Item 03: Frank Hurley war diary, 24 January-13 August 1918 - Page 35
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[Page 35]
is one of the outstanding incidents of the campaign in Palestine. After having ridden some forty miles and nearly a day and a half without water, those regiments were pushed into the
battle which had been going on since morning.
Who was in command was ordered to charge and take the strongly entrenched position held by the Turks. Madness though it seemed, the regiments were ordered to charge up to, and across the trenches. This they actually succeeded in doing, and so Beersheba was taken. The few casualties can only be attributed to the failing evening light and to the audacity of the action, which evidently thoroughly discomposed the enemy.
A clean up of the trenches the following morning disclosed the fact, that the rifles left behind, had not been resighted from the first volleys at 700 yards! Evening visited the 4th Regiment and gave them lecturette on Antarctica