Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 2 November 2017
WWI Australian battle re-enacted in Israel on centennial

By ILAN BEN ZION the many," he added.
Associated Press "That's the spirit of the army
BEERSHEBA, Israel (AP) — of Israel. It stands today."
A century to the day af- For the Australians, the Bat-
ter Australian troops broke tle of Beersheba is iconic of
through Ottoman defenses "the spirit of the Australian
in a daring World War I vic- people... daring, bold and
tory, nearly 200 horsemen courageous," said Kelvin
— including descendants Crombie, a historian and
of the soldiers — paraded one of the organizers of
through streets of an Is- the 100th anniversary com-
raeli city in a memorial to memorations.
those killed in a battle that Having suffered crushing
helped turn the tide of the defeats at Gallipoli and on
war and shape the mod- the Western Front, it's re-
ern Middle East. membered as the young
With leaders from Israel, nation's first real victory.
Australia and New Zea- The Light Horse charge also
land in attendance Tues- proved decisive for the Zi-
day, Australian and Israeli onist dream of a future
military marching bands Jewish state.
led the way through the Two days later, after word
flag-festooned route in of the victory reached Lon-
Bersheeba, flanked by sev- Australian Mounted Division and ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division) Mounted don, Britain's foreign min-
eral thousand onlookers Division soldiers ride their horses during the reenactment of the Battle of Beersheba when British ister, Lord Arthur Balfour,
in a tribute to the 171 Brit- and ANZAC forces captured Beersheba from the Ottoman Empire during the World War I, as part issued a declaration call-
of the 100 years anniversary in Beersheba, southern Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017.
ish and Commonwealth Associated Press ing for "the establishment
troops killed that day. in Palestine of a national
Some 175 members of the In a desperate gambit, day commemorating the Australian Prime Minister home for the Jewish peo-
Australian Light Horse Asso- mounted infantrymen with charge. Barry Rodgers, Malcolm Turnbull and New ple."
ciation participated. Aus- the Australian and New head of the Australian Light Zealand Governor-General "They spurred their horses
tralian military veteran Ian Zealand Army Corps drew Horse Association, said Patsy Reddy. through that fire, those
Dunlop, whose grandfa- their bayonets, charged three young nations — Isra- "It was an example of the mad Australians, through
ther fought at Beersheba, the Turkish trenches caval- el, Australia and New Zea- spirit of fortitude and cour- that fire, and took the town
wore his ancestor's four ry-style, and stormed into land — have their roots in age and the willingness to of Beersheba, secured the
military medals on his chest the city. this place. act in the defense of our victory that did not create
and said he was "very Had they been turned "We learned about the people and our values." the State of Israel but en-
proud" to have come from back, the entire campaign ethos of courage of Aus- "We saw here in Beershe- abled its creation," Turnbull
his native Melbourne. might have been lost. tralian and New Zealand's ba 800 cavalry go against said.
The battle was a crucial, Around 100 Australian soldiers," said Israeli Prime 4,000 embedded Turks with "Had the Ottoman rule
if largely forgotten, victory horsemen took part in "a Minister Benjamin Netan- machine guns, with bun- in Palestine and Syria not
in the Mideast campaign ride of peace" on Tues- yahu, who was joined by kers, the few ones against been overthrown by the
that enabled the Allies to Australians and the New
break the Turkish line in Zealanders, the Balfour
what is now southern Israel declaration would have
and capture Jerusalem been empty words," he
weeks later. The victori- added. "But this was a step
ous campaign redrew the for the creation of Israel."
map of the Middle East. Reddy said the military
In the fall of 1917, Allied campaign "changed politi-
forces with Gen. Sir Ed- cal conditions in this region
mund Allenby's Egyptian in the most profound way."
Expeditionary Force ad- She said bonds between
vanced on Gaza as part Australians and New Zea-
of a campaign to knock landers forged at Gallipoli
the Ottoman Empire, Ger- were strengthened in the
many's ally, out of the war. campaign.
To outflank the Turkish "It is only fitting that we
troops entrenched around should join together today
Gaza, a parched detach- in remembering their ser-
ment made a desperate vice and their sacrifice.
maneuver through the Ne- We will remember them,"
gev Desert to capture the she said.
strategic biblical town of The three leaders contin-
Beersheba, known both in ued to an opening cere-
antiquity and in modern mony for a museum dedi-
times for its wells. cated to the campaign.
On Oct. 31, 1917, Allied Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, center left, stands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Crombie said that more
troops launched their as- Netanyahu, center right, as they pose with two Australians wearing uniforms from the 4th Aus- and more Australians un-
sault, but by late in the day, tralian Light Horse Brigade from World War I, including Avon Moffatt, right, from Armidale, NSW, derstand "it really was
the critical water sources Australia, as they gather at the ceremony in the British Ceremony in Beersheba, Israel, Tuesday, something that had an ef-
Oct.31, 2017, marking the 100th anniversary o the Battle of Beersheba.
remained in Turkish hands. Associated Press fect on world history."q