One hundred years ago, on October 31, 1917, 15,000 Australian, New Zealand and British troops fought against Ottoman forces in the infamous Battle of Bersheeba.
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The Palestinian city played host to the one-day battle, won convincingly by the Allies, before the Allied forces went on to claim the crucial city of Jerusalem in the Sinai and Palestine campaign.
Records show that 21 young men from the Westbury district joined the Australian Light Horse ranks and fought on the bloody battlefields of Beersheeba, Gallipoli and the western front.
“Bersheeba is arguably one of the greatest achievements of the Australian Light Horse in World War I,” Westbury RSL sub-branch president Bob Sackley said.
“They hadn’t been able to breach the Turkish defences before.
“The horsemen ran at the trenches at the gallop for about two kilometres of open, sandy country, where they were open to machine gun fire and all they had in retaliation was bayonets and swords.”
In commemoration of those who served at Beersheeba, the Westbury RSL sub-branch will hold events for the district on Tuesday.
The day will begin at 11am with a service at the Westbury Anglican Cemetery, where pupils from Westbury Primary School will lay down poppies on the graves of three World War I Light Horsemen – Ernest Badcock, Norm Harvey and Jack Viney.
At 12.30pm, a silhouette of a Light Horse solider will be unveiled at the Westbury Cenotaph.
On Monday night, there will be a presentation of a 75 mm croft's gun by Armed Collectors Guild of Tasmania member Wayne Habner.
Various Light Horsemen memorabilia will also be on display.
Organisers from the sub-branch have planned for 150 children from Westbury Primary School, Hagley Farm Primary School and Cressy Primary School to attend the morning services.
“We need to ensure that young people realise just how hard this was, and how people put their lives on the line to support freedom.” Mr Sackley said.
“Even though it was in a far away country, it was definitely a campaign for freedom.”
For more information, contact the sub-branch on 6393 1313.