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Australian and New Zealand mounted troops continued their Holy Land campaign beyond Beersheba, culminating in the fierce battle at Semakh and the defeat of Ottoman forces.

The battles of the Australian Lighthorse and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles in the Holy Land in World War 1 did not end at Beersheba or even in Jerusalem in 1917. The winter set in, and they stayed camped for several months until a couple of unsuccessful attempts to capture Amman in March and April of 1918.

The Turks had built a defence line from the Mediterranean Sea right across to the Jordan River at the Dead Sea, which needed to be broken in order to capture the northern part of Israel and Damascus.

The ‘Megiddo sweep’ began on 19 September 1918, with a surprise attack near the Mediterranean by the British air force and cavalry followed closely by the Australian Lighthorse. They headed north towards Afula and Nazareth. The Allied forces captured 8,000 Turks, putting their entire 8^th army out of action.

The Fierce Battle for Semakh

The 4^th Light Horse Brigade was given the task of taking the village and strategic railway station at Semakh (today spelt Tzemach) on the southern shores of the Sea of Galilee. It was protected by 13 German machine guns, a 77mm field gun and several hundred Turkish infantry with grenades.

Semakh station in World War 1. Australian War Memorial image B00238.

Before dawn on 25 September, two squadrons (from each of the 11^th and 12^th Light Horse regiments) embarked on a charge – this time in the moonlight, before dawn. These squadrons included a contingent of Aboriginal soldiers, now permitted to join where previously they were denied, one of whom was the grandfather of Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman.

The enemy fire began before they were within 800 metres of the station, and several horses fell. On reaching the village, they fought fiercely but were outnumbered and were rained upon by the Germans shooting from above through the windows of their strong station fort. Only when Australian machine gunners arrived, following the charging horses, did the tide begin to turn, as they disabled the fire from the windows.

The two squadrons then bashed down the door and entered the station, going from room to room, fighting hand to hand with rifles, swords and bayonets. It was the bloodiest battle on this operation, with 14 ANZACs killed and 64 wounded, together with almost 100 horse casualties, being nearly half of the horse contingent. They killed around 100 opponents (mostly Germans), took 365 prisoners (half of them German), with many more wounded. This was one of the last mounted charges in military history, as thereafter, mechanised transport and tanks were used instead.

Remembering the Fallen

Largely due to the vision of Ziv Ophir of Kinneret College, which is located around the site of Semakh, the college, together with the Australian Light Horse Association, the Jewish National Fund and the Israeli Government, has reconstructed the damaged station, restored the surrounding buildings and continues the memory of these gallant soldiers.

In the grounds of the college, they have erected a memorial plaque telling the story of the capture. Each of those killed is remembered with an individual plaque and a small gum tree. A statue by Jennifer Marshall, depicting a horse and an Aboriginal trooper, World War I soldier Jack Pollard, was added in 2019 to complete the restoration for the 100^th anniversary of the battle.

From Semakh to Damascus

Meanwhile, across the Jordan, the Chaytor Force under New Zealand General Edward Chaytor finally conquered Amman and the 7^th Turkish army, taking thousands more captive. From there, it was on to Damascus, where there were more battles that cannot be detailed here.

Allenby’s ambitious plan involving 34,000 horsemen against three Turkish armies had paid off. In only six weeks of the ‘Megiddo sweep’, they covered 560 kms on horseback and took 75,000 Turks captive, plus capturing 360 guns. The armistice in the Palestinian campaign was enacted at midday on October 31, 1918, exactly a year after the Beersheba charge.

32,000 men and 40,000 horses participated in the Palestinian campaign, which claimed 1,394 dead from injuries or disease and 4,851 wounded. Most of these were lost in the final part of the ‘Megiddo sweep’. Illness outnumbered other causes 37 to one.¹ New Zealand had a population of just over 1 million in 1914. They lost 18,000 men in World War 1, with another 40,000 wounded. Of 250,000 eligible men, 120,00 enlisted and 100,000 served overseas.

While Beersheba was the first breakthrough in the ancient territory of the Holy Land, Semakh was the last major battle before they reached Syrian territory. Both involved Australian troops, showing the pivotal role our soldiers played in liberating the Holy Land from Ottoman domination. Interestingly, Tzemach means ‘branch’, a term used for the Messiah.

Semakh station now restored. Photo: J. Curry.

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Find out more at the website Beersheba100.org.

Featured image: Official opening of the Statue at Semakh in 2019 with sculptor Jennifer Marshall – photo provided by Jennifer Marshall.