Why were WWI Australian Light Horse such expert desert fighters?

It was 1914-1918. There were no hand-help radios, no GPS, no mobile phones and no hint of social media. Yet young Australian blokes taken halfway around the world and dumped in a harsh desert landscape not only survived, they thrived, found their way around, discovered hidden water and rarely got lost. How did they accomplish this remarkable achievement? The video explains it all.

[@wendellfugate4225]

Bloody champions to a man these blokes. Thumbs up!

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Very many thanks for such a positive comment and thank you for taking the time to make it. Comment much appreciated as it helps spread the word thank you. All the more important being ANZAC day tomorrow. Cheers 🍻 🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Get the kids involved in these old time techniques and they will learn history a fun way to. Cheers

[@PsychicIsaacs]

This is all excellent information, thank you for posting it! Most places in the Aussie Bush do have a slight fall, and if you follow that fall, you'll always hit a creek, even if it's a dry one! If you folllow that dry creek, usually within just a few miles, you'll come to a billabong, a dam, a homestead or a road, but if I had a choice of following a creek or following a road, when crossing country, I'd much rather follow the creek, because it's going to be cooler and there's probably going to be a billabong, sooner or later. God Bless, and Keep Up the Good Work!

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Wow. What an outstanding comment to receive. Many thanks for that. Brilliant to get your perspective because it is tough for modern day city folk to understand this and just what it was like back when shovels were high-tech. Really appreciate the comment mate, cheers 🇦🇺🦘🐨🇦🇺🐴🇦🇺

[@PsychicIsaacs]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder I'm a third generation Aussie Bush Smallholder, I raised my sons in the Aussie Bush as well so Cheers Mate! This included riding horses in the Bush as well.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@PsychicIsaacs brilliant 👍🐴🇦🇺

[@svetovidarkonsky1670]

Excellent info Steve

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

many thanks for that .. old school yes, but will be handy when the apocalypse hits :)

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@lawrencecannon1415]

Awesome, all the things you spoke can be found in the " Legion of Frontiersman" Pocket Book. A Canadian paramilitary unit that predates Baden Powell/ Boy Scouts. Formed/Commanded by Roger Pocock in Service to the Crown. Absolutely stellar what you are sharing.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

wow - that is praise indeed cobber, very interesting to hear about that pre Baden Powell book, I did a video about the Light Horse blanket a little while back, bloke from British Army sent me a extract from old UK cavalry handbook, was almost word for word Light Horse 'cept maybe 100 years earlier .... no one wanted to reinvent the wheel I guess, cheers and thanks again mate

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@koni5413]

Wow this was so informative. Will definitely be sharing this with children. 🙏🙏

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

thank you so much, cheers

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

WWI info known by the young is diminishing more and more as the years go by. It seems more and more remote for them. A bit sad 😔

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@mcake1234]

That is so interesting. Simple basic principles these boys had applied out in the Aussie bush for years and years that, as you said, became second nature to them. Bushcraft that helped them to engage, survive and come out on top of old Johnny Turk. We visited Turkey back in the 90's. The Turks are such a lovely down to earth people. They enjoyed hearing all about Australia and the Australian people. It's true, there is a strong bond that exists between Australia and Turkey. If you slung an Aussie flag over your backpack in Turkey you were more than welcomed by the people everywhere. Visited the Dardenells also, very moving. Thanks for sharing.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

thanks for adding that comment and information mate, everything I've heard about people doing the Gallipoli/Turkey pilgrimage, Israel too, is very positive and welcoming - great to hear of your travels mate, well done ... thanks again

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Hope you are going well Fred ...... cheers cobber

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Some brilliant replies and comments to some of these early videos. Always great to look back. Cheers

[@thebeautifulones5436]

These guys who dress up in military uniforms are the last people who would ever fight in a war.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@thebeautifulones5436 fabulous comment mate and I much appreciate your input. A very thought provoking comment. I’m 71 and was due to go to Vietnam when Australia government pulled pin on war. I was a cop for 40 years and was in the odd suburban war or two ha ha. I was also in Army Reserve. But fair dinkum, I appreciate your comment and all these years later still give thanks I didn’t go to Vietnam. Cheers. Thanks again 👍👍

[@between666]

One light horse trooper was worth three British soldiers. A lot were farriers . Looks like Mudgeeraba 13th in the background. My mums uncle was Campbell Duncan.. Desert column. Ion Idress

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Cheers mate. Thanks for the comment and the input. Much to be proud of there, more so with ANZAC day soon. . Yes , it was hard to compare a British boy from some city slum to a man who had been making a living in the harsh Aussie landscape. Thanks Again 👍🐴👍

[@VeniceBitheBeach]

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[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@phillipcleaver7063]

Great mate , many thanks for this video , I,ve used a few of the lighter end of these methods to find things again here in england , I didn't know it is bushcraft , these skills are of potential vast lifesaving use to youngsters of an explorative nature where as you say , there is no such thing as a mobile phone signal or GPS reception , or just your battery is plain flat ! I grew up without any of the gizmos , just used common sense & experience of the position of the sun . This works anywhere from Dartmoor , Salisbury plain , to the heights of the Highlands of Scotland , or the darkest inner depths of a vast city like Birmingham . I know a lad who is starting his military career so I,ll link this video across to his mum , & try to get them a copy of the book the guy below mentions below as part of their christmas present . I should have been born & grown up Australian , but my dad was stopped from emigrating , but I still intend to go see " The Big Country "as holidays . May Australia prosper . G'day mate .

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

wow - that is a great message to receive cobber and many thanks for it. phew, I enjoyed your input there and better not get carried away replying but I was born in London and lived there until 10, I was a cub scout in London and loved it, then a scout in Australia and then into 'service' at 16, loved every minute of three years training, putting so much survival stuff into practice ..... and now I'm 70 and still going out bush and camping, two of my four sons are mad campers, explorers with 4WDs. anyway, I said I wouldn't rave on ha ha. Cheers cobber, I only check my channel for a little while each evening so I'm real pleased I saw this come in - and great about the lad starting in the military - brilliant! cheers and thanks again Steve

[@VeniceBitheBeach]

Wow!!!

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@VeniceBitheBeach]

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[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Perfect viewing for the 25th!!!❤

[@VeniceBitheBeach]

And now we know what that means. Thank you.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@VeniceBitheBeach no, thank you 😂😂

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

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[@VeniceBitheBeach]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder ❤️

[@VeronicaInVenice]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder❤

[@davidbeach7187]

Very interesting, thank you.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

Very many thanks for the comment. Many watch but few take the time and effort to make a comment. Much appreciated. Cheers

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@VeronicaInVenice]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder❤

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

Great video. Very good info

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

did they teach you any/all of this in your grunt days? And I'm an Aussie so I hope 'grunt' is an okay term cowboy :)

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder yeah grunt is ok. And yeah some not all. Most people in the army don't learn it. I learned it in a army school called S.E.R.E. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) or like I like to call the john McCain experience.😁 but it's a hard school it get into. And they mostly only let infantry, aviation, or special forces into the school. So jobs where there is a chance of becoming a P.O.W...infantry is at the bottom of priority. And me being infantry it was hard to get into. Hard school but sometimes fun.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@snappers_antique_firearms yes, I get the 'hard but sometimes fun' .... bloody murder when you are doing it, pretty good to look back on later :) you did well

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@frankhunt7987]

Thanks mate.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

cheers cobber

[@VeniceBitheBeach]

lots of very supportive comments here ... that's great

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

cheers

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder👍🏻 legend dude 🚬🤠

[@BlownGaskets]

I'm Watching this episode again, partly because I find it very interesting and educational, but mostly because I'm a slow learner and I'm trying to remember some of these skills, a terrific episode, an encore performance with more bush wisdom would be excellent viewing

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

again, many thanks Jason .... I've a note pad beside the computer, I jot down people's suggestions, they never fail to give me great ideas ... and many of them are yours, so thank you cobber :)

[@outercyberia]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnderRe-watching…Again!! That “offline GPS,” estimating distances and sunset times work great !! Just watched “The Lighthorsemen,” 1987. Excellent and engaging movie.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

brilliant, brilliant brilliant and a billion thanks :) a fabulous fabulous film for sure, a credit to the film makers and very very close to the truth, close :) cheers old mate @@outercyberia

[@VeniceBitheBeach]

We are watching it again tonite. We like these army uniform videos ❤❤❤

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@3816390]

Good drills copper Nice instructional lessons

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

many thanks for the kind words, comments always much appreciated, thank you

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

hope life is treating you well cobber ... cheers

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

I need to get back to these historical type videos. Cheers. 🥂

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@militarymad2840]

What’s with all this metre business that’s like an alien language to me

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

ha ha, I know exactly what you mean old mate, I have to do my research before a vid and then sometimes STILL get it wrong, bring back chains, hands and thumbs I say :) onya cobber cheers

[@VeronicaInVenice]

😂😂😂

[@VeronicaInVenice]

fantastic!

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

many thanks for the comment and for the 'surfing'!

[@VeronicaInVenice]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder yes, we are slowly going back through the earlier ones, Mr Cody is always fun

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@VeronicaInVenice love my boy :) cheers

[@VeronicaInVenice]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder yes, that certainly comes across very vividly x

[@outercyberia]

Love the video and the comments ❤!!!

[@angusdassler3052]

My great grandfather was in the AMR, Auckland Mounted Rifles. Unfortunately, all of his medals were stolen so I don't know much about his service. Do you know anything about the unit?

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

I’m very sorry to say I’m very remiss in my NZ knowledge. There is an excellent NZ military museum. I’m sure they can help. Good luck and thanks for the comment. 🐴🐴

[@SenorTucano]

You should be able to contact the NZ government archives or war memorial to find his service records and work out what medals he’d been awarded. You can then get a replica set made up and mounted.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@SenorTucano brilliant input there Angus. Many thanks for that. Much appreciated 🐴🐴🥕🥕👍

[@VeronicaInVenice]

@@SenorTucano❤

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@BlownGaskets]

Another great video, a wonderfuly informative episode, but I have a couple questions. All this wealth of bushcraft knowledge is invaluable and life saving information (both for man and horse) and it is a given that many a lighthorse man was raised learning this information, but a chap can also assume that many were not, and so to my questions Were the men of the light horse schooled in such things? Were the men assessed to ascertain the extent of their knowledge? I am interested to know if these chaps spent some time in the class room instead of on the parade ground during training.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

wow - that was a long post and boy does it require a long answer - I think it is grounds for a video itself .... quick answer: .... hmmm, is there a quick answer? Okay US cavalry and UK cavalry WANTED blokes who had never ridden because they wanted them to learn their way. Aust Light Horse was training for YEARS prior to WWI/1914 and the main thing was, if YOU did not provide your own horse you could not join. So, to be in Light Horse you had to be a very competent horseman, this was in the training manual/recruit requirements .... some in US and UK will argue this but the very fact you HAD to bring your own horse tells the truth of it ..... and then Vic high country, NSW high country, QLD NT outback, why did you ride?, to move half wild near feral stock over tough unforgiving land ... hence you joined the Light Horse with amazing skills .... everyone wanted to be Light Horse, if you couldn't cut it, you got flicked to infantry ... Well, quick short version .. hope it helps til video comes out cobber

[@BlownGaskets]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder interesting stuff, I look forward to the long answer by video, I reckon you'll need a bigger note pad... Speaking of written instructions, how was the literacy amongst the ranks??

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@BlownGaskets now that I cannot answer off the top of my head - will research and have already written myself a note to follow up - yes, bigger note pad now needed ha ha

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@ursus9104]

The horse fell a sleep by all talk…

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

So funny and spot on. Cody loves making videos because it beats carrying me around the paddocks. So funny. Every time I saddle up he always tries to walk to the sheltered place I make videos. Wishful thinking 😂😂. Cheers. Appreciate the comment 🐴🥕🐴🥕

[@VeniceBitheBeach]

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[@VeniceBitheBeach]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder❤❤❤

[@VeronicaInVenice]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder❤❤❤

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@CJArnold-hq3ey]

That's not English Cavalry THATS AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HOESE 🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃🏃 - The Lighthorseman.

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

100% spot on and well spotted old mate. Perfect spotting in fact with ANZAC day only a few days away. Three cheers for the Light Horse and many many thanks for the input. Much appreciated 🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴

[@CJArnold-hq3ey]

@@CodyandSteveDownUnder no worries mate my father and Uncles all served my father was part of Sparrow Force in Timor worked on the Pakanbaru Death Railway in Sumatra as POW yep there were 2 death Railways not many know that .

[@CodyandSteveDownUnder]

@@CJArnold-hq3ey wow. Amazing family history to be mighty proud of cobber. Thanks for sharing that. All the best for the 25th 👍

[@VeronicaInVenice]

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[@VeronicaInVenice]

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