions were taking place in a flash a century of history passed before my eyes.  It happened in London to formulate a declaration by the British Government proclaiming, in the Balfour Declaration, part of Palestine as a Jewish homeland. The government had sent Allenby to lead these forces far out on the eastern flank of the war. Turkey was fighting on the side of the Germans, and German officers were staffing the war effort. The Suez Canal was threatened, and Australian and New Zealand commercial supply routes were at risk. Perhaps this is why the Anzac forces were in the region. They had suffered a stinging defeat at Galipoli only a short time before, and losses in dead and injured were simply horrific.  Infantry were recruited in Australia and New Zealand and they were told to bring their horses with them and they would be paid later. The troops entered battle on horseback and were then meant to dismount and fight as infantry.  Later on, by their own initiative, they turned themselves into cavalry with their own sabers. At Gallipoli, they had been under British command, but now they had their own officers and went forward with a tremendous fighting spirit and camaraderie.
The horseback charge in three columns on the well-entrenched Turks defending Beer Sheba armed with artillery and machine guns was meant to play havoc with the attacking forces. But by a clever deception, they had not expected such a large force to attack them from the east and were both surprised and seriously outnumbered. Their positions were quickly over-run with only the loss of 32 Anzac forces and the city was taken with the water wells intact, providing relief to the parched horses. From Beersheva, the advance on Jerusalem and Damascus was to go rapidly ahead.    
We saw the ranks of the fallen at the World War 1 military cemetery next to the old city. It was a stirring sight. Flags of Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, South Africa flew proudly above the assembled throng. Next to the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, ranks of Australian troops were drawn up in the uniforms of 1917, proudly wearing their slouch hats and feathers and silver badges, and bearing Lee Enfield arms. The ambassadors of Australia and New Zealand made short speeches loaded with honorable words and the last post sounded followed by the anthems of Australia, New Zealand and Israel and hymns were recited and prayers offered. A most impressive ceremony. Those who fell would not have imagined that such an event could have taken place 90 years after they made the supreme sacrifice. How the world has changed.  We must not let their lives be taken in vain.  Anzac day had become the key commemoration day in Australia and New Zealand most likely because it gave the people the sense that they had the leaders and the will to go into battle on their own.