14th Light Horse Regiment
Encyclopedia
The 14th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry
or light horse unit of the Australian Army
. The unit takes its lineage from units raised as part of the colonial forces
of the state of Queensland
in 1860 and served during the Second Boer War
and World War I
. In 1930 it was amalgamated with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment to become the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
, a unit that continues to exist as part of the Australian Army today.
. As a part of this amalgamation the four battalions of the QMI were reformed as light horse regiments, and the 4th Battalion became the 27th Light Horse Regiment.
In 1912 a system of compulsory military service was instituted in Australia, the result of which was the expansion of the army. Consequently most the units of the QMI were redesignated, and the 27th Light Horse Regiment became the 27th Light Horse (North Queensland Light Horse) Regiment. With the outbreak of World War I, due to the provisions of the Defence Act 1903 which did not allow for conscripts to be sent overseas to fight, it was decided to raise an all volunteer force for service overseas, which would be known as the Australian Imperial Force
(AIF). While the units of the AIF were deployed overseas to Gallipoli and the Western Front
, the original units of the QMI remained in Australia on home service.
In March 1916 the 14th Light Horse Regiment was raised as part of the AIF at Enoggera
, Queensland, attached to the 3rd Division. It departed from Sydney
on the steamship Beltana on 13 May 1916, bound for England where it was intended to be brought up to full strength to serve as the 3rd Division's light horse regiment. Before it could be brought up to full strength, however, the establishment was reduced to only one squadron per division and as such only 'A' Squadron was formed. Soon afterwards, however, the divisional establishments of the Australian Army were changed again, this time removing mounted troops from the order of battle altogether. As a result it was decided to disband the regiment.
In June 1918 the 14th Light Horse Regiment was reformed from the Imperial Camel Corps
in Palestine
. This unit had been disbanded due to the unsuitability of the camels to the fighting in Palestine, however, it had performed very well in the previous campaigns in Egypt and the Sinai and had earned a number of battle honours, which the 14th subsequently inherited. Together with the 15th Light Horse Regiment and a French colonial regiment they formed the 5th Light Horse Brigade
, attached to the Australian Mounted Division
.
In September 1918 the 5th Light Horse Brigade were involved in the fighting against the Turks around Megiddo
, during which time they suffered eight men killed. Over the course of ten days the Brigade advanced more than 650 kilometres (403.9 mi) before entering Damascus
on 1 October 1918, after which they spent the next month performing garrison duties as the Brigade prepared to take part in the advance towards Alepo
. Turkey surrendered on 30 October 1918, thus preventing the Regiment from seeing any further action during the war. However, before they were to return to Australia they were used to quell the Egyptian Revolution of 1919
. They finally embarked for the return voyage to Australia on 24 July 1919.
In Australia the units of the QMI underwent another reorganisation when they were renumbered once again. In 1922 the 27th Light Horse (North Queensland Light Horse) Regiment became the 14th (North Queensland) Light Horse Regiment. The AIF was officially disbanded in April 1921 and in the subsequent re-organisation of the Australian Army it was decided that the associated Citizens Military Force units would retain the AIF battle honours. Thus, when the 27th became the 14th in 1922 it was officially given the battle honours of its AIF counterpart. In 1927 the Regiment's name was changed again to the 14th (West Moreton) Light Horse Regiment. In 1930 due to economic constraints caused by the Great Depression
the 14th was amalgamated with the 2nd (Moreton) Light Horse Regiment to become the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry).
In September 1939, following the outbreak of World War II
, the 2nd/14th was assigned to the 1st Australian Cavalry Brigade
. In 1940, the 2nd/14th was delinked and the 14th Light Horse Regiment was re-raised as a machine-gun unit. It was assigned to the 4th Australian Cavalry Brigade. Two years later it was renamed as the 14th Motor Regiment, however, it was disbanded shortly afterwards in May 1942 when its personnel were transferred to the 2/4th Armoured Regiment
.
Mounted infantry
Mounted infantry were soldiers who rode horses instead of marching, but actually fought on foot . The original dragoons were essentially mounted infantry...
or light horse unit of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. The unit takes its lineage from units raised as part of the colonial forces
Colonial forces of Australia
Until Australia became a Federation in 1901, each of the six colonial governments was responsible for the defence of their own colony. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 25 British regiments served in the Australian colonies...
of the state of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in 1860 and served during the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1930 it was amalgamated with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment to become the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment
The 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and forms part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1952 though sentimentally traces its lineage to 1860...
, a unit that continues to exist as part of the Australian Army today.
History
The 14th Light Horse Regiment has a somewhat convoluted lineage.This unit is not to be confused with 2nd Battalion, Queensland Mounted Infantry which became the 14th Australian Light Horse Regiment in 1903 before subsequently being redesignated as the 3rd Light Horse Regiment in 1913 and then the 11th (Darling Downs) Light Horse (QMI) in 1918. See CMF Light Horse. It had its origins in the 4th Battalion, Queensland Mounted Infantry (QMI), which was a unit of the colonial forces of the state of Queensland that was first raised in 1860. When the Second Boer War broke out, the QMI were sent to South Africa to fight alongside contingents from a number of Australian colonies and it was here that the unit won its first battle honour.It was not until 1908 that the Regiment was officially presented with this battle honour. After the Boer War the colonial forces were amalgamated into the military forces of the newly federated nation of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. As a part of this amalgamation the four battalions of the QMI were reformed as light horse regiments, and the 4th Battalion became the 27th Light Horse Regiment.
In 1912 a system of compulsory military service was instituted in Australia, the result of which was the expansion of the army. Consequently most the units of the QMI were redesignated, and the 27th Light Horse Regiment became the 27th Light Horse (North Queensland Light Horse) Regiment. With the outbreak of World War I, due to the provisions of the Defence Act 1903 which did not allow for conscripts to be sent overseas to fight, it was decided to raise an all volunteer force for service overseas, which would be known as the Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
(AIF). While the units of the AIF were deployed overseas to Gallipoli and the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, the original units of the QMI remained in Australia on home service.
In March 1916 the 14th Light Horse Regiment was raised as part of the AIF at Enoggera
Enoggera Barracks
Enoggera Barracks is an Australian Army base in the northwestern Brisbane suburb of Enoggera in Queensland.-History:...
, Queensland, attached to the 3rd Division. It departed from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on the steamship Beltana on 13 May 1916, bound for England where it was intended to be brought up to full strength to serve as the 3rd Division's light horse regiment. Before it could be brought up to full strength, however, the establishment was reduced to only one squadron per division and as such only 'A' Squadron was formed. Soon afterwards, however, the divisional establishments of the Australian Army were changed again, this time removing mounted troops from the order of battle altogether. As a result it was decided to disband the regiment.
In June 1918 the 14th Light Horse Regiment was reformed from the Imperial Camel Corps
Imperial Camel Corps
The Imperial Camel Corps was a brigade-sized military formation which fought for the Allies in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in World War I. Its personnel were infantry mounted on camels for movement across desert....
in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. This unit had been disbanded due to the unsuitability of the camels to the fighting in Palestine, however, it had performed very well in the previous campaigns in Egypt and the Sinai and had earned a number of battle honours, which the 14th subsequently inherited. Together with the 15th Light Horse Regiment and a French colonial regiment they formed the 5th Light Horse Brigade
5th Light Horse Brigade
The 5th Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force, formed in Palestine in July 1918 they served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, as part of the Australian Mounted Division...
, attached to the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
.
In September 1918 the 5th Light Horse Brigade were involved in the fighting against the Turks around Megiddo
Battle of Megiddo (1918)
The Battle of Megiddo took place between 19 September and 1 October 1918, in what was then the northern part of Ottoman Palestine and parts of present-day Syria and Jordan...
, during which time they suffered eight men killed. Over the course of ten days the Brigade advanced more than 650 kilometres (403.9 mi) before entering Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
on 1 October 1918, after which they spent the next month performing garrison duties as the Brigade prepared to take part in the advance towards Alepo
Alepo
Alepo is a privately held software company with corporate headquarters in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1994, Alepo designs, develops, and supplies enabling infrastructure for telecommunications service providers in the United States and internationally...
. Turkey surrendered on 30 October 1918, thus preventing the Regiment from seeing any further action during the war. However, before they were to return to Australia they were used to quell the Egyptian Revolution of 1919
Egyptian Revolution of 1919
The Egyptian Revolution of 1919 was a countrywide revolution against the British occupation of Egypt and Sudan. It was carried out by Egyptians and Sudanese from different walks of life in the wake of the British-ordered exile of revolutionary leader Saad Zaghlul, and other members of the Wafd...
. They finally embarked for the return voyage to Australia on 24 July 1919.
In Australia the units of the QMI underwent another reorganisation when they were renumbered once again. In 1922 the 27th Light Horse (North Queensland Light Horse) Regiment became the 14th (North Queensland) Light Horse Regiment. The AIF was officially disbanded in April 1921 and in the subsequent re-organisation of the Australian Army it was decided that the associated Citizens Military Force units would retain the AIF battle honours. Thus, when the 27th became the 14th in 1922 it was officially given the battle honours of its AIF counterpart. In 1927 the Regiment's name was changed again to the 14th (West Moreton) Light Horse Regiment. In 1930 due to economic constraints caused by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
the 14th was amalgamated with the 2nd (Moreton) Light Horse Regiment to become the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry).
In September 1939, following the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 2nd/14th was assigned to the 1st Australian Cavalry Brigade
1st Cavalry Brigade (Australia)
The 1st Australian Cavalry Brigade was a formation of the Australian Army during World War II. The brigade was formed in September 1939, and did not see any active service The brigade was converted into the 1st Motor Brigade in April 1942...
. In 1940, the 2nd/14th was delinked and the 14th Light Horse Regiment was re-raised as a machine-gun unit. It was assigned to the 4th Australian Cavalry Brigade. Two years later it was renamed as the 14th Motor Regiment, however, it was disbanded shortly afterwards in May 1942 when its personnel were transferred to the 2/4th Armoured Regiment
2/4th Armoured Regiment (Australia)
The 2/4th Armoured Regiment was an armoured regiment of the Australian Army, which served during World War II. The regiment was formed in November 1942 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force by amalgamating a number of previously existing armoured units and was disbanded in September 1946...
.
Battle honours
- Boer War: South Africa 1899–1902;
- World War I: Romani, Magdhaba–Rafah, Egypt 1915–1917, Gaza–Beersheba, El Mughar, Nebi Samwill, Jerusalem, Jaffa, Jericho, Jordan (Es Salt), Jordan (Amman), Megiddo, Nablus, Palestine 1917–1918.These battle honours were inherited from the Imperial Camel Corps from where the regiment drew its manpower upon being re-formed in 1918.
See also
- Colonial forces of AustraliaColonial forces of AustraliaUntil Australia became a Federation in 1901, each of the six colonial governments was responsible for the defence of their own colony. From 1788 until 1870 this was done with British regular forces. In all, 25 British regiments served in the Australian colonies...
- Military history of Australia during World War IMilitary history of Australia during World War IIn Australia, the outbreak of World War I was greeted with considerable enthusiasm. Even before Britain declared war on Germany on 4 August 1914, the nation pledged its support for the Empire alongside other Commonwealth nations and almost immediately began preparations to send forces overseas to...