All About - History - Nero - Rome's Deadliest tyrant
All About History offers a energizing and entertaining alternative to the academic style of existing titles. The key focus of All About History is to tell the wonderful, fascinating and engrossing stories that make up the world’s history.
All About History offers a energizing and entertaining alternative to the academic style of existing titles. The key focus of All About History is to tell the wonderful, fascinating and engrossing stories that make up the world’s history.
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AUSTRALIA<br />
SLOUCH HAT<br />
THE ICONIC HEADGEAR CLOSELY<br />
ASSOCIATED WITH AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS<br />
TheAustraliandiggerhatwasfirst<br />
adoptedin1885.Itwasmadeofkhaki<br />
furfeltandhadapuggareewrapped<br />
around the outside. Some would be<br />
festooned with emu plumes and<br />
all would be folded on the<br />
right side to allow a rifle<br />
to be easily slung over the<br />
wearer’s shoulder.<br />
BAYONETS AS<br />
SWORDS<br />
AN INNOVATIVE<br />
TACTIC IN A TRICKY<br />
SITUATION<br />
During the battle<br />
of Beersheba, the<br />
Australian troops were<br />
fastrunningoutofsupplies.Thetown<br />
neededtobetakentogainaccesstoits<br />
wells,whichwouldprovidethe4thLight<br />
Horse Brigade with much-needed water.<br />
Indesperation,thetroopsusedtheir<br />
bayonets as swords in a daring charge.<br />
THE<br />
Anatomy<br />
of<br />
AUSTRALIAN LIGHT HORSE<br />
REGIMENT SOLDIER<br />
GALLIPOLI, 1915-16<br />
UNIFORM<br />
THE KHAKI ATTIRE HAD TO BE BOTH<br />
RESILIENT AND COMFORTABLE<br />
Thejacketwasmadeofwoolorcottonandhad<br />
ventedcuffstohelpkeepthewearercool.Extra<br />
roundswouldbeheldinabandolierdraped<br />
acrossthebodyorammunitionpatches<br />
attached to the belt. An Australian badge<br />
wouldbewornproudlyoneithershoulder.<br />
© Kevin McGivern<br />
HEAVY LOADS<br />
LOTS OF EQUIPMENT AND THE HOT SUN<br />
TOOK ITS TOLL<br />
Each Australian soldier would carry about<br />
30 kilograms of rations. This would be made<br />
up of bully beef, hard biscuits, tea and sugar.<br />
Along with spare clothes and firewood, all<br />
these supplies were heavy in the draining<br />
hot sun of the Gallipoli Peninsula. The<br />
horses had it worse though, carrying weights<br />
of about 120 kilograms.<br />
FORMATION<br />
THE AUSTRALIANS WERE TASKED WITH<br />
SHORING UP A FAILING OPERATION<br />
Horses were initially considered unsuitable<br />
for the terrain at Gallipoli but were soon<br />
thrust into action regardless. Reinforcing<br />
the infantry, the regiments played a mostly<br />
defensive role except for assaults such as at<br />
the Battle of the Nek, where hundreds were<br />
shot down by Ottoman machine guns.<br />
WEAPONRY<br />
THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE<br />
ON THE DARDANELLES<br />
Each member of the Light Horse<br />
Regimentwasissuedwitha.303SMLE<br />
MKIIIriflecompletewithleathersling.<br />
Forclose-quarterscombat,a1907Pattern<br />
Hooked Quillion Bayonet was attached<br />
to duke it out with Ottoman sabres.<br />
SADDLE<br />
LONGTREKSONHORSEBACKMADE<br />
COMFORT A NECESSITY<br />
ABritishUniversalPatter,thesaddlewas<br />
usednotjustbytheAustraliansbutalso<br />
British, Canadians, New Zealanders and<br />
SouthAfricans.Asmallblanketwasusedas<br />
asaddleclothtoabsorbshocksandmake<br />
theridemorecomfortable.Saddlewallets<br />
providedextraspaceforcargo.<br />
EQUIPMENT<br />
THE MUST HAVES FOR ANY AUSTRALIAN SOLDIER IN GALLIPOLI<br />
The list of essential equipment for each recruit included a<br />
haversack, a Sam Browne waist belt, compass, binoculars, shovel<br />
and a water bottle. The spurred regulation boots were lace up and<br />
the tan leather leggings had a spiral strap design.<br />
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