12th 12th light horse regiment mounted unit australian_army raised new_south_wales service world war fighting gallipoli reinforcements regiment served palestine campaign ottoman_empire seeing action notable battles including capture jerusalem capture damascus aftermath war regiment suppress egyptian uprising disbanded late organisation australia military following disbandment regiment raised time unit based new_south_wales remained existence inter war years amalgamated 24th result manpower shortages 12th light horse regiment formed undertook garrison duties australia second world war having converted motor regiment armoured car regiment disbanded having seen action raised honours traditions 12th 16th hunter river history formation training 12th light horse regiment established march liverpool new south wales days later began forming volunteer raised service overseas world war drawing majority personnel new_south_wales regiment assigned 4th 11th 13th light horse regiments placed command lieutenant colonel establishment regiment authorised strength officers ranks organised regimental headquarters squadrons consisted troops armed usually standard infantry weapons instead swords mounted horses australian light horse regiments performed roles similar cavalry mounted infantry mainly fought horses obtain mobility foot soldiers possess conduct certain cavalry roles scouting screening mounted following regiment undertook basic training including weapons handling ceremonial drill mounted tactics regimental manoeuvres late april marched centre sydney farewell deploying overseas june brigade concentrated regiment embarked days steaming ship regiment disembarked horses concerns death rates horses travelling time year men continued journey days later undertaking rifle signals training deck day crossed equator early afternoon july short time later epidemic broke july 4th received orders journey egypt instead ottoman attack expected briefly ashore time conducted reconnaissance frontier undertaking route march expected attack come june regiment embarked arriving june moving camp near cairo receiving draft reinforcements replacement horses regiment began period intense training guard duties local conditions gallipoli gallipoli campaign developed stalemate regiments 1st 2nd 3rd light horse brigades sent peninsula reinforcements failed august offensive resulted heavy casualties australians reinforcements required result regiments 4th broken losses brigades troops initially informed following train trip alexandria august embarked transport sailed transferred early morning august regiment went ashore later afternoon received news broken distributed new_south_wales light horse regiments ashore sent 1st light horse regiment walker ridge regiment squadron squadron went 7th light horse regiment post adopting designation squadron squadron went 6th light horse regiment holly spur lone pine squadron absorbed headquarters took command 10th light horse regiment remainder campaign men regiment including batch reinforcements arrived early october carried mainly defensive duties leaving australian troops evacuated peninsula december large scale battles involved fighting number sharp attacks exact number casualties suffered known men regiment known killed time following evacuation gallipoli regiment february squadrons assembled new commanding officer lieutenant colonel veteran boer war replaced sent england regiment began form time forming intended 12th assigned divisional light horse regiment decided reduce size divisional light horse components squadron 12th removed 5th division order battle units 4th 13th light horse regiment sent europe fight western 12th bulk australian light horse units remain middle_east palestine campaign initially regiment served detached unit conducting infantry training early april regiment crossed canal new railway constructed palestine established position known hill following month ottoman forces clashed positions british garrison attacked away regiment positions hill tasked relieving squadrons dispatched delayed navigational error suffering heat regiment arrived disorder began work constructing defences squadron detached garrison early july sent later month 12th relieved moved lieutenant colonel took command regiment following elevation temporary commander 2nd july regiment machine gun section detached 2nd sent relieve 9th light horse regiment undertaking journey train marched rest way early august ottoman forces launched attack fighting 12th provided flank protection carrying patrols directly engaged machine gun section early september regiment moved attached british column 11th light horse regiment regiment artillery battery command carried raid hills ottoman position away arrival discovering ottoman force greater expected dallas decided limit operation demonstration attack plan 12th allocated task advancing right flank attack proceeded advance open ground horses ascend high ground ottoman fire increased 12th provided covering fire machine guns rifles 11th came forward clear defenders forward position light horsemen ordered withdraw instead assaulting main position early october regiment received orders designated 2nd australian largely regiment continued refer old designation plan convert 11th 12th light horse regiments occur late october 12th sent rear rest arriving squadron established squadrons sent time undertook frequent patrols squadron permanently troop palestine early 4th february command brigadier general assigned brigade 4th 11th light horse regiments regiment time operating detached unit came end officially designation 12th light horse regiment time month undertook training exercises joining advance palestine men regiment detached join persia april regiment took second battle assigned task attacking early morning april regiment advanced foot initially good progress captured ridge objective firing shot defensive fire grew intense men forced ground began fire movement drills spread men 12th dangerously exposed machine gun fire began inflict casualties checking australians advance regiment held position day withdrawn nearby hill night time suffered percent casualties included commanding officer wounded subsequently died wounds replaced second command major later promoted lieutenant colonel day attack 12th light horse regiment dug sent patrols preparation possible ottoman counterattack harassed day sniper fire attack came days withdrawn worked improve defences conducted patrols fortnight squadrons early attack ottoman foraging party attack proved unsuccessful australians approach spotted allowing ottomans workers withdraw engaged period stalemate followed time regiment rest brigade rotated forward position positions support reserve preparations future offensive regiment major action came october conceived attack jerusalem line regiment took battle 4th light horse regiment 12th light horse carried successful mounted charge advancing open ground late afternoon ottoman guns capture town vital water supplies late afternoon 12th advanced according historian squadron frontage lines apart 4th light horse regiment launch pure cavalry charge advancing hands advancing light horsemen subjected rifle machine gun fire artillery bombardment flanks trenches supporting artillery helped suppress machine gun fire flanks speed charge difficult ottoman gunners adjust range ottoman trenches protected wire jumping trenches light horsemen hand hand fighting followed 4th light horse 12th remainder stayed mounted continuing charge town british official historian claims half troops town captured killed guns town captured ottoman soldiers captured significantly australians litres water secured achieving 12th lost men killed wounded horses killed wounded sick success significantly reduced ottoman resistance heavy fighting continued including regiment remained days receive fell early november ottoman forces fell british_empire troops followed pursuit 12th advanced palestine plan capture jerusalem november regiment joined 11th light horse regiment attack support 60th division forced halt charge amidst artillery machine gun fire horses needed water following day 12th sent contact searching water captured number ottoman troops rejoining november 12th provided support 11th light horse regiment came attack hill strong ottoman counterattack turned moving day regiment squadrons received heavy fire providing flank protection attacked south early november aftermath reconnaissance patrol found evacuated 12th occupied town secured water source quantity supplies large equipment lost fire set withdrawing garrison 12th took observation position support british flank moving november water horses ordered launch attack moving regiment recalled following day amidst heavy rain moved days later 12th week rest majority brief respite 4th sent relieve british forces 12th went reserve horses sent patrols reconnaissance parties sent early december 12th relieved scots north jerusalem supported artillery regiment advanced december established line arrival moved defensive position ottoman positions initially planned unit stay night result cold weather equipment left stay extended winter came heavy rain set temperature dropped established shelter men took caves hills briefly escape elements soon abandoned found contain december 4th having relieved withdrawn reserve formation december brigade advanced line hold ground captured advance jerusalem 12th established early january regiment received orders coast near months undertook training march 4th commanded inspected duke according author likened snap automatic precision ceremonial drill battalion following month moved near support attack ottoman position established railway line stretched north direction division progress flank regiment involvement attack called heavy resistance 12th rest 4th sent occupied british_empire forces taking positions near sent patrols jordan river jordan syria late april regiment joined attack undertaken plan capture village staging point advance railway junction regiment role raid advance eastern jordan river capture crossing north salt stop ottoman reinforcements sent initially operation met success 12th squadrons met strong resistance stopped bridge track village secured dusk april troops night 4th assumed defensive positions 12th centre 4th left 11th right following day confronted force ottoman infantry track force infantry cavalry south ready force second crossing coming attack finding hard pressed 4th forced south exposing rear troops holding course days little progress british empire troops despite arrival reinforcements commander operation lieutenant general decided necessary withdraw position regiment crossed jordan days later returned previous positions regiment constructed defences temperatures high flies spiders snakes infested regiment camp men 12th sick malaria conditions moved solomon pools climate late june regiment manned defences sent camp olive early august regiment received cavalry training issued swords rest regiment departed september taking camp near dawn morning regiment led advance moving day position near rested midnight 12th original ottoman line regiment rested midday making encountering number surrendering ottoman troops way arrived afternoon halted briefly continuing mouth night morning regiment moved support 3rd taken prisoners capture sent patrols outlying villages hills established signal stations september following 4th relief 5th regiment tasked escorting prisoners moving jordan river near confluence lake early hours september 12th light horse regiment rest brigade regiment 5th departed conduct dawn attack rejoining division advance dark advancing australians came heavy rifle machine gun fire german ottoman positions near railway station away response 11th light horse regiment conducted mounted charge checked short objective squadron 12th advanced left flank horseback squadrons attempted draw fire close squadron 12th attacked forced defenders village germans defending fortified railway station house point defenders raised white flag truce australians 11th 12th advanced surrender germans manning station killed australians attacked clearing building later refused bury german dead amounted leaving bodies looted villagers battle regiment lost man killed wounded losses suffered horses amounted killed injured regiment moved high ground western jordan river mid morning september reached afternoon garrison seen withdraw advanced concert number armoured cars regiment entered capturing german ottoman troops large stores september began final advance damascus crossing jordan river early following day established divisional min september objective 12th 4th mounted charge forming 4th left regiment attacked field spur near advancing position believed strongly held end defenders fire shot withdrawing australians took position suffering casualty capturing machine guns taking prisoners 12th spent night south west city following day october australian units enter damascus sending patrols ahead main advance period guard duty followed regiment withdrawn city outskirts suffering heavily illness shortly october regiment moving armistice came effect ending fighting disbandment following end war 12th light horse regiment remained middle_east number months time command lieutenant colonel suppress egyptian uprising uprising 12th carried security operations protect infrastructure area situation resolved regiment handed stores equipment preparation australia horses transferred concerns costs availability shipping restrictions decision horses returned australia sold service local according concerns mid morning july 12th personnel embarked transport cruising ceylon regiment landfall august men granted brief period leave ship continued sydney stops adelaide melbourne arrived august regiment disbanded war regiment lost men killed men wounded members regiment received following decorations bar military crosses bar distinguished conduct medals bar military medals mentions despatches member regiment major nominated victoria_cross involvement fighting award approved instead received inter war years subsequent service reorganised replicate numerical designations units honours traditions result 12th light horse regiment raised new_england region new_south_wales headquartered forming regiment drew lineage new england light horse existed parallel light horse regiment remained australia war regiment complex series traced lineage 6th raised units contributed personnel fight south_africa boer war time regiment assigned 15th 16th light horse regiments territorial designations adopted 12th light horse regiment known time regiment adopted motto fortune comes initially strength time units maintained voluntary compulsory service election government compulsory service ended replaced volunteer militia economic hardships great depression reduced training opportunities resulted decline number volunteers consequently number units disbanded amalgamated amidst inter war years regiment remained existence october merged 24th light horse form 12th 24th light horse units later militia expanded following increased political tensions europe march second world war 12th light horse converted motor regiment known 12th motor regiment september redesignated 12th armoured car regiment assigned period process resulted light horse units giving horses australian_army faced manpower shortage japanese threat mainland australia decreased militia armoured units broken personnel sent units reinforcements result regiment disbanded october having undertaken garrison duty australia australia time military force reformed regiment raised right amalgamated unit known 12th 16th hunter river established unit 12th light horse regiment honours traditions alliances 12th light horse regiment held following alliances united_kingdom king united_kingdom royal scots battle honours 12th light horse received following battle honours south_africa world war gallipoli egypt palestine jerusalem jordan salt damascus commanding officers following list 12th light horse regiment commanding officers lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel
12th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)