Story Of Two Campaigns Official War History Of The Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment 1914 1919

Illustrated with over 40 photos and 10 maps “Official history of a NZ Regiment which saw service in the Middle East in the Great War. The Regiment was established in 1911, but this book deals solely with its WWI services - Egypt, Gallipoli and Palestine (Gaza, Beersheba, Jerusalem, Jordan). The narrative is clear and informative, with plenty of detail and with many individuals mentioned by name (especially casualties). Apps: Roll of Honour (KIA and WIA, Gallipoli and Palestine), H & A, List of COs.—N&M Print Version

The (New Zealand) Canterbury Mounted Rifles, like other cavalry units, fought dismounted in the Gallipoli campaign and suffered horrendous losses there. After the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsular, the unit's remnants were refitted in Egypt and then committed to the Sinai and Palestine campaigns. They took part in the battles of Rafa, Romani and Gaza, and in the advance to Jerusalem and Jericho in 1918. Throughout their time in the desert, they fought in the mounted role for which they had originally been trained. They ended the war after the Armistice by returning to the Gallipoli Peninsular where they had suffered so much. The book is profusely ilustrated by a range of interesting black and white photos, and an appendix on the unit's horses plus a Roll of Honour, list of awards etc.

Our Friend the Enemy is the first detailed history of the Gallipoli campaign at Anzac since Charles Bean’s Official History. Viewed from both sides of the wire and described in first-hand accounts. Australian Captain Herbert Layh recounted that as they approached the beach on 25 April that, once we were behind cover the Turks turned their .. [fire] on us, and gave us a lively 10 minutes. A poor chap next to me was hit three times. He begged me to shoot him, but luckily for him a fourth bullet got him and put him out of his pain. Later that day, Sergeant Charles Saunders, a New Zealand engineer, described his first taste of battle, The Turks were entrenched some 50-100 yards from the edge of the face of the gully and their machine guns swept the edges. Line after line of our men went up, some lines didn’t take two paces over the crest when down they went to a man and on came another line. Gunner Recep Trudal of the Turkish 27th Regiment wrote of the fierce Turkish counter-attack on 19 May designed to push the Anzac’s back into the sea, It started at morning prayer call time, and then it went on and on, never stopped. You know there was no break for eating or anything … Attack was our command. That was what the Pasha said. Once he says “Attack”, you attack, and you either die or you survive.

The battles on Gallipoli in 1915 were crucial in making New Zealand the nation it is today. The huge sacrifice of life has affected the country for generations, and our annual formal remembrances on Anzac Day have become increasingly important. It is twenty years since the full story of Gallipoli was last told in book form. Now a new book will add significantly to our understanding of the events of 1915 on the Gallipoli penisula.Terry Kinloch tells the story with the help of members of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, who emerged from Gallipoli battered and depleted, but with reputations enhanced. He has thoroughly researched their letters and diaries, and cleverly interspersed their eyewitness comments into his text. The result is a book that reads with the immediacy of actually being there. It is a fresh way of telling history, and one that is sure to find a response among New Zealanders today. The full story is here: the call-up, the sea journey, camp in Egypt, the eventual arrival in Gallipoli, all the battles and skirmishes that were fought there, and finally the remarkable evacuation several months later.