Camel Units of the AIF

1918 Post Card fro an AIF soldier in the Camel Corps

2028 Sergeant Peter Keiren Foster, 1st Camel Corps (Late 7th Light Horse), Killed In Action 1917-01-09.

Captain J.D. Cramb, 14th Australian Light Horse Regiment (14ALHR), Mounted On A Camel. (Donor Captain J.D. Cramb)

Timothy Hogg was a bold Camelier
From the land of the setting sun;
And the girls gave Timmy a rousing cheer
When he started to mop up the Hun.

He trekked over Egypt and Sinai;
He led the Jacko’s a dance,
And he gleefully cried, as he winked his eye:
“I’m lucky I’m not in France.”

When Abdul came with a mighty charge,
And Romani was fought and won,
Tim stopped some shrapnel, good and large;
For a while his work was done.

They packed him of with his blood soaked gear
In a ricketty ambulance;
But the driver laughed, as the shells dropped near:
“We’re lucky we’re not in France.”

At Rafa and Maghdaba, Timothy fought,
Got a holiday wound as well
“It’s not such a joke as the home folk thought
For Jacko can fight like hell.”

He opened his mail in careless glee,
Then swore, and looked askance.
Said his “bint” and his Ma, and his sisters three:
“You’re lucky you’re not in France.

At Gaza’s heights the Light Horse dashed,
Our Cameliers charged in vain:
The Welsh were slaughtered, Scots were smashed;
In the Wadi blood flowed like rain.

Then Tim heard an officer – who at Mons
Had stemmed the Huns’ advance-
Exclaim, amid the roar of the murdering guns,
“I wish I was back in France”

by “Trooper Bluegum” (Oliver Hogue)

An unofficial Rising Sun badge for the Camel Corps.

Aussies on the Sphinx 1915

Camel Regiments

1st Camel Regiment
Formed Egypt September 1916 by redesignation of 11th Light Horse Regiment. Resumed its old identity in February 1917.
Sinai

2nd Camel Regiment
Formed Egypt September 1916 by redesignation of 12th Light Horse Regiment. Resumed its old identity in February 1917.
Sinai

3rd Camel Regiment
Formed Egypt 24 December 1916 from 4th Light Horse Regiment. Resumed its old identity in February 1917.
Sinai

4th Camel Regiment
Formed Egypt 10 November 1916 from 1st Light Horse Double Squadron and 2nd Light Horse Double Squadron. Broken up to form 17th and 18th Camel Companies 3 February 1917.
Egypt

Camel Battalions

The camel company (see below) was ideally suited for action in the Western Desert but was found to be too small for combat against the Turks in Palestine. Accordingly, camel companies were formed into camel battalions in December 1916. In turn these were formed into the 1st Imperial Camel Corps Brigade, which included 10 Australian, 6 British and 2 New Zealand Companies. Although formed from all states, all camel reinforcements came from New South Wales.

Camel Companies

In January 1916 the Imperial Camel Corps was formed from the infantry brigades of the AIF to defend the Western Frontier of Egypt from the Senussi rebels . Many of the men who volunteered for service with camels, especially in the Western Australian units, had years of experience with them. Four companies were initially formed and demand was so great that five more were formed in June 1916 from surplus light horse reinforcements.

Felt shoulder patch set, unused, of the 1st Camel Battalion

1st Camel Battalion [1st Imperial Camel Corps Brigade]
Formed Sinai 2 August 1916 from 5th (British), 6th (British), 7th (British) and 4th Camel Companies. Comprised of 4th, 6th (British), 7th (British) and 12th Camel Companies at Maghdhaba, 1st, 3rd, 4th and 15th (New Zealand) Camel Companies at Rafa. 2nd Camel Company assigned 10 March 1917, replacing the 15th. Thereafter  of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Camel Companies. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 14th Light Horse Regiment.
Palestine

1st Camel Company [1st Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 24 January 1916 from the 4th and 8th Infantry Brigades. Assigned to 1st Camel Battalion 16 December 1916. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 14th Light Horse Regiment.
Egypt, Western Desert, Sinai, Palestine

2nd Camel Company [1st Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 30 January 1916 from the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades. Assigned to 1st Camel Battalion 10 March 1917. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 14th Light Horse Regiment.
Egypt, Western Desert, Sinai, Palestine

3rd Camel Company [1st Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 31 January 1916 from the 3rd and 7th Infantry Brigades. Assigned to 1st Camel Battalion 16 December 1916. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 14th Light Horse Regiment.
Egypt, Western Desert, Sinai, Palestine

4th Camel Company [1st Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 31 January 1916 from the 4th and 8th Infantry Brigades. Assigned to 1st Camel Battalion 16 December 1916. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 14th Light Horse Regiment.
Egypt, Western Desert, Sinai, Palestine

3rd Camel Battalion [1st Imperial Camel Corps Brigade]
Formed Sinai 4 December 1916 from 1st, 11th and 15th (New Zealand) Camel Companies. Comprised of 11th, 12th and 14th Camel Companies at Rafa. Thereafter from 11th, 12th, 14th  and 15th (New Zealand) Camel Companies. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Australian personnel used to form 15th Light Horse Regiment.
Palestine

11th Camel Company [3rd Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 6 July1916 from Anzac Mounted Division. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 15th Light Horse Regimen..
Sinai, Palestine

12th Camel Company [3rd Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 15 July 1916 from light horse reinforcements. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 15th Light Horse Regimen.
Sinai, Palestine

13th Camel Company [3rd Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 25 July 1916 from light horse reinforcements. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 15th Light Horse Regiment.
Sinai, Palestine

14th Camel Company [3rd Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 4 August 1916 from light horse reinforcements. Disbanded 25 July 1918. Personnel used to form 15th Light Horse Regiment.
Sinai, Palestine

4th (Anzac) Camel Battalion [1st Imperial Camel Corps Brigade]
Formed Sinai 16 February 1917 from 16th (New Zealand), 13th, 17th and 18th Camel Companies. Comprised of  14th (New Zealand), 15th (New Zealand),. 17th and 18th Camel Companies. Disbanded 25 July 1918.
Palestine

17th Camel Company [4th (Anzac) Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 3 February 1917 from 4th Camel Regiment. Disbanded July 1918.
Palestine

18th Camel Company [4th (Anzac) Camel Battalion]
Formed Egypt 3 February 1917 from 4th Camel Regiment. Disbanded July 1918.
Palestine

• Departed 

  • Sydney on Morea 27 May 1916, 

  • Sydney on Mongolia 8 July1916, 

  • Sydney on Malwa 22 July 1916, 

  • Sydney on Mooltan 19 August 1916, 

  • Sydney on Barunga 20 October 1916, 

  • Melbourne on Vestalia 15 December 1916, 

  • Melbourne on Barunga 10 May 1917, 

  • Sydney on Karmala 3 February 1917, 

  • Melbourne on Karmala 6 February 1917, 

  • Sydney on Morea 17 February 1917, 

  • Melbourne on Morea 20 February 1917, 

  • Sydney on Port Sydney on 9 May 1917, 

  • Fremantle on Boorara 22 May 1917, 

  • Fremantle on Port Lincoln 30 June 1917, 

  • Sydney on Kyarra 3 September 1917, 

  • Fremantle on Kyarra 17 September 1917, 

  • Fremantle on Commonwealth 9 November 1917, 

  • Sydney on Canberra 16 November 1917, 

  • Sydney on Port Darwin 30 April 1918.

most details from Ross Mallett's site http://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/~rmallett/index.html

Imperial Camel Corps

The Imperial Camel Corps (ICC) was formed in January 1916 in order to deal with the revolt of pro-Turkish Senussi tribesmen in Egypt’s Western Desert. The first four companies were recruited from Australian infantry battalions recuperating after Gallipoli. Four battalions were eventually formed. The 1st and 3rd were entirely Australian, the 2nd was British, and the 4th was a mix of Australians and New Zealanders. The ICC also had its own machine gun unit, and a battery of light artillery recruited in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The operations of the ICC in the Western Desert in 1916 were characterised by long patrols and brief skirmishes with the Senussi. British commanders in Egypt appreciated the fighting qualities of the ICC and in late 1916 the ICC was transferred to the Sinai desert to take part in operations against the Turkish army. Here the battalions of the ICC fought alongside Australian light horse units at Romani, Magdhaba and Rafa.

The ICC remained an integral part of the British and dominion force that advanced north through Palestine in 1917 and 1918. It suffered particularly heavily during the Second Battle of Gaza on 19 April 1917, and in the operations conducted in November to destroy the Turkish defensive line between Gaza and Beersheba. As the ICC moved into the more fertile country of northern Palestine, its practicality declined. The camels needed more fodder and water than equivalent numbers of horses, and, unimpeded by the desert, horses could move much faster. The bulk of the ICC was disbanded in June 1918 and the Australians were used to form the 14th and 15th Light Horse Regiments.

The men of the ICC had a rough reputation, largely because when the Corps was originally formed Australian battalion commanders had seized upon it as an opportunity to offload some of their more difficult characters. In 1917 a British supply dump at Rafa was warned to double their guards as the ICC was going to be camped nearby. The men of the ICC were, however, resourceful and effective. While defending a hill called Musallabeh in April 1918, some Australians of the ICC ran out of hand grenades. They resorted to heaving boulders down upon the attacking Turks and eventually fought them off. The hill became known as the “Camel’s Hump”. Text from AWM

• 200 killed, 598 wounded

• Decorations Australian ICC personnel only

  • 18 MC, 2 bars
  • 13 DCM
  • 26 MM
  • 2 MSM
  • 43 MID
  • 9 foreign awards