2nd Light Horse Regiment ( Australia ) The 2nd Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment of the Australian Army during the First World War . The regiment was raised in September 1914 , and by December as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade had moved overseas . During the war the regiment only fought against the forces of the Ottoman Empire , in Egypt , at Gallipoli , on the Sinai Peninsula , and in Palestine and Jordan . After the armistice the regiment eventually returned to Australia in March 1919 . For its role in the war the regiment was awarded nineteen battle honours . Formation . On 18 August 1914 , the 2nd Light Horse Regiment was raised at Enoggera , and comprised twenty - five officers and 497 other ranks serving in three squadrons , each of six troop s . Each troop was divided into eight section s , of four men each . In action one man of each section , was nominated as a horse holder reducing the regiment ' s rifle strength by a quarter . Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Mackay Stodart , its manpower was drawn from the 1st Military District and consisted mainly of residents of Queensland and New South Wales . The regiment ' s officers had all previously served in the Citizens Forces , and many of its soldiers had also served before , including some who had served in the British forces . All were required to pass a riding test ; those that failed were transferred to the infantry and subsequently served in the 9th Battalion . Once formed the regiment was assigned to the 1st Light Horse Brigade , serving alongside the 1st and 3rd Light Horse Regiments . All Australian Light Horse regiments used cavalry unit designations , but were mounted infantry armed with rifles , not swords or lances , and mounted exclusively on the Australian Waler horse . Operational history . Departure for Egypt . After a short period of training at Enoggera , on 25 September 1914 , the regiment left Brisbane , sailing upon the transport ship " Star of England " , arriving at Egypt on 9 December . There they undertook further training and took part in the North African campaign defending the Suez Canal . In May 1915 , they left for the Gallipoli campaign with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ( ANZAC ) . Gallipoli . The regiment left their horses in Egypt , and arrived at the Gallipoli peninsula on 12 May , joining the Allied forces there as reinforcements . Assigned to the New Zealand and Australian Division , the regiment fought around Anzac Cove , and during the Battle of Sari Bair , but spent most of the campaign in a defensive posture except for one attack they made on the Turkish position at " Quinn ’ s Post " in mid - May , where they lost 25 men killed and 21 wounded before the assault was called off . The regiment left Gallipoli for Mudros , on the island of Lemnos , on 18 December 1915 as part of the Allied evacuation of the peninsula . For their involvement in the campaign , the regiment earned four battle honours . Sinai and Palestine Campaign . After concentrating on Lemnos , the regiment sailed back to Egypt on the transport " Ionian " on 22 December , spending Christmas at sea . On 27 December , the regiment made port at Alexandria and established a camp at Heliopolis . Back in Egypt the regiment , still with the 1st Light Horse Brigade , became part of the ANZAC Mounted Division , responsible for the defence of the Suez Canal from raiding Senussi Arabs . Then on 4 August 1916 , they fought in the Battle of Romani against the Turks , before being withdrawn to rest and refit . The regiment rejoined the brigade in November and took part in the battles of Maghaba and Rafa in December 1916 and January 1917 . The was followed by defeat in the second battle of Gaza in April 1917 , and the successful Battle of Beersheba and the third battle of Gaza in October and November . The regiment followed up the retreating Ottoman forces and fought in the battle of Mughar Ridge the , the battle of Jerusalam , the battle of Jaffa , the capture of Jericho , the attack on Amman , the attack on Es Salt and finally in September and October 1918 the battles and Megiddo and Nablus . The Ottoman Empire signed the Armistice of Mudros on 30 October 1918 , bring the war to an end . After transferring their horses to the 5th Cavalry Division in late December 1918 , the 2nd Light Horse Regiment sailed for Australia on the transport " Ulimaroa " in mid - March 1919 . Sailing via Colombo , Fremantle , Melbourne , and Sydney , the regiment arrived in Brisbane in late April . Due to concerns about an influenza epidemic , they were held in quarantine at Lytton for a week . On 30 April , the regiment marched through the centre of the city , and after the colours were laid up at St John ' s Cathedral , the regiment was disbanded . Their campaigns in the First World War had cost them 293 men killed and 472 men wounded . A total of 103 officers and 2 , 508 other ranks served in the regiment during the war . Perpetuation . In 1921 , after the demobilisation of the AIF , the Australian government reviewed the nation ' s military requirements and the decided to re - organise its part - time military forces to perpetuate the numerical designations of the AIF units . As a result , the 2nd Light Horse was re - formed as a part - time unit in Queensland through the amalgamation of the three Citizens Forces units : the 2nd Battalion , 52nd Infantry Regiment , the 5th Battalion , 9th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Light Horse ( Queensland Mounted Infantry ) . In 1927 , the regiment received its battle honours for the war , and was redesignated as the " 2nd Moreton Light Horse ( Queensland Mounted Infantry ) " . It also adopted the motto " Forward " . When it was reformed , the strength of the Citizens Forces units was maintained through a mixture of voluntary and compulsory service ; but , following the election of the Scullin Labor government in 1929 – 1930 , compulsory service was discontinued and an all volunteer " Militia " was established . Economic hardship during the Great Depression made it difficult for part - time soldiers to maintain their livelihoods while continuing their training commitments , and as a result the number of volunteers fell sharply . Consequently , a number of units were disbanded or amalgamated . In 1930 , the 2nd Light Horse was amalgamated with the 14th West Moreton Light Horse to form the 2nd / 14th Light Horse Regiment . The two regiments remained linked until 1940 , when they were split and the 2nd was re - formed in its own right amidst the backdrop of the Second World War . In 1941 , it was redesignated the " 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion , Moreton Light Horse ( QMI ) " , before later being converted into a cavalry role and changing its name to the " 2nd Australian Divisional Cavalry Regiment " the following year . In November 1942 , the regiment was designated an " AIF " unit , meaning that they could be deployed outside of Australian territory to fight . Nevertheless , there was little need for cavalry in the jungle battles Australian forces were fighting in the South West Pacific Area and consequently the regiment was disbanded on 29 July 1943 . It is perpetuated by the 2nd / 14th Light Horse Regiment , which was re - raised in 1949 . Commanding Officers . The following officers commanded the 2nd Light Horse during the First World War : Battle honours . ANZAC Defence at ANZAC Suvla Sari Bair Gallipoli 1915 – 1916 Egypt 1915 – 1917 Romani Magdhaba – Rafah Gaza – Beersheba El Mughar Jerusalem Jaffa Jericho Jordan ( Es Salt ) Jordan ( Amman ) Megiddo Nablus Palestine 1917 – 1918 .