23rd Light Horse Regiment (Australia)

9th Light Horse Regiment
9th Light Horse hat badge
Active	1914–1919 1921–1943
Country	Australia
Branch	Australian Army
Type	Mounted Infantry
Size	Regiment
Part of	3rd Light Horse Brigade
Engagements	First World War North African Campaign Gallipoli campaign Sinai and Palestine Campaign
Insignia
Unit Colour Patch

First World War

The 9th Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War. The regiment was raised in October 1914, and assigned to the 3rd 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 fifteen battle honours.

During the inter-war years, the regiment was re-raised as a part-time unit based in South Australia, adopting the designation of the "Flinders Light Horse". It was later amalgamated with the 23rd Light Horse to form the 9th/23rd Light Horse, but in late 1941 was re-formed in its own right and converted to a motor regiment during the early years of the Second World War but it was disbanded in early 1943 without having been deployed overseas. In the post war period, the regiment was re-raised as an amalgamated unit along with the 3rd Light Horse designated the 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles).

The 9th Light Horse Regiment was raised at Adelaide and trained in Melbourne between October 1914 and February 1915. A unit of the all volunteer Australian Imperial Force, about two thirds of its recruits were from South Australia while the remainder came from Victoria. The regiment 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 3rd Light Horse Brigade, serving alongside the 8th and 10th Light Horse Regiments.