Delayed in the Desert: The Gaza Stalemate and Beersheba Breakthrough | Robert Fleming

In 1917, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George ordered the Egyptian Expeditionary Force to capture Jerusalem by Christmas. This was, arguably, a diversion from the main focus of the war on the western front. He believed this would be a good 'Christmas Present' for the British people.
However, the route to Jerusalem was across the Sinai desert and blocked by the Ottoman defences at Gaza and Beersheba. The eventual Allied victory at the Battle of Beersheba, was a grave setback for the Ottoman Empire and led to the eventual defeat of the Central Powers in what was then Palestine.
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[@davidwatson2399]

Thank you for your great work.👍

[@NSWLancer]

Excellent presentation very accurate, photo of 13 LH in France was a bit out of place. No denigration of Australian and New Zealand efforts, unusual for the Western Front Association.

[@Mulvers]

I don't know much about this WW1 front, so really appreciate learning a lot from this presentation!

[@joeyj6808]

Fascinating stuff! Thank you for an excellent presentation on a theater of the war I know so little of.

[@jamesleonard7439]

I'm so grateful for this education on the first world War, keep doing what you're doing wfa.

[@NSWLancer]

NSWL (Light Cav equipped with Lances) and AH (Heavy Cav) were cavalry in the Second Anglo-Boer War. Both regiments were converted to LH in 1903. LH were organised as cavalry and deployed as Mounted Infantry, meaning they could conduct cavalry tasks like recon and fight as infantry, thus not as susceptible to MG fire and wire. The "charge" at Beer 'Sheva can be argued to be an approach at the gallop and dismount on objective.

[@chemicalqueen5460]

The Australian Waler horse, was the horse most favoured by the Army in the desert and for the Indian army. Over 120,000 deployed during WWI, none of which were repatriated after the war ended in 1918. The Horse and those who rode them are revered in Australia and still feature in ANZAC day parades to this day and there is a memorial at Be’er Sheva in Israel.

[@davidwatson2399]

Its a very fine line between Cavalry and Light horse. Light horse was a far smarter use of men and horses.

[@davidwatson2399]

Oil for ships also means less smoke to give away the ships and battle fleets.

[@Digmen1]

I loved the movie The Light Horsemen The cavalry charge scene is great (maybe a bit exagerated)

[@NSWLancer]

Not really exaggerated, the terrain is not quite a match.

[@davidwatson2399]

Not exaggerated. My regiment was on the left.😁

[@davidwatson2399]

They should have sent the horses to India, or quarantined in South Africa, but that would have taken transport and £.

[@Canadian_Skeptical]

Britain should have stayed out the Middle East for the next 1000 years.

[@davidwatson2399]

What?