The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939)(about) |
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Saturday 6 September 1919
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OUR SPLENDID LIGHT HORSE.
BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS.. BRIG.-GEN. L.C. WILSON'S TRIBUTE.
"There was no better work in Egypt. Palestine, or Sinai than that performed by the Australian Light Horse," remarked Brigadier-General L. C. Wilson, C.B.,
C.M.G., D.S.O., and C. de G. on August 28 in detailing some reminiscences of the cam- paign against the Turkish army. The dis- tinguished soldier, accompanied by his wife, returned to Brisbane by last night's mail train, after an absence of over four years at the Front. Originally second in command of the 5th L.H., he assumed the charge of the regiment when its colonel —Lieutenant-Colonel Hubert Harris—was killed, in August, 1915. Throughout the Gallipoli campaign—the historic peninsula landmark on the extreme right of the Australian line, "Wilson's Lookout," de- rived its name from the general—until October, 1917, he had command of the famous Queensland regiment, and that month he handed over control to Lieuten- ant-Colonel Donald Cameron, D.S.O., him- self taking charge of the 3rd L.H. Brigade, a position he still holds. During the whole period of his service Brigadier- General Wilson was not one day absent from his unit, an almost unique record. The 3rd Brigade, which, comprises the 8th, 9th, and 10th Regiments and details, took part in practically every engagement in the Turkish theatre of war. Of the many wonderful exploits which his brigade ac- complished Brigadier-General Wilson selects the capture of the pass at Khubbet-I-Assr fur by the 9th Light Horse as one of a number of "nice little shows." A column of about 1500 Turks and Germans were moving in the direction of the pass, and about two miles distant from it, when the order came for the regiment to saddle up. The situation developed into a race for the pass, in which the enemy column had to cover only two miles, against the seven miles of the Light Hone. The Australians reached their objective a quarter of an hour ahead of the enemy, and although opposed by a much greater force, captured the entire column within one hour of the regiment moving from bivouac. The Aus- tralian force suffered only one casualty in the engagement, which was the culmin- ating point of a series of splendid victories, which concluded the final general offensive. During the preceding fortnight the brigade had captured 11,025 men, 22 guns, 189 machine guns, a vast amount of stores, transport, and war material, and gold and silver bullion to the estimated value of £200,000.