10th Light Horse Regiment ( Australia ) The 10th Light Horse Regiment , is officially a " light cavalry " – or , more precisely , motorised infantry – regiment of the Australian Army Reserve , raised in Western Australia ( WA ) . It has a armoured reconnaissance role . While the name of the 10th Light Horse originated in the first months of World War I , the regiment also traces its ceremonial lineage to mounted infantry units of the Colonial militia of Western Australia , raised during the late 19th century , such as the Western Australian Mounted Infantry . Consequently , its battle honours include : " South Africa " ( Boer War ) and ; " Gallipoli " , " Gaza - Beersheba " , " Jerusalem " , " Megiddo " and " Damascus " ( World War I ) . At present four wheel drive Land Rovers and six wheel drive trucks , known as Interim Infantry Mobility Vehicle s , comprise the regiment ' s key operational vehicles . It is part of the 13th Brigade , a reserve formation encompassing most reserve personnel in WA and is based at Irwin Barracks , Karrakatta , where it currently consists of one squadron . Because of its operational role , the regiment ' s administrative grouping is the Royal Australian Armoured Corps . History . Early years . In Western Australia , prior to Federation , it was the custom for the volunteer infantry at major centres to form , within themselves , small bodies of mounted infantry for the purpose of performing certain cavalry duties . By 1900 records indicate that at least four such bodies existed , they being at Perth , Guildford , Geraldton and Bunbury . These units were brought together under a single command and took the title of the Western Australia Mounted Infantry ( WAMI ) . During the Boer War , Western Australia despatched five contingents to South Africa bearing the name Western Australia Mounted Infantry ( WAMI ) , although these contingents were not part of the part - time Western Australian mounted volunteer who also bore this same name . In 1903 , the Commonwealth re - organised the whole framework of the Australian defence forces . Since there was no money for a standing army , the military was organised on a part - time paid militia model while its strategy bore remarkable similarity to their erstwhile enemy ' s military organisation . By a combination of rifle clubs , infantry regiments and mounted units , the defence of Western Australia was based on the concept of guerrilla war being waged upon any potential invader . At that time , although not stated publicly , the big fear was a Japanese invasion . In line with all the changes , the West Australian mounted militia formation was called the 18th Australian Light Horse with the territorial title remaining as the Western Australia Mounted Infantry ( WAMI ) . For Western Australians in London who wanted to continue their mounted service , an exchange programme was commenced allying the WAMI with a British Territorial unit known as King Edward ' s Horse or The King ' s Overseas Dominions Regiment . From 1908 , any Western Australian could serve in either regiment without any break in their service , a most important factor for officer seniority . After the Kitchener Report , the defence structure of Australia was again changed to enlarge the units through conscription . The regiment ' s title was changed in July 1912 to the 25th Australian Light Horse , part of the Citizens Force , with the territorial title once again remaining as the Western Australia Mounted Infantry ( WAMI ) . Like all units , nearly all the former members were purged and replaced by conscripts . Unfortunately , the cost for the individual of being in the Light Horse was in excess of the sustenance allowance received and the numbers dropped alarmingly . The man whose personal energy singularly saved the WAMI from oblivion during this period was Noel Brazier , an officer from Kirup , Western Australia . For his efforts he became the regiment ' s commanding officer on 11 May 1913 . First World War . For several weeks following the outbreak of World War I , " light horsemen " ( mounted infantry ) from the 5th Military District ( WA ) who had volunteered for overseas service with the Army ' s Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) , were formed into " C " Squadron of the 7th Light Horse Regiment . While the Army had planned only to raise a squadron - sized light horse unit , the numbers of volunteers grew so quickly that a decision was made to raise an entire regiment of Western Australians . On 10 October 1916 , " C " Squadron was officially re - designated the 10th Light Horse Regiment . It was the only AIF light horse unit raised in Western Australia . Following training in Australia , the regiment was sent to Egypt as part of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade , arriving on 8 March 1915 . The regiment ' s first action of the war came during the Gallipoli campaign . Due to terrain and the static nature of the fighting on the peninsula , it was felt that mounted units could not play a part , however , a number of light horse units were deployed in a dismounted role as infantry . The 10th Light Horse Regiment arrived at Gallipoli on 20 May 1915 and initially it was largely used in a defensive role . In August , however , the Allies attempted to break the stalemate , launching the August Offensive . The regiment ' s action at the Nek during this offensive was immortalised in the final scenes of the 1981 Peter Weir film " Gallipoli " . It was also involved in the Battle of Hill 60 later in August before being evacuated along with the rest of the Allied troops in December 1915 . Reverting to its original mounted infantry role , the regiment saw service in the Middle East for the remainder of the war , taking part in numerous actions including those at Romani and Beersheba . The regiment was later given the honour of leading the Australian Mounted Division , and accepted the formal surrender of the city of Damascus on 1 October 1918 . Later , while awaiting repatriation , the regiment was used to suppress a nationalist uprising in Egypt in 1919 . Following its return to Australia , the 10th Light Horse Regiment was disbanded in 1919 . During its service during the war , the regiment suffered 237 killed and 479 wounded . Its members received the following decorations : one VC , one CMG , three DSOs and one bar , one MBE , nine MCs and one bar , 15 DCMs and one bar , 15 MMs , three MSMs , 48 MIDs and four foreign awards . Hugo Throssell was the regiment ' s sole Victoria Cross recipient . Inter war years and Second World War . In order to perpetuate the traditions and distinctions of the Australian Imperial Force , it was decided that in July 1919 all CMF units would be re - designated with the unit numbers of the AIF . From this date , the 25th Australian Light Horse Regiment was renamed the 10th Australia Light Horse Regiment while retaining the territorial title Western Australia Mounted Infantry ( WAMI ) . One final recognition was given in 1923 when the regiment was finally awarded the right to carry the battle honour s for the Second Boer War . Initially these had been granted to the Western Australian infantry regiments but not to the mounted regiment . This oversight was corrected and from this time they bore these battle honours in addition to those granted to the AIF 10th light Horse Regiment . During the Second World War , the regiment underwent several name changes in order to show its varying roles . In 1943 , it was gazetted as an Australian Imperial Force unit , after the majority of its personnel volunteered to serve overseas . This did not occur , though , and instead , its main task was the defence of south - west Australia . During this period , the regiment was also partially mechanised , although it did retain horses which were used to patrol the coastline . It was the last regiment in Australia to employ horses . It was disbanded on 14 April 1944 . Post Second World War . After the war , it was reformed as a single squadron in 1949 , when it became fully mechanised and was renamed the 10th Western Australian Mounted Infantry , operating Staghound and Canadian Scout armoured cars . Expanded to a full regiment in 1952 , it was again renamed as the 10th Light Horse in 1956 when it was equipped with Staghounds , Saracens and Ferrets , before being reduced to a single independent squadron again in 1976 . The squadron remained independent until 2001 , when it formally became a part of the Army Reserve ' s 13th Brigade . The regiment was until recently equipped with the M113 vehicle in the armoured reconnaissance role , but has since migrated to " light cavalry / reconnaissance " role in the Land Rover 6x6 LRPV and Regional Force Surveillance Vehicle , both variants of the Land Rover 110 . Personnel from the squadron have been deployed to the Solomon Islands as part of RAMSI , Timor Leste , and Afghanistan , where they have been deployed with Regular Army units . Battle honours . The regiment has received the following battle honours :