15th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

The 15th Light Horse Regiment was raised in Palestine in June 1918, from Australian soldiers serving in the disbanded Imperial Camel Corps Brigade,[1] and comprised twenty-five officers and 497 other ranks serving in three squadrons, each of six troops.[2] Each troop was divided into eight sections, of four men each. In action one man of each section, was nominated as a horse holder reducing the regiment's rifle strength by a quarter.[3] The Camel Corps were all trained infantrymen, and some of them had previously served with the Australian Light Horse regiments, but all required a period of training in horsemanship. Once formed, the regiment was assigned to the 5th Light Horse Brigade, alongside a French regiment and the 14th Light Horse Regiment.[1] All Australian Light Horse regiments used cavalry unit designations, but were mounted infantry armed with rifles, not swords or lances, and mounted exclusively on the Australian Waler horse.[4]

A trooper of the 15th Light Horse Regiment

In 1921, Australia's part-time military forces were re-organised to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF following its demobilisation.[5] Through this process, the 15th Light Horse was re-raised as a Citizens Forces unit within the 2nd Military District in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, drawing lineage from the 5th Australian Light Horse Regiment (New South Wales Mounted Rifles), which had been formed in 1903. This unit remained in existence throughout the inter-war years, and in December 1941 it was converted into a motor regiment, adopting the designation of the "15th Motor Regiment (Northern River Lancers). In 1942, the regiment was re-designated the "15th Australian Motor Regiment" and was gazetted as an AIF unit,[6] meaning that it could be deployed outside of Australian territory to fight if necessary.[7] Nevertheless, the regiment was deemed surplus to requirements and on 12 October 1944 it was disbanded without having seen operational service during World War II.[6] During the war years, the regiment was variously assigned to the 1st Armoured and 2nd Motor Brigades.[8]

In the post war period, Australia's part-time force was re-raised and in July 1948 the regiment was reformed as a single squadron, with the designation of the "A Squadron, 15th Amphibious Assault Regiment (Northern River Lancers)". The following year it was re-designated the "15th Northern River Lancers". In 1952, the squadron was expanded into a full regiment due to the influx of national servicemen, but in 1956 the regiment was amalgamated with the 1st Royal New South Wales Lancers to form the 1st/15th Royal New South Wales Lancers.[9][10]

The 15th Light Horse Regiment was awarded the following battle honours:

• Egypt 1915–17 · Romani · Magdhaba-Rafah · Gaza-Beersheba · El Mughar · Nebi Samwill · Jerusalem · Jaffa · Jericho · Jordan (Es Salt) · Jordan (Amman) · Megiddo · Nablus · Palestine 1917–18[1]

During the First World War, the regiment was commanded by:

• Lieutenant Colonel Arthur James Mills DSO VD[11]

Citations

Bibliography

• Festberg, Alfred (1972). The Lineage of the Australian Army. Melbourne, Victoria: Allara Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85887-024-6.
• Finlayson, David (2012). Green Fields Beyond. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Department of Veterans' Affairs. OCLC 799180097.
• Grey, Jeffrey (2008). A Military History of Australia (3rd ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-69791-0.
• Gullett, Henry (1941). The Australian Imperial Force in Sinai and Palestine, 1914–1918. Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918. Vol. 7 (10th ed.). Sydney: Angus and Robertson. OCLC 220901683.
• Horner, David; Williams, Peter (2010). Australia's Military History For Dummies. Milton, Queensland: John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978-1-74246-894-5.

• Langley, George; Langley, Edmee (1976). Sand, Sweat and Camels: The Australian Companies of the Imperial Camel Corps. Kilmore, Victoria: Lowden Publishing. ISBN 9780909706517.