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Mildura Weekly : Friday April 25 2014 Vol 8 No 25
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www.milduraweekly.com.au 16 Mildura Weekly – 25/04/14 ANZAC DAY 2014 Bert’s ‘kids’ set for big journey • From Page 13 When the 8th Light Horse was formed for the Gallipoli campaign, it consisted of 23 officers and 453 other ranks. During its five years of service, the unit repeatedly distinguished itself, including Gallipoli where, in August of 1915 at ‘The Nek,’ it was decimated, losing not only many of its troops, but also its commanding officer, Lieutenant- Colonel White. About a month later the regiment got a new CO – Lt Col Leslie Maygar, VC, who led them with distinction until he too was killed in action. The book ‘Maygar’s Boys’ gives a blow-by-blow account of the Gal- lipoli action, written from meticu- lously-kept Army records from the Great War. It showed that the 8th Light Horse was thrown into the thick of the action almost as soon as they hit the beaches of Gallipoli, where they first suffered serious casualties in a Turkish bomb- ing attack, and in another ill-fated attack lost 13 of- ficers and 157 sol- diers. It was dur- ing the Gallipoli campaign that the Brigade was first noted for its bravery. Bert was one of only 54 soldiers from his regi- ment to survive the war. His mate Les was also one of the lucky ones, but not much of him was recorded after that as they went their sepa- rate ways. Evacuated from Anzac Cove after seven months of fighting, the 8th Light Horse set sail for Egypt, and within three months again distinguished themselves in battle, winning numerous honours dur- ing fierce battles in the Sinai (at one stage capturing 1350 Turk- ish and German soldiers), the Gaza strip and Beersheba, where Maygar’s Boys played a part in the charge that elevated the Light Horse into world folklore. In all fighting during the First World War, the 8th Light Horse continued to distinguish itself in action, especially at Gallipoli, the Sinai Desert and Palestine... writ- ing themselves into the annals of military history and achieving leg- endary status by repeated acts of bravery...so much so that the ques- tion was often asked; “What regi- ment is that!?”...and the answer invariably came back...”They’re Maygar’s boys.” Apart from the tragedy of los- ing so many mates and colleagues in the bitter fighting under atro- cious conditions, one of the sad- dest parts for the 8th Light Horse – “the worst day for us” – came with the knowledge that as part of their repatriation from Tripoli in early 1919, they had to destroy the horses that had served them so faithfully in the desert campaigns. Around 200 horses were put down in the Tripoli Quarry, and a further 250 were handed over to the Brit- ish Army Remount Unit. Bert had named his faithful mount ‘Indiana,’ and was sad when ordered that he had to put the horse down. His name lived on, however, when the Bottoms family named a racehorse – a trot- ter – in his hon- our. Lorraine said their Dad was also known to have kept a pet monkey while training in the Middle East. It survived. Bert returned home virtually unscathed, apart from a piece of shrapnel that remained in his hand until his death. At war’s end, Bert was given 12 months leave from the Army, and took the opportunity to sail to the United Kingdom, where he toured for several months, taking part in the famous London end- of-war celebrations before setting sail again, this time for the USA, where he and some mates bought an old T-model Ford and travelled extensively in Arizona and Califor- nia, and it was in Sacramento that Bert undertook a horticulture and agriculture study course before re- turning to Australia, and settling down on the farm at Karadoc in 1921, farming wheat and sheep, and growing a few vegies. • Continued Page 17 “We’re all tremendously proud of him, and I know going to the 100-year commemoration service at Gallipoli will be a very emotional...” – Lorraine Bottams. Calling for L2P mentors MILDURA’S suc- cessful L2P program is calling on vol- unteers, with the program aimed at helping young driv- ers achieve the nec- essary 120 hours of experience while on their learner’s per- mits. Catering to those who face ‘barriers’ in obtaining significant practice time on the road, the VicRoads and Sunassist ini- tiative is calling on fully-licensed drivers to act as supervisors. The next round of training will be held on May 3 and 4, with more infor- mation available by contacting L2P co- ordinator Jenny Gib- bons on 5023 1906 or 0428 237 802. www.environment.sa.gov.au 4303617 Swan Reach Waste Disposal Station Temporary Closure The Swan Reach River Vessel Waste Disposal Station will be out of commission temporarily for approximately two (2) months starting from 1 May 2014 for essential works. Temporary pump out services are available at the station free of charge through a local contractor (Swan Reach Septic Pumping & Maintenance) contacted on 0409 554 807 or 8570 2097 (home). Enquiries to: Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Project Manager, River Murray Operations and Major Projects Edward Wilby Mob: 0407 305 190 Email: edward.wilby@sa.gov.au
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