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Australian Light
Horse Brigades.
Called "Light
Horse" to distinguish it from the "Heavy Horse" that was still in
favour in some circles of the British Army. Light horse was traditionally
cavalry made up of smaller men on smaller, lighter horses and they were
used as scouts, skirmishers, cut and run, fast and furious, dashing
glamour units.
They were called various
names, Lancers (armed with lances and sabres), Hussars (swords) and
Dragoons (short muskets called Dragons, hence their name).
Actually the Australian
Light Horse was not cavalry but Mounted Infantry. Their job was not to
fight on horseback. It was to ride to the fight, dismount and fight as
infantry. The famous Charge
at Beersheba was an anomaly bought on by circumstances. Until 1918
they did not carry sabres or swords but were armed as Infantry with the
Lee Enfield .303 rifle and bayonets. Regardless of the details, they rode
into a glorious part of our history. |
