Beer-Sheba Memorial Plaque

War Memorials in Australia

Place: Caulfield, Victoria, 3162
District: Central (VIC)
Orientation: Suburb of Melbourne
Location: Caulfield Park, Hawthorn Road
Position:
Ref: 30351

__________________________

The bronze map was made by Dr Ross Bastiaan who has placed a number of similar plaques in Australia and other countries commemorating Australian military endeavours.

The inscription is in English and Hebrew. Only the English version is transcribed here.

BEER-SHEBA
ISRAEL
	1917
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY BEER-SHEBA WAS		Inscription in Hebrew
A SMALL TOWN CONTROLLED FOR YEARS BY THE OTTOMAN
(TURKISH EMPIRE). NOW IT IS A THRIVING CITY IN ISRAEL

DURING WORLD WAR ONE (1914-18) BEER-SHEBA FORMED THE
EASTERN PART OF THE MAIN TURKISH/GERMAN DEFENSE
LINE WHICH OPPOSED THE AUGUST 1916 NORTHERLY
ADVANCE OF THE BRITISH FROM SUEZ. DURING MARCH
AND APRIL 1917 THE BRITISH MADE TWO UNSUCCESSFUL
ATTACKS ON GAZA, WHICH WAS AT THE WESTERN END OF
THE LINE. THESE FAILURES FORCED A NEW PLAN AND
BEER-SHEBA BECAME THE GOAL. TO CAPTURE IT WITHIN
A DAY WAS ESSENTIAL AS THE 58,000 BRITISH FORCES
HAD 100,00 ANIMALS AND NO WATER RESERVES.

AT DAWN ON 31 OCTOBER 1917, THE BRITISH INFANTRY
ATTACKED FROM A POSITION 9KMS TO THE SOUTH-
WEST OF BEER-SHEBA. THE MOUNTED AUSTRALIAN AND
NEW ZEALAND FORCES TOOK THE HIGH GROUND TO THE
EAST BUT IN THE LATE AFTERNOON 4,400 TURKS STILL
HELD THE WATER WELLS AND THE BRITISH POSITION
APPEARED DOOMED. A LAST DESPERATE ASSAULT WAS
LAUNCHED FROM THE SOUTH-EAST. EIGHT HUNDRED	Map of action
AUSTRALIAN MOUNTED INFANTRY (THE LIGHT HORSE)
CHARGED THE TOWN OF BEER-SHEBA. AS THEY
GALLOPED HEADLONG ACROSS 5KMS OF OPEN
DOWNHILL TERRAIN TOWARDS BEER-SHEBA THEY
WERE SWEPT BY TURKISH MACHINE GUNS AND
ARTILLERY. SO SUDDEN AND RECKLESS WAS THE
CHARGE THAT THE TURKS WERE OVERWHELMED &
WITHIN MINUTES, THE AUSTRALIANS HAD CAPTURED
BEER-SHEBA & ITS PRECIOUS WELLS. THIS THE LAST
TRIUMPHANT CAVALRY CHARGE IN WORLD
HISTORY LED TO THE EVENTUAL COLLAPSE OF THE
OTTOMAN PRESENCE IN PALESTINE.

IN ISRAEL TODAY THERE ARE STILL TOLD STORIES
OF THESE AUSTRALIANS WHO FOUGHT HERE AND
WHO ARE REMEMBERED WITH WARMTH AND
KINDNESS. THE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC
LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO YOUNG COUNTRIES
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP TOGETHER WITH A
GROWING CLOSENESS BETWEEN THEIR
PEOPLES WHOSE SHARED GOALS ARE
FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE.


Map of Sinai & Palestine in 1916 - 18	LEST WE FORGET	Mounted Light Horseman

SCULPTOR ROSS J. BASTIAAN,25 APRIL 1995		PROUDLY DONATED BY Hebrew
MADE BY ARROW BRONZE, AUSTRALIA		PIONEER INTERNATIONAL LIMITED inscription

Information current to June 2004

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