Sometimes stunning events occur unheralded, and one was today. Well, it was unherladed for me but I suppose there was advance warning in the local rag.
Dot and I went grocery shopping early and found, when we reached the town centre that streets had been cordoned off and the place was crawling with uniformed soldiers. My first thoughts were that Osama bin Laden might have put in an appearance, or perhaps the fruitcake in charge of North Korea had threatened to nuke Armidale. But why Armidale?
Then I started putting two and two together to make five. Two days ago we saw on television a re-enactment of the charge of the light brigade. It wasn't the charge near Sebastopol in the Crimea, which was something of a flop to put it mildly, but a second and highly successful charge at Beersheba in what was then Palestine (in 1917). This charge, involving the 12th Light Horse Regiment (based at Armidale and Tamworth, but including troops from all over New England) was 5 miles long. The greatly out-numbered Australian troops captured Beersheba from the Turks and ultimately that led to the rout of Turkey from Palestine. It is thought to be the last such charge in military history and certainly one of Australia's greatest victories. The light horsemen had no heavy weapons - just rifles.
Anyway, the 30th October was the 90th anniversary of the charge and the re-enactment. amidst great celebration, was in Israel at Beersheba itself and Australian army personnel and veterans went over to ride borrowed horses in another charge on the city. And today, in Armidale, the 12th / 16th Hunter River Lancers - the successors to 12th light horse - exercised their right of freedom of entry to the City of Armidale. This tradition goes back to Charles II in 1660. The event was a great spectacle. The parade was lead by one of Australia's best military bands from Brisbane with lots of marching tunes; the line of armoured vehcles was maybe a mile long (and some dated back many years); the Mayor in scarlet robes and gold chain took the salute; there was a running commentary on the significance of this and that; lots of dignitaries (including my friend the Federal Member for New England, Tony Windsor); and there were lots of old soldiers marching, some in light horse uniforms.
All in all, it was a spectacular free show commemorating a spectacular event in which locals were the participants. There was one jarring note. There wasn't a horse in sight! And then we recalled that our region has an outbreak of horse 'flu and their movement from one district to another is banned. Oh well! There will be another parade in 10 years to celebrate the centenary.
AS
Dot and I went grocery shopping early and found, when we reached the town centre that streets had been cordoned off and the place was crawling with uniformed soldiers. My first thoughts were that Osama bin Laden might have put in an appearance, or perhaps the fruitcake in charge of North Korea had threatened to nuke Armidale. But why Armidale?
Then I started putting two and two together to make five. Two days ago we saw on television a re-enactment of the charge of the light brigade. It wasn't the charge near Sebastopol in the Crimea, which was something of a flop to put it mildly, but a second and highly successful charge at Beersheba in what was then Palestine (in 1917). This charge, involving the 12th Light Horse Regiment (based at Armidale and Tamworth, but including troops from all over New England) was 5 miles long. The greatly out-numbered Australian troops captured Beersheba from the Turks and ultimately that led to the rout of Turkey from Palestine. It is thought to be the last such charge in military history and certainly one of Australia's greatest victories. The light horsemen had no heavy weapons - just rifles.
Anyway, the 30th October was the 90th anniversary of the charge and the re-enactment. amidst great celebration, was in Israel at Beersheba itself and Australian army personnel and veterans went over to ride borrowed horses in another charge on the city. And today, in Armidale, the 12th / 16th Hunter River Lancers - the successors to 12th light horse - exercised their right of freedom of entry to the City of Armidale. This tradition goes back to Charles II in 1660. The event was a great spectacle. The parade was lead by one of Australia's best military bands from Brisbane with lots of marching tunes; the line of armoured vehcles was maybe a mile long (and some dated back many years); the Mayor in scarlet robes and gold chain took the salute; there was a running commentary on the significance of this and that; lots of dignitaries (including my friend the Federal Member for New England, Tony Windsor); and there were lots of old soldiers marching, some in light horse uniforms.
All in all, it was a spectacular free show commemorating a spectacular event in which locals were the participants. There was one jarring note. There wasn't a horse in sight! And then we recalled that our region has an outbreak of horse 'flu and their movement from one district to another is banned. Oh well! There will be another parade in 10 years to celebrate the centenary.
AS
1 comment:
What a wonderful experience to see history celebrated in such a meaningful manner.
Here in England the National Memorial Arboritum was recently opened in Staffordshire with a central circular series of walls with the names of the dead of the two great wars plus the many minor conflicts since: very emotive viewing I should think.
Richard Snow
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