BEMBOKA Light Horse Troop member Sergeant Warren Davis will be the guest speaker at the Bega Pioneers’ Museum next month in conjunction with “The Great War: Tales from the Far South Coast” exhibition.
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Sergeant Davis has been a member of the Bemboka 7th Australian Light Horse (ALH) Troop for 13 years and has ridden with ALH troops both in Sydney and in the Bega Valley.
He developed his passion for the history of The Great War many years ago when he discovered he had ancestors who had fought and died in World War 1, as well as an ancestor who was a Light Horseman.
As a horse owner and rider for most of his life, Sergeant Davis realised he could bring together his love of horses and WW1 history.
“The combination of horse and history collided when I saw a troop parade at the Hawkesbury Show in 1999,” Sergeant Davis said.
“I thought to myself, I can do that.”
Sergeant Davis’ talk will uncover the history of the Light Horse in Australia and our South East region, starting from just before WW1 up until 1942 when troopers were dismounted.
“The Australian Light Horsemen really proved their worth when they charged Beersheba in October 1917 and I’ll talk about this significant campaign as well as other campaigns from The Great War,” he said.
Sergeant Davis will also reveal the fate of the horses at the end of WW1 and relate some amusing anecdotes from his time as a troop rider.
The Australian Light Horse fought not only as mounted troops, but also as dismounted infantry at Gallipoli.
After the evacuation of Gallipoli, troopers returned to Egypt and trained in preparation for the Sinai/Palestine campaign, which included the famous charge at Beersheba.
Today, the Bemboka 7th Australian Light Horse Troop has 20 mounted riders, four dismounted troopers, one dispatch rider using a vintage motorcycle and a nurse in historic uniform.
Within Australia today, the Australian Light Horse Association oversees the performance of 35 active troops around Australia.
The aim of the troops is to maintain the history, customs and traditions of the Australian Light Horse as accurately as possible.
“Riding with the Australian Light Horse” will be the second talk in a series of quarterly talks to coincide with “The Great War: Tales from the Far South Coast” exhibition.
The talk will be held on Saturday, August 22, at 10.30am at the Bega Pioneers’ Museum.
Admission to the talk is free, but normal museum entry charges will apply to non-members.
Morning tea will be provided.
To book your seat at the talk, call the museum on 6492 1453 or email museum25@ tpg.com.au.
The exhibition “The Great War: Tales from the Far South Coast” has been made possible by funding from the federal government’s Anzac Centenary Local Grants Program and from Bega Valley Shire Council.