Battle Honour 15th

Magdhaba-Rafah

The 15th Light Horse was not formed until July 1918 when the Imperial Camel Brigade was disbanded. The Australians who had served in it were formed into the 14th and 15th Light Horse AIF (Australian Imperial Force). Honours for battles fought by the Camel Brigade were attributed to these Regiments.

Magdhaba, was a fortified military post 30 Kilometres east of el Arish. The position was attacked at 06:30 on 23 December 1916. The enemy held out nearly all day, being sited in a number of redoubts, but by a few minutes after 16:00 the last redoubt had fallen to Chauvel's force, which in this fight consisted of the 1st and 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigades, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and Imperial Camel Brigades, Inverness and Somerset Batteries and the Hong Kong and Singapore Battery. The enemy surrendered four mountain guns, hundreds of rifles and much ammunition and other material.

On 8 January 1917 the brigade moved to Rafa where the Turks were reported to be strongly entrenched.

The enemy was strongly entrenched and fought bravely. This battle was marked by the Camel Brigade being bombed by the enemy from the air.

J Howells 2000

PV Vernon Royal New South Wales Lancers 1885–1985 Parramatta 1985

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