Ralph Cotterill as General Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein.General Allenby, in deference to the Holy City, walks into the city and comes as a liberator, not a conqueror. ![]() That effectively opens the 'door' and allowed for the subsequent capture of Jerusalem and the rest of the country. Overall, the attack was a success and the Australians miraculously suffered only 31 dead and 36 wounded. When most of the remaining Turkish soldiers surrender, Reichert tries to destroy the wells but is captured by Scotty. Scotty continues to fight on into the town. Dave is struck by a grenade and is seriously wounded while he protects Chiller. Scotty and a few others take control of the guns. The Australians subsequently capture the first line of Turkish defences. The remaining Australians make it "under the guns" (advancing faster than the artillery can correct its aim for the reduced range) and reach the Turkish trenches. Artillery fire is sporadic and of limited effect, and the attack is so fast the Turkish infantry forget to adjust the sights on their rifles as the Light Horse get closer and eventually fire straight over the Australians' heads.ĭuring the charge, Tas is killed by an artillery shell. The Turks realise too late that the soldiers are not dismounting and so open fire. The Australians begin advancing on the Turkish positions and gradually speed up to a charge. The Turks report the Australian mounted soldiers lining up to charge, but the officer in charge orders the Turks not to open fire until they dismount since he recognised that they are light horse, riding for mobility but not being trained or equipped as true cavalry. Dave and the rest of the medical detachment prepare for casualties and are ordered in behind the Light Horse. On 31 October, the 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments are ordered to attack the Turks. The British consent to what they think is a suicide mission. However, the Australian commanders ask the British to send in the Australian Light Horse. With time running out and water in short supply, the British command suspect any attack upon Beersheba will probably fail. However, the German military advisor, Reichert, believes it is a diversionary attack and advises the Turkish commander that he does not need reinforcements. They bombard the town and the 4,000 Turkish- German defenders prepare for an assault. The Australians leave for Beersheba, with limited water and supplies. During an attack by Turkish cavalry, Major Richard Meinertzhagen deliberately leaves behind documents that indicate that the attack on Beersheba will only be a diversion. The British plan the capture of Beersheba. Dave finds himself unable to fire his weapon in combat and is transferred to the Medical Corps, where he will not need to carry a weapon, but where he will still be exposed to the fighting. When Frank is wounded and later dies, he is replaced by Dave. The film follows four Australian cavalrymen (Frank, Scotty, Chiller, and Tas) in Palestine in 1917, part of the 4th Light Horse Brigade of the British and Commonwealth forces. This episode, which aired in 1993, likewise focuses on the Battle of Beersheeba, and was also directed by Wincer. The film was directed by Simon Wincer, and several pieces of footage from the climactic scenes were re-used in the episode "Palestine, October 1917" of the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Recurring themes of these films include the Australian identity, such as mateship and larrikinism, the loss of innocence in war, and also the continued coming of age of the Australian nation and its soldiers (the Anzac spirit). It follows in the wake of other Australian New Wave war films such as Breaker Morant (1980), Gallipoli (1981), and the 5-part TV series Anzacs (1985). ![]() ![]() ( Elyne Mitchell wrote the novelization based on the screenplay.) The film is based on a true story and most of the characters in the film were based on real people. The Lighthorsemen is a 1987 Australian war film about the men of a World War I light horse unit involved in Sinai and Palestine campaign's 1917 Battle of Beersheeba.
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