Devils on Horses: In the Words of the Anzacs in the Middle East 1916-19

Description

Reunited with their horses in Egypt after the shattering experience of Gallipoli (a story recounted in Terry Kinloch's earlier book, Echoes of Gallipoli), the Anzac mounted riflemen and light horsemen were initially charged with the defence of the Suez Canal, then with the clearance of the Sinai peninsula, and finally with the destruction of the Turkish armies in Palestine and Syria. At last they could pursue the style of warfare for which they had been trained: on horseback. The First World War battlefields in the Middle East have long been overshadowed by those of Gallipoli and the Western Front. Yet the story of the mounted riflemen in Sinai and Palestine is a truly fascinating one. Using the soldiers' original letters and diaries wherever possible, Kinloch vividly describes every battle and skirmish in the long campaign against the Turks: the crucial Battle of Romani, the defeats at Bir el Abd, Gaza and Amman, and the successes at Beersheba, Ayun Kara and elsewhere. He explains the reality of tactical operations in the harsh desert environment, the ever-present necessity of securing water for the precious horses and the remorseless tenacity of the enemy. The horses play a major part in the story, but of the thousands of faithful animals involved, only one would ever return home after the war. Devils on Horses is a gripping read that offers new information about a theatre of war that has been overlooked for decades. Based on original research, it is sure to be the standard reference work on New Zealand's Middle East campaign for years to come.

Lieutenant-Colonel Terry Kinloch has completed operational tours in Bougainville, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Egypt. He spent much of his regimental career in Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles, an armoured unit that is the last Regular Force link to New Zealand's horse-mounted units. He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2006.

'Devils on Horses is a very important book for New Zealanders, and for those who read military history. We now have an account of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade in Sinai and Palestine that at last does justice to their story. This was perhaps the finest body of New Zealanders ever to serve overseas, and now we can see why.' (From the Foreword by Dr Christopher Pugsley) -- Dr Christopher Pugsley * From the Foreword * "Kinloch found a wealth of material in the diaries and photographs of the troops held by their families. Coupled with the official history, this enabled him to examine the individual battles as well as the overall campaign" * Military Books Australia *