11th Light Horse Regiment

11th Light Horse Regiment
11th Light Horse Regiment hat badge
Active	1915–1919 1921–1943
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Mounted Infantry
Size	Regiment
Part of	4th Light Horse Brigade
Motto(s)	Forward
Engagements	First World War North African Campaign Gallipoli campaign Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Battle honours	Gallipoli 1915–1916 Suvla Sari Bair Egypt 1915–1917 Romani Palestine 1917-1918 Beersheba El Mughar Nebi Samwill Jerusalem Jordan (Es Salt) Megiddo Sharon Samakh Damascus 1918
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

First World War

The 11th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in August 1914, and assigned to the 4th Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire, in Egypt, at Gallipoli, on the Sinai Peninsula, and in Palestine and Jordan. After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919. For its role in the war the regiment was awarded fourteen battle honours. During the inter-war years, the regiment was re-raised as a part-time unit based in the Darling Downs region of Queensland. It was later converted to a motor regiment during the Second World War but was disbanded in 1943 without having been deployed overseas.

The 11th Light Horse Regiment was raised in Queensland and South Australia, and came together in Brisbane in May 1915. Light horse regiments normally comprised twenty-five officers and 497 other ranks serving in three squadrons, each of six troops. Each troop was divided into eight sections, of four men each. In action one man of each section, was nominated as a horse holder reducing the regiment's rifle strength by a quarter. Once formed the regiment was assigned to the 4th Light Horse Brigade.

All Australian Light Horse regiments used cavalry unit designations, but were mounted infantry, and mounted exclusively on the Australian Waler horse.