On October 31, 1917,
in the third year of the Great War,
two regiments of Australian Lighthorsemen
charged the Turkish defenses
Of Beersheba in Palestine
With bayonets in their hands
they galloped against machine guns
rifles and artillery in an eleventh- hour attempt
to save the attacking British army from disaster
This is the story of some of the men
and horses who rode into legend that day...
What I'm gonna do to ride a lighthorse?
You're gonna be 18... fit...
capable of somersaulting bareback...
Nothing too much
Hey, Dave, what'd you do up there?
If he wants to do it you can't stop him
GAZA - KEY FORTRESS OF THE
TURCO-GERMAN ARMY IN PALESTINE
Keep right up, come on
Move it, come on... go on
Right up, men... keep your pace
Watch out, men
So the British thought they could take Gaza with tanks
They thought they could terrify us
Welcome to Palestine, Captain Reichert
Thank you, Sir
The High Command has sent you to congratulate me on my earlier
victory in Gaza
News of your triumph arrived before my departure, but I'm sure they would
wish me to do so
Of course, but all congratulations are due to the British General
Archbald Murray
For he had captured the town
but he's such a dumb heard
He didn't know and so withdrew his troops
There's a little joy in the defeat of the unaware appellant
I realized by a clever young intelligence officer being sent here
from Berlin...
But I'll tell you with no ill will... in fact,
I'll suggest the substance of your first report on me
General Von Kressenstein is supremely confident that the British
would attack Gaza again and again,
and he would defeat them again and again
Cavalry, Sir
They're not cavalry, Captain
They're Australian Lighthorse Mounted Infantry...
you can tell them by the plumes in their hats
They're formidable soldiers
but the English just don't know how to use them
Wait until the lighthorses dismounted then we open fire
On the men or the horses, Sir?
Right on the men
Yon don't understand, do you?
You've so much to learn about war in the desert,
both you and General Murray
See there
Halt, dismounted...
Fall in... take the horses away
Move the machine and set your target
Come on... on the double
Remove the horses out of here
Fire...
There're the men of God who went first in the battle
Good troops, but again wasted
We're fighting in a desert... warfare falls
purely in one inescapable rule
Men and horses must drink
A man who carries his small bottle can travel short distances slowly
and fight when his water lasts
And a horse can fill in with water and travel long distances quickly and go
without water for one or two days
Then it must drink huge quantity enough for 30 men
or it'll die horribly
Each time Gaza was attacked
we held out for one or two days the most
And the British were defeated by the desert
Charlie...
General Chauvel sends his compliments
to General Sir Bourchier Murray as usual...
Yes, Sir
We're running our of time we're running out of water
and I'm running out of patience in which my capacity to obey orders
I can't believe
Let me see it...
Leave it with me, Charlie
Halt...
Shall we rest the horse?
No, we keep going...
There're only 50 miles to artillery
Orders didn't say we should go in rush
Yeah, I know... but they can't use us on the side lines
The British would need every man that they can get
This regiment's setup is enough for 10 battles
Hey, easy ginger
It doesn't like bloody guns... it gets excited
Then blind it...
This is the reason
why we're being separated from the Turks
The High Command worried that our horses be terrified
that would affect the whole bloody war
You did have a bloody homicide
Why not? But what I said is not misery
I'm just thinking...
What are you thinking? About what?
Why keep us off right of him?
Bothering the Colonel?
Bullshit... Frank is a real soldier...
he has guts doing things
Yeah... but Frank is just a newly promoted Colonel...
he's still a young guy
The old bureaucrats didn't trust him
Then we're just like Charlie again...
Shall we rest the horse now?
Listen...
I didn't hear anything
That's right
Sergeant, what's the news from Gaza?
Like a bloody disaster, Sir
They're rating 18,000 casualties
Luckily not one of them
They're good ones to be out there
There'd be other ways to stop the war
This is the price we're paying for
What else can we do?
Whoa... you look at that... British soldiers
Now look, Scotty... I take away this arm badge with smile...
What I don't want to get involved is any stupid bloody trouble...
Frank, have you ever known me to start any fight, uh?
No, but I seldom find you finish with your fuel
Come on...
Don't worry
May God bless us
Three cheers for the lighthorsemen
Without you guys here... situation would not be worse
What would it be?
We're just looking for somebody
That's it is
Goodbye
Australians will be there... hey, who else will be there?
Who we're looking for?
Australians will be there... hey, who else will be there?
Bloody beautiful...
But not as the pattern sunset in Calgary
Every one is better than the last
No one knows if he can see the other one
Nearly two years ago...
Jesus, we've already been away for three years
Have you made any contacts with your kids?
Bloody kids... wonderful I'm so peaceful here when I miss them
who always drove me crazy home
Your mistress is alright?
Yeah, she's okay...
If I had a fiancée like Frank's
three years is hell a lot of time
She's worth waiting for...
Worth waiting for?
I'll tell you when he gets back... the second thing he'll do
is taking his bloody boots off
Very funny...
Chauvel is giving command of the whole desert company
The regiment will be moving out within l0 minutes
You said it right... a real bloody thing
What shall we take out of that?
These are our trenches... the end with bodyguard gone
Past here is Turkish army at Beersheba
We're taking them on?
We'll give ourselves a chance...
We get the best regiment in the brigade
Now we get to prove it
Order to advance... ready by the front... march...
Land of milk and honey...
What the hell it took Myer and the Jews to come here 40 years ago?
Well, they must have their reasons
What do you think?
Nobody can pass by exceptions
Yeah
We split by two...
Now, let me get him...
It's great
(In Arab)Someone is chasing me... shoot him
Son of a bitch
(In Arab)Go after him... hurry up... retreat
Jesus Christ... thigh gets hit
Are you alright, Frank?
Get the saddle off, Tas
There's a group of Arabs up the peak valley, Serge
Hey, cover us
Come on, boys
Your leg looks bad, Frank
It holds, Tas
The horse can never make its way back to the camp
I'd better put it down here
No, let me do it, please
Frank...
How's Frank, Walter?
Oh, not too bad... he's gone to hospital
FORWARD BASE CAMP, ABASAN
I thought we could replace him by Rick Smith, is it okay?
Can't afford, Walter
You realize there're only 60 men left with Calgary?
No, Sir
I would like to split them up
Oh, that'll be pathetic
Yes, I agree
I propose to put up reinforcement in Frank's section... you recruit
They won't like that
Too bloody bad...
Tas... this is Dave Michel, Corporal
Scotty Bolton
Dave
Philip Davis
I let the boys show you the road safe
Where are you from?
Melbourne
City boy?
Not really... I'm from Preston near Southern
where my Dad gets a dairy farm
That makes all the difference
You'd better put down your kit somewhere
You can put in my place
Frank's kit is in there
Well, he won't need it for awhile
Alright... till he gets back
Suppose let's see how he rides with a horse
Easy
How long is it back, Sergeant?
Three weeks... with the regiment
Go on
Not bad at all
The trouble is the Turks don't stand still
Neither do rabbits
Scotty, you're Scotch, aren't you?
No
Then why they call you Scotty?
Because I'm Irish
What kind of work are you in?
Engineer driver, steam engine
And Tas and Chilla, what about them?
We're all in the wood company... up in the west
You're all good mates?
Well, I was only there for awhile
What do you think about the food?
Fine
You must get used to this suffrage
Never expect fancy food in the army
This is fancy food, son
Get out there for bully bacon and biscuit
What you have here you can hardly break without a shovel
Nor can you boil the dirty Arab well water without wood
This is real fancy
Why don't you go and tell the cook Tas when we shall call it a day?
It's not the point of letting anybody get the idea of beer and mosquito
but gallop and shoot the medal
I know that, Tas
What do you know, a boy fresh from bloody school?
What the hell do you know about war?
I know it's going to be over 6 months
You say as we thought?
It’s what my brother thought when he joined up
We learned different, didn't he?
Yeah, but he's dead
I'll just go and ask the stable to keep an eye on my horse
And I enjoyed the party for my first night
So help me test that big mouth you deaf?
How about now his brother was killed?
So I don't want any kid thinking his step in Frank's place in this section
(In Arab)Have pity on us and help us, Sir
Children, piss off
Keep your eyes on the horse
I know, Sergeant
Shall I get someone for your horse?
No, I'm fine... thanks
You don't want to go in with your mates?
Not that well... it's just the same
Just a couple of minutes, okay?
Good day... where's fruit and flower?
I've got you something better... a letter
Must be from Joyce... but it's not her writing
Who is it?
Read it loud
Go on, Tas
It’s sad to write... someone gets to tell you
It’s better than somebody else afterwards
Joyce married 6 months ago... they moved to Jeron...
And nobody said a word...
Now well... better off without her, right?
But what upsets me is...
she still takes my pay-offs
Well, boys... you're to go now
Alright, sister...
Good luck, Frank... good to see you back soon
Yeah, it'll be...
They're watching you... you're a free man now
Can I get you anything, Corporal?
No, sister... there's nothing I want
You'd better give that letter a rest... don't worry that
Missing home?
A bit
You're already lucky...
most of us missed home hell of a lot long enough
That's great
I'll be missing you
What's happening, Tas?
The Turks got a railway up the east...
we saw to it and planned to blow it up
Are you saying the whole regiment to do that?
They've sent two bloody divisions, son
What'll we do?
What we're bloody told...
It's bloody Turkish cavalry
How would you reckon?
They've been up the scape hundreds of years,
but you're the first stride
Major Lawson, prepare A Troop for covering plan
B Troop for dismounted frontal attack
executed when C and D Troops
are ready for mounted advance from the left flank
After all, son... don't forget the safety catch
Now, you just stick with me as close as you can
Chilla is the best lighthorseman in the regiment, Dave
You'll get him through and backup if you need me
B Troop, fix blades...
A Troop, repeat fire... fire...
B Troop, charge...
(In Arab)Retreat...
Tas, how can we miss?
To kill enemies is the bottom line
There's no mercy in any warfare
I can't wait to win the battle
or it's a waste of time and lives for all of us
Lads, I just received a bad news
Frank died in Cairo yesterday
Jesus, what happened?
Well, the wound has turned complicated
Taking a leak, it got worse... so they sent him to Cairo
I know what you guys thought about it
I'm truly sorry
Thanks, Sir
It could be a mistake, couldn't it?
They made mistakes all the time
I saw his eyes red when he read the letter
My eyes just went out of it
Bullshit... you're talking bullshit
Why are you looking at me?
What are you cleaning the rifle for?
Shooting for rabbits?
We lost a bloody best mate
but find to get some gutless stupid
It’s been a long time with no death in the regiment
I'm afraid we can't mobilize soon
No another attack on Gaza?
No, it's just not yet
We'll step up patrol activities so as
to make the Turks aware of our presence
We're moving camp to Tel el Fara...
then towards Beersheba
Padre, what do you know about Beersheba?
Oh, a very ancient settlement... thousand years old...
when Christ first traveled but actually found by Abraham
He dug a well there...
it still exists today, Well of Abraham
He swore some kind of a treaty with the rulers there...
And so they called it Well of The Oath... Beersheba
There's a lot of water, isn't it?
FORWARD BASE CAMP, TEL EL FARA
It seems like a nice place... good for base camp
Dave
Yes, Sir
Has Tas returned from scouting yet?
No, Sir
It’s a pity... looking for a change to see around the area by the wagon
Somebody has to work on the horse
Settle in right?
Yes, Sir
Tas is tough to live with sometimes...
but he's a damn find soldier
I know, Sir... I'm learning
Fine... good work
Air attack
Get the horses... get the horses away...
step up protecting the horses