Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment The Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment was a mounted infantry regiment from New Zealand , raised for service during the First World War . It was assigned to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force . The regiment with an establishment of twenty - six officers , 523 other ranks and 600 horses , was formed from three squadrons belonging to pre war Territorial Force regiments . The 3rd ( Auckland ) Mounted Rifles , the 4th ( Waikato ) Mounted Rifles and the 11th ( North Auckland ) Mounted Rifles . It also included a small headquarters and , until 1916 , a Maxim machine - gun section . The Maxim guns were withdrawn but the regiment ' s fire - power increased during the war , by the end of which each squadron had four Hotchkiss machine - guns , one per troop . Being mounted infantry the regiment rode into battle on their horses , but were expected to dismount and fight on foot . The regiment fought predominantly against the forces of the Ottoman Turkish Empire . First in the Gallipoli Campaign between May and December 1915 , during which they participated in the largest battle of that theatre at Chunuk Bair and the fighting for Hill 60 . Evacuated to Egypt they then took part in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign from 1916 to 1918 . The early battles they were involved included those at Romani , Gaza and Beersheba . Then later in the war they were part of the force that occupied the Jordan Valley , took part in the raid on Amman and the raid on Es Salt . Their final war time operation was in connection with the capture of the Turkish Fourth Army . During the four years of war the regiment had 434 dead , from all causes , and 627 were wounded , several of those more than once . After the war , the regiment played a minor role in the Egyptian Revolution of 1919 , before being disbanded in June 1919 . History . Formation . Raised in August 1914 , at the start of the First World War , the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment , came from the region around Auckland on the North Island of New Zealand . Commanded by Lieutenant - Colonel Charles Ernest Randolph Mackesy , the regiment comprised , a headquarters , a machine - gun section and three squadrons formed from Territorial Force regiments . The New Zealand Territorial Force included a compulsory training system and the four Military Districts were required to supply at least a mounted regiment and an infantry battalion for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force . To meet that obligation the Territorial Force regiments , each provided a squadron , which kept their own regimental badges and traditions . The squadrons for the Auckland Mounted Rifles came from the 3rd ( Auckland ) Mounted Rifles , the 4th ( Waikato ) Mounted Rifles and the 11th ( North Auckland ) Mounted Rifles . The establishment was fixed at twenty - six officers and 523 other ranks , who were mounted on 528 riding horses , seventy - four draught horse s and six pack horse s . Each squadron , of 158 men , had a field headquarters and four troop s . Even though the regiment used horses , they were not cavalry but a mounted infantry unit , and expected to ride to the battlefield , dismount and fight as traditional infantry . The regiment was assigned to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade ( NZMRB ) , serving alongside , two other mounted infantry regiments , the Wellington Mounted Rifles ( WMR ) and the Canterbury Mounted Rifles ( CMR ) . Embarkation . What remained of August and most of September was taken up with training . Until the regiment received their embarkation orders , and set sail from Auckland on 23 September . The unescorted transport ships returned to the same harbour the next morning , believing two German cruiser s Scharnhorst and Gneisenau , were in the area . The troops disembarked and it was not until 11 October that they sailed again . This time they reached Wellington on 14 October and two days later , now part or a large convoy of transport ships , four warships and 9 , 000 men , sailed again for an " unknown destination " . Stopping at Hobart the New Zealand convoy , waited until 1 November , to be joined by an Australian contingent , then thirty - eight ships set sail heading north . With only brief halts , to re - coal , at Colombo on 15 November , Aden on 24 November , the convoy entered the Suez Canal on 1 December and the regiment disembarked at Alexandria four days later . They then entrained for Cairo and established their camp , on the edge of the desert , in the suburb of Zeitoun . In the following months the regiment practised their horsemanship , conducted small arms and bayonet training and learnt how to construct trenches . Gallipoli . In May 1915 , the regiment , with the rest of the NZMRB , was warned to prepare to embark for the Gallipoli Campaign , serving in a dismounted role . However not everyone could go , a rear party had to remain behind to look after the horses , only twenty - six officers and 482 other ranks boarded the transport ships . On 12 May the regiment landed at Anzac Cove and the next day took over from the Royal Naval Brigade in the front line . The regiment was responsible for the section of the front known as " Walker ' s Top " and " The Nek " . Opposite what was possibly the strongest Turkish position , only away . They defeated their first Turkish attack on 18 / 19 May , when the regiment ' s position was subjected to rifle and machine - gun fire , from midnight until 03 : 00 . Then the Turkish troops assaulted " Walker ' s Top " and " Quinn ' s Post " . The attack lasted an hour , and cost the regiment twenty - two dead and twenty - seven wounded , but they had held their position . On 22 May they were relieved by the 9th Light Horse Regiment , and moved to the rear . In June the regiment repeatedly moved between front and rear area positions , and were not involved in a major battle . On 25 May Major Frank Chapman , with Mackesy ill , arrived from Egypt , to assume command of the regiment , he was followed , five days later , by one officer and 107 other ranks reinforcements . The situation remained the same in July , and another two officers and ten men arrived to replace casualties . August saw the regiment involved in the largest engagement of the campaign , at Chunuk Bair . After successfully capturing a Turkish position at " Old No . 3 Post " on 6 August , the regiment was involved in fighting off several counter - attacks and conducting their own assaults . Until 9 August with a strength of only sixty - six men , from the 310 that started the battle , the regiment was withdrawn to a rear area . On 23 August the sixty - six men of the regiment with the WMR returned to the front line and four days later took part in the fighting around Hill 60 . Their assault began at 17 : 00 and the regiment , with the CMR captured the Turkish front line . The WMR and Otago Mounted Rifles following up , passed beyond them and captured the Turkish reserve line . However , all four regiments suffered heavy casualties and had to fight off several counter - attacks . On 29 August the regiment was relieved and moved to a safer area ; their casualties during the battle amounted to thirty - eight dead , and sixty - five wounded . Early in September the regiment , now five officers and eighty - three men , were moved back into the front line at " Cheshire Ridge " . Until they were relived on 12 September and the next day leave Gallipoli for the rest camp on island of Lemnos . Reinforcements of three officers and 216 other ranks arrive there on 5 October and three days later James Neil McCarroll assumes command of the regiment on temporary promotion to lieutenant - colonel . While Mackesy is temporarily given command the NZMRB . On 10 November the regiment , now ten officers and 286 other ranks , returned to Gallipoli . Where they were employed preparing defences at " Waterfall Gully " . Three days later another sixty - six reinforcements arrive and they move into the front line at " Gloucester Hill " . On 14 December the regiment leaves Gallipoli again for Lemnos . They remained on the island until 22 December , now with a strength of sixteen officers and 321 other ranks , the regiment sailed for Egypt . Disembarking four days later they return to their previous camp at Zeitoun and on 27 December , Mackesy returns to command the regiment . Sinai . The regiment spent its first month back in Egypt training . Then once more back up to full establishment , moved forward to defend the Suez Canal in the area of the Great Bitter Lake . At the same time it also lost some of its veterans , including those who were wounded and convalescing in England , when they were transferred to the infantry and artillery to serve on the Western Front . In March the regiment , still part of the NZMRB , was assigned to the newly formed ANZAC Mounted Division . Then on 23 April the regiment was ordered to move into the Sinai Desert , to counter a Turkish attack against the British yeomanry at Katia . The following week the whole NZMRB , relieved the 2nd Light Horse Brigade at Romani . The defeated Turkish troops had withdrawn east around to Salmana and the NZMRB were ordered to attack their positions . On 30 May the Auckland Mounted Rifles moved in advance of the brigade , circling around to get into a position to the south - south - east of Salmana . By 04 : 45 the regiment was ready and the attack started . They galloped towards the Turkish position on a mound , defended by around 200 – 300 men . Reaching the base of the mound , they dismounted and charged up hill with bayonets fixed . The defenders withdrew , pursued by the 3rd Squadron , until Turkish reinforcements appeared and the squadron rejoined the regiment . Turkish casualties in the assault are not known , but the regiment only had one man wounded . The regiment now lost its Maxim machine - gun section , the two guns were withdrawn to help form the brigade machine - gun squadron . They were replaced with three Lewis guns , one per squadron . The loss of the section reduced the regiment ' s establishment to twenty - four officers , 499 other ranks . Romani . At the end of July the 3rd Squadron was sent to patrol to the south near the Nagid well , observing left flank of a Turkish force crossing the Sinai . On 1 August patrols from the 11th Squadron were sent east of Dueidar , to the En Nuss and Nagid wells , as a defence force and to expand the wells to support a brigade . On 3 August the rest of the regiment moved to Dueidar , at the same time a Turkish force occupied Mount Royston at Romani . As a result , the regiment was ordered to rejoin the brigade , and by 11 : 30 were observing around 2 , 000 Turkish troops on Mount Royston . For the next thirty minutes the regiment was bombed by Turkish artillery , when a brigade attack was ordered . The 3rd Squadron , supported by Lewis guns from the machine - gun sections , was positioned in the centre of the line between the CMR and a British yeomanry regiment . The advance forced the Turkish outposts to withdraw and by 16 : 45 using the cover available the regiment were close enough to charge the Turkish defences capturing 250 prisoners and a field hospital . All together the NZMRB took 1 , 000 prisoners and a mountain artillery battery . The regiments casualties were two dead and six wounded . Early the next day the NZMRB moved towards Katia , with the intention of attacking a Turkish gun emplacement . The brigade positioned between the 2nd Light Horse Brigade on the left and the 3rd Light Horse Brigade on the right . The regiment leading had by 14 : 30 advanced close enough to charge the position on horseback , then dismounted and continued the attack on foot all in the face of heavy rifle and machine - gun fire . No progress was made and they spent the rest of the day , returning fire from cover . The engagement cost the regiment one dead and six wounded . That night the regiment bivouacked at Katib Gannit and returned to the site of the battle the next day , 6 August , but the Turkish army had withdrawn eastwards . The NZMRB were ordered to advance until contact was regained with the Turkish force . They located them around 12 : 00 , to the east of Oghratina . The regiment remained in contact all day , without suffering any casualties and also located a telephone wire that the withdrawing Turks had failed to disconnect , which enabled them to monitor the German and Turkish command issuing orders . Ard . The next day the NZMRB was the division reserve , so the regiment had a day of rest . The following day , 8 August , they advanced again . But by now Oghratina was unoccupied , and later that day reconnaissance patrols located the Turkish force around west of the well at Ard . Halting overnight , at 04 : 30 , the regiment leading the NZMRB set out to attack the Turkish position . By 05 : 15 the regiment made contact with the Turkish outposts and advanced on foot towards their main defences . Under covering fire from the Royal Horse Artillery ( RHA ) . The regiment had the 3rd Squadron on the left , and two troops of the 11th Squadron and a machine - gun section on the right . Their right flank was supposed to be covered by the 3rd Light Horse Brigade , but they had failed to arrive . In consequence the regiment had to extend its lines to cover the open flank so two troops from the 4th Squadron were sent there . Things were also not going well on the other flank . At 11 : 20 the CMR , were forced to retire . Then just before midday two Turkish battalions , about 1 , 100 men , attacked the regiment . But still supported by the RHA they held their positions . For the next three and a half hours the NZMRB was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment . This was followed by another attack by three Turkish battalions . Holding out until 16 : 15 the regiment was then ordered to pull back . The days fighting cost the regiment twelve dead and twenty - one wounded . Magdhaba . The next three months were spent on reconnaissance patrols and manning observation posts , until 20 December when the advance east recommenced , with the regiment forming the vanguard for the ANZAC Mounted Division . Travelling overnight they reached El Arish by dawn , which had been evacuated by the Turkish forces . Magdhaba with its 2 , 000 man garrison was to the south - east , on the Wadi El Arish . At 10 : 30 22 December the 3rd Squadron was sent along the wadi in advance of the division , to check the condition of the well at Lahfan and if it could support the brigade . The NZMRB leaving El Arish at midnight , followed the squadron . By daylight the division had surrounded Magdhaba and in the ensuing fighting , after a bayonet charge in the late afternoon , the village was captured . The regiment , being held in reserve took no part in the battle , but was afterwards left in charge of the village , clearing the dead and collecting war materials . It then returned to El Arish on Christmas Day . Palestine . Rafa . On 8 January 1917 , the ANZAC Mounted Division headed out for their next objective the police post at Rafa , to the east on the Egyptian - Palestinian border . Reaching Sheik Zowaiid at 22 : 00 the regiment rested for three hours . Then at dawn the regiment surrounded the Bedouin village Shokh El Sufi , south of Rafa . One of the inhabitants shot and killed one of the men and another was knocked unconscious when hit on the head with a sword . Both of the Bedouin ' s escaped on the troopers horses . At 06 : 00 , the regiment crossed the border into Palestine . Moving out of the desert the firmer ground made it easier for horse and wheeled transport . Forty - five minutes later the regiment was located behind a ridge line observing the Turkish defences , which consisted of trenches and redoubt s , with a good field of fire to their front . At 09 : 00 the NZMRB was ordered to move around to attack the position from the right flank and at the same time cover the area north to the Mediterranean Sea . At 09 : 30 the attack started , galloping forward for about a , they were subjected to Turkish artillery fire . When they got to within from the Turkish lines they dismounted and advanced on foot . The regiment advanced with the 3rd and 4th Squadrons leading and the 11th Squadron in reserve . On the right was the CMR , the 1st Light Horse Brigade were on their left and the WMR , was the NZMRB reserve . At midday the complete brigade attacked the Green Knoll redoubt . The 3rd Squadron unable to make any progress held its position , while the 11th Squadron moved around to the right of the 4th Squadron . By 15 : 00 the 3rd Squadron was able to move forward again and at 16 : 00 the regiment was preparing to charge the position . Then the division received word that Turkish reinforcements were approaching . That and the loss of daylight convinced Major - General Harry Chauvel commanding the division to order a withdrawal . However the order never reached the NZMRB , who had fixed bayonets and charged , the remaining to the Turkish trenches . They captured the first trench line , and the defenders started to surrender . Seeing what was happening the remainder of the division returned to assist and the position was captured . The regiments casualties for the battle were seven dead and forty - one wounded . Gaza . On 26 March the regiment was at Dier El Belah , and at 02 : 30 set out for Gaza . The division was to circle the town , cutting off any escape route east and provide a blocking force stopping Turkish reinforcements . While the 53rd ( Welsh ) Division and a brigade of the 54th ( East Anglian ) Division carried out a frontal assault . The regiment was positioned at the Humra mound in the east with the 4th and 11th Squadrons , assigned to watch for Turkish reinforcement coming from Huj . The main attack was nor progressing well so the NZMRB , along with the rest of the division , was ordered to attack Gaza . But the regiment was held in reserve still watching out for Turkish reinforcements . The NZMRB had made good progress and was inside the town when it was ordered to withdraw . By early the next day the regiment , less the 4th Squadron which was the division ' s rearguard , had returned to Dier El Belah . On 3 April the squadrons are issued Hotchkiss machine - guns , on a scale of one per troop , which replaced the regiment ' s three Lewis guns . The second British attempt to take Gaza would be on 17 April , but the day before the NZMRB moved to Hareira , providing flank protection and prevent and Turkish reinforcement from that direction . The regiment reached Shellal at 03 : 00 , where they stopped to water their horses . At dawn hostile aircraft appeared overhead which were engaged by the 11th Squadron , forcing them to fly at a higher altitude . By 09 : 00 the regiment was positioned overlooking Hareira , Sheria , and the Gaza - Beersheba rail line . Several times during the day they were machine - gunned by hostile aircraft , but no casualties were sustained . That night at 22 : 00 , as ordered , they returned to Shellal . The next day the regiment returned to their previous task of flank protection . At midday the 3rd and 11th Squadrons were located along the ridge south - east of El Buggar and had forced the Turkish observation posts to retire . The day was almost a replica of the previous one and the regiment were back at Shellal at 21 : 30 , but instead of resting overnight they moved to El Mendur , arriving there at 06 : 00 on 19 April . The division was now required by be more aggressive , to draw the Turkish forces towards them , because of the lack of progress by the force attacking Gaza . The 3rd Squadron was detailed as a guard force for the division ' s artillery , accompanying them to Atawineh . They them moved into the front line losing one dead and seventeen wounded , by the time it withdrew at 20 : 00 . The rest of the regiment was held in reserve , having two men wounded during an aircraft attack . By the end of the day the second attempt to take Gaza , the defences being to strong for a frontal assault , was called off . However instead of withdrawing the British stayed holding a forward line of trenches and redoubts . The regiment positioned around Karim Abu El Hiseia , on the Wadi Ghuzze . Lieutenant - Colonel McCarroll assumed command of the regiment again , Mackesy being appointed as the Administrator of the Khan Yunus - Deir and the Belah region . For the next few months patrol duty was interspersed with having to occupy the front line , and training . Beersheba . At 17 : 00 25 October the regiment , which was now located around from Beersheba , started to moved forward . Their first objective was south - east at Esani , which they reached at 01 : 00 26 October . Here they rested for two days before setting out again travelling another to Asluj to the south of Beersheba . Waiting until the next night at 18 : 00 they started north to attack Beersheba , the first along a metalled road . They then followed the Wadi Imshash for the next , stopping at 02 : 00 while the CMR reconnoitred a suspected Turkish post . The night march started again an hour later . By daylight the NZMRB was positioned to south of the Beersheba - Bir Arara Road , to the south - east of the high Saba hill , with the regiment being the brigade reserve . At 09 : 00 the regiment , and the Somerset Battery RHA , was ordered to attack Saba to the east of Beersheba , positioned between the CMR on their right and the 3rd Light Horse Regiment on their left . The 11th Squadron leading , advanced up a wadi , under machine - gun fire , but there was plenty cover for the men and horses . The squadron dismounted from the Turkish front line and continued on foot . The 3rd and 4th Squadrons meanwhile had rode to within to the north then dismounted to continue of foot . Advancing by troops , covered by their machine - guns good progress was made . At 14 : 10 the regiment was ordered to assault the position , thirty minutes later a hill east of Saba was taken with sixty prisoners and three machine - guns . A short while later Saba itself was captured with 132 prisoners and four machine - guns . However the regiment had six dead and twenty - two wounded , including a squadron leader . The regiment remained consolidating Saba until 2 November , while the brigades other regiment and the 4th Squadron were fighting a Turkish cavalry force . On 4 November the NZMRB moved to Wadi El Sultan . The next day the 4th Squadron was tasked to support the CMR , advancing against a Turkish position away . The Turks counter - attacked the CMR , so the 3rd Squadron was moved forward to support them and the attack was defeated . The regiment lost one man dead and four wounded during the days fighting . While the rest of the NZMRB retired to the west , the regiment remained at the front manning observation posts , until 11 November when they were relieved by the British Westminster Dragoons . Ayun Kara . The regiment left Beersheba to rejoin the brigade , then had to move across the front to the British left flank . Travelling through the night at 07 . 30 they had reached Jemmaleh , where they rested for two hours . Continuing their advance they reached Hesy at 13 : 30 , Bureir at 14 : 30 then finally Hamama where they establish a rest camp . The march was difficult for men and horses , with virtually no food or water and the horses were taken to the sea to drink . Their supplies finally caught up with the regiment and that night they moved again to a new camp north of Sukereir . The next day the regiment rejoined the NZMRNB , outside the village of Ayun Kara . At 11 : 00 14 November the CMR the brigade vanguard encountered Turkish observation posts . Brigade ordered an attack on the main Turkish defences . The regiment was positioned covering the left flank . Advancing by troops they came under machine - gun fire . The 3rd Squadron was dispatched to occupy the high ground on the regiment ' s right while the other squadrons took cover . Then a force of Turkish cavalry appeared to their left . McCarroll sent the 11th Squadron to check on their dispositions and numbers . However the squadron encountered heavy rifle and machine - gun fire and could not move forward . To assist them two troops from the 4th Squadron , were ordered to charge them on horseback . The two troops captured the position and continued forward occupying the high ground on the left , in front of the WMR . The 3rd Squadron in reserve , provided covering fire as the 11th Squadron moved forward alongside the 4th on their left . Then covered by the 4th Squadron the 11th Squadron moved forward . At 14 : 15 the advance troops of the 11th Squadron located , in an orange grove , a Turkish concentration of troops that counter - attacked the regiment . McCarroll who had kept up with his forward line of troops , ordered the rest of the regiment , including headquarters troops , to move up in support of the 11th Squadron . The 3rd Squadron galloped forward dismounting just behind the front line and engaged the Turkish attack with enfilade fire , forcing them to retire . At 14 : 45 covered by an artillery barrage and machine - gun fire , the Turkish troops counter - attacked again . The regiment ' s machine - gunners returned fire and for a short time the battle became a machine - gun engagement . During this time the WMR to the right had occupied a prominent hill , but were under heavy fire . To support them the 3rd Squadron sent two troops to engage their opponents , which they caught in the bottom of a valley , with enfilade fire . Then in front of the regiment a fresh Turkish battalion was sent to assault them . In some places they got close enough to throw hand grenade s into the regiment ' s defences . These killed or wounded all those defending a small hill that was then occupied by the Turkish , bringing indirect fire onto the rest of the regiment ' s positions , which by now were becoming untenable . At first messengers sent to the 4th Squadron asking for assistance failed to get through . But eventually they received the message and charged across the open ground , recapturing the hill . Which then brought the rest of the Turkish line into range of their guns . Confronted by this new threat , the Turkish troops retired back to their start point . McCarroll was ordering a regiment attack on the orange grove when he was wounded in the neck and shoulder , which forced Major Henry Whitehorn to assume temporary command of the regiment . But by now it was getting dark and the only Turkish offensive action was an artillery bombardment . The regiment instead of attacking , spent the rest of the day evacuating their wounded and strengthening their lines . Their casualties during the battle were fifteen dead and seventy - four wounded . The next morning it was discovered that Ayun Kara had been evacuated by the Turkish troops . River Auja . On 15 November the NZMRB moved forward again to Rishon LeZion village south of the port of Jaffa . The next day the regiment moves forward alone and establishes a line of observation posts between Beit Dejan and Safiriyeh , just under from Jaffa . Reconnaissance patrols discovered that Jaffa was not occupied by any Turkish forces , so the 3rd Squadron and the CMR moves in to provide a garrison . While the rest of the regiment and the WMR return to Ayun Kara . The regiment moves further north on 18 November and over the next few days carries out a reconnaissance of the River Auja . On 27 November the NZMRB secures a bridge - head over the river . To help defend the crossing the 3rd and 11th Squadrons dig in on the northern bank . The next day , at 14 : 45 , the squadrons are attacked and by 17 : 45 , first the horse holders and the regiment ' s mounts are sent back across the river . Then the squadrons are forced to retire to the lines of the supporting infantry . By 20 : 00 the whole British position is under threat and they have to withdraw back across to the south of the river . The regiments casualties are one dead , one missing and nineteen wounded . Including Whitehorn , so command of the regiment temporarily passes to Major Duncan Munro . After the battle at the River Auja , the NZMRB camped to the south - east of Sarona , out of range of the Turkish artillery . The regiment , having only sixteen officers and 375 other ranks left effective , spent the time building up it strength in men and horses . In the last month the regiment had lost twenty - seven dead , eighty - eight wounded , sixty - one had to be evacuated to the rear as they were ill and two men were missing . On 16 December Whitethorn returned and resumed temporary command of the regiment . Two days later the regiment returns to Jaffa and comes under command of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division . Then on 20 December the Lowland Division assaulted the River Auja and the regiment patrolled north of the river supporting them until 25 December when they rejoined the NZMRB . Jordan valley . Jericho . On 15 January , Lieutenant - Colonel McCarroll having recovered from his wounds , resumed command of the regiment , which was still understrength with only twenty - two officers and 486 other ranks . In February the ANZAC Mounted Division was ordered to cross over to the British right flank , to conduct operations in the Jordan Valley , by first capturing Jericho . By 19 February the regiment was east of Bethlehem and at 09 : 30 started toward Jericho along what was described as " little more than a goat track " . At times the track was so steep that the men had to dismount and lead the horses by hand . Stopping overnight at 04 : 30 the regiment as the vanguard , moving in single file , set out again . Soon after Turkish guns opened fire on them from two hills , Kaneitera and Kalimun , which could dominate their approach . The regiment reaching the valley bottom spread out to provide a more difficult target . Moving forward under Turkish artillery and machine - gun fire the regiment galloped from cover to cover by troops . This continued until around midday when the 11th Squadron got close enough to assault a Turkish position on the right of the valley . At the same time the 3rd and 4th Squadrons were advancing in the centre and to the left . Elsewhere the Australian light horse brigades and British infantry were having similar problems . But eventually the British secured a position that allowed then to bring fore onto the Turkish defences in front of the regiment , which forced them to retire further up the Kalimun hill . The regiment ' s horse holders brought the mounts forward and the regiment charged the position on horseback . The Turkish forces retired , but kept the hill now occupied by the regiment under an artillery barrage . The next day there was no trace of any Turkish forces and the advance continued . At times again only possible by moving in single file , meant the NZMRB was spread along of tracks . At 09 : 00 the regiment moved out of the hills and into the Jordan Valley , just north of the Dead Sea and south of Jericho , about from the River Jordan . The time it had taken the NZMRB to negotiate the track allowed the Turkish forces to retire to the east bank of the river by a pontoon bridge at Goraniyeh . While the Australians captured Jericho , the regiment established a camp in the valley under the Mount of Temptation , north of Jericho . The NZMRB was then made responsible for guarding the river from the Dead Sea to the Ghoraniyeh bridge . However on 22 February the rest of the NZMRB returned to Ayun Kara leaving the regiment in the valley , under command of the 60th ( London ) Division and tasked to carry out mounted patrols of the river . Amman raid . The regiment was next involved in a raid on the village of Amman to the east of the River Jordan . The force assembled for the operation comprised the ANZAC Mounted Division , the 60th ( London ) Division and the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade . Reconnaissance patrols had discovered that the river was not fordable and they would have to construct bridges to get across . Three viable sites had been selected at Makhadet ( which means ford ) , Hajlah north of the Dead Sea , and Ghoraniyeh . Two crossing were to be constructed a pontoon bridge , made from steel , for the mounted troops at Hajlah . The second crossing point at Ghoraniyeh , where there was already a damaged pontoon bridge , for the 60th Division , would have three bridges : a normal pontoon bridge , a barrel bridge , and an infantry bridge . At midnight 21 March the infantry tried to cross at Ghoraniyeh . However the river was flowing to fast for their swimmers to get across . While at Hajlah they had more success and a raft was constructed to ferry men and materials across . By dawn the the Turkish had discovered them crossing and were engaging the crossing infantry with machine - gun fire . But by 08 : 10 engineers had finished the pontoon bridge and more troops were crossing but their exploitation was restricted to around from the river line as they were confronted by strong Turkish defences . At 05 : 00 23 March the regiment , the first mounted force , began to cross the river . By 07 : 30 they were passing beyond the infantry forward troops . Two troops from the 11th Squadron were dispatched to the east and another north - east . One troop , twenty men , encountered a force of sixty Turkish cavalry and charged them , armed only with rifles and bayonets . The troop killed twenty cavalrymen and captured seven . For the death on one man the Troop Leader who had ordered the charge . The troop sent north had forced a machine - gun post covering the river to withdraw . While this move had been progressing , the troop of the 11th squadron , which had been sent north from the crossing . The men and gun were later captured by men from the 4th Squadron . At the same time the 3rd and 4th Squadrons galloped north to take the Turkish defenders at Ghoraniyeh from the rear . At 09 : 00 the leading troops , without loss , captured the first Turkish outpost with seventeen prisoners . One troop of the 3rd Squadron dismounted and captured two machine - gun posts overlooking the crossing , which allowed the rest of the squadron to drive off the remaining defenders . While the 3rd Squadron concentrated on the crossing the 4th Squadron were ordered to gallop and capture the village of Shunet Nimrin , but were unable to approach the village when confronted by heavy artillery fire . The days battle cost the regiment one dead and two wounded . By that night the bridge at Ghoraniyeh was completed and the remainder of the ANZAC Mounted Division were crossing at Hajlah . The next morning when the NZMRB had crossed the river , McCarroll was given commanded of the vanguard , comprising the regiment , a squadron from the CMR and the Hong Kong and Singapore Mountain Artillery Battery . Progress was slow along the steep tracks and that night has to camp in the hills at an altitude between . That night it started to rain , making travelling along the small tracks even harder come daylight . Because the rest of the division was having even worse problems the NZMRB , stopped at the village of Ain es Sir , during the day the captured seven Germans and eighty - eight Turkish troops . Another problem the regiment was the lack of supplies , their own and horses rations were stuck somewhere behind them on the track . The remainder of the division arrived during the day and the raid on Amman was planned for the next day 27 March . At 08 : 00 the NZMRB set out heading south - east , the plan called for them to assault Amman from the south . The vanguard was provided by the regiment with the 4th Squadron leading . When they got within of the village , they came under a Turkish artillery barrage . At 12 : 00 when the regiment was from the rail line , which would be their right flank position , they turned north . Then a Turkish train arrived along the tracks from the south . The regiment ' s machine - gunners opened fire of it , and they were just about to charge when it continued on into Amman . By now Turkish artillery and machine - gun fore was proving effective and the regiment was unable to make any progress . In front of 3rd Squadron Hill 3039 , was well defended with numerous machine - guns . So the 4th Squadron were sent to support them , while 11th Squadron moved out to the right flank to give covering fire , from some high ground . At 18 : 00 Turkish troops mounted a counter - attack against the CMR on the regiment ' s left but they managed to hold their position . By nightfall no further progress was made and the division decided to hold onto what territory they had occupied and wait for assistance from 60th Division . The days fighting had cost the regiment eighteen casualties , and they still had not received any supplies and the rations they carried were exhausted . That night 27 / 28 March the Turkish forces in Amman were reinforced , which again prevented the regiment from advancing . When two infantry battalions and a artillery battery arrived at 11 : 30 plans were made for another assault at 13 : 00 . But still faced with heavy artillery and machine - gun fire the regiment , by 16 : 00 , had only managed to advance , onto the lower slopes of Hill 3039 . The position there was untenable and the regiment was forced to withdraw , that night , to a better location . The next day 29 March the division consolidated their positions planning to resume the assault 30 March . McCarroll was given command of the assault . The position " A " was their main objective , the approach route would be along a ridge line between " B " and " C , " which were to be neutralized by two troops in case the Turkish tried to intervene in the attack . Once " A " was captured , it was believed " B " and " C " would surrender . The regiment and a battalion from the Imperial Camel Corps would attack point " A " . The CMR , would support the attack on the regiment ' s left . At 01 : 45 the regiment moved forward dismounted and managed to get close enough to the first objective , to charge home without being seen , capturing the first trench , five machine - guns and twenty - three prisoners . The regiment continued on capturing the position . At daybreak Turkish troops were able to bring enfilade fire , from point " B " against the regiment ' s positions . So 4th Squadron , with 3rd Squadron providing covering fire , mounted an attack and captured that position . At 09 : 30 Turkish troops were seen gathered on the north - east side of the hill . McCarroll asked for artillery support to break up their troops , but there was none available . The mountain battery , at the time , only had four rounds left . The Turkish forces attacked and managed to close on the regiment ' s defences before it was stopped , by rifle and machine - gun fire . With no further progress being made anywhere , and the arrival of more Turkish reinforcements a withdrawal back across the River Jordan was ordered that night . Plans were made for the wounded to leave first then the fighting troops falling back in turn . McCarroll gave each unit exact times they were to retire , so they still presented a continuous line as they moved back . They withdrew without attracting the attention of the Turkish troops and at 04 : 00 the regiment arrived back at Ain es Sir . The NZMRB were designated at the force rearguard . At 16 : 00 a large Turkish force was reported , by the CMR approaching from the north , so the regiment was sent to help them . The Turkish force had come to within of the New Zealanders lines but did not attack . The next day , 1 April , the withdrawal continued and several times Turkish troops were sighted following . They eventually reached Nimrin in the Jordan Valley at 20 : 00 that night . The regiments exact casualties are not documented but the NZMRB lost thirty - eight dead , 122 wounded and had thirteen men reported missing during the raid . Es Salt raid . The regiment spent most of April on patrol and guard duties to the west of the River Jordan . The Rugby football team were presented , by Lieutenant - General Harry Chauvel , commanding the Desert Mounted Corps , with the divisions cup for being the champion team . The second raid across the Jordan on Es Salt began 29 April , the NZMRB initially being held in reserve . The operation had similar problems as the first raid , and on 30 April the NZMRB was moved forward . The WMR and CMR were ordered to support the assault by the infantry at Nimrin , while the regiment remained in reserve . At 09 : 30 the 4th Squadron was sent forward to support the CMR , but a Turkish artillery barrage , by at least four batteries , landed to their front preventing them going forward . The artillery fire increased and the rest of the regiment had to retire to put the horses out of harms way . There was no further progress made that day and the regiment returned to the Ghoraniyeh bridgehead for the night . More Turkish reinforcements arrived overnight and opposition to any British advance was increasing . Eventually the regiment was ordered to gallop forward to the front line , and deployed covering a frontage of , along the track from Es Salt . One of the first things they observed was a party of RHA artillerymen going back without their guns , which they had been forced to abandon . The 3rd and 4th Squadrons began digging trenches as the regiment had to hold their position , covering the only way back for the 4th Light Horse Brigade to their front . On 2 May the Australians were ordered to withdraw , reaching the regiment ' s position the next day . That night the regiment withdrew to a ford at Auja , where engineers were constructing a pontoon bridge . The regiment remained here alone the next day while the rest of the NZMRB returned to their previous camp near Jericho . The regiment was relieved the next day and rejoined the brigade . Summer 1918 . The regiment remained in the western foothills of the Jordan Valley based at Talat Ed Dumm until the end of May when they moved to El Khudr , beside Bethlehem , where some men were granted leave in Port Said , and Jerusalem . Then in June the regiment returned to the valley based at the Wadi Abeid , carrying out patrols and enhancing defences . At the start of July they moved again , this time to Ain Ed Duk , relieving the WMR . On 18 July the 1st Light Horse Brigade to the regiment ' s left were attacked by a large force of Germans . Turkish troops supporting that attack also attempted to break the regiment ' s line , but they were fought off . Relieved a few days later they returned to Bethlehem . Casualties during the month were all down to malaria , or other diseases , 170 men being evacuated to hospital . In August they returned to duties in the valley at Jericho , and another 109 men were evacuated to hospital during the month . Chaytor ' s Force . In September Chaytor commanding the ANZAC Mounted Division was given command of a mixed mounted and infantry force , to carry out a deception plan in the Jordan Valley . The regiment helped by constructing dummy camps with dummy horse lines and increased their patrolling , with the objective of discovering the Turkish strength and positions . The rest of the army was aligned to their left flank and on 19 September started the last attack major attack of the campaign . With the Turkish forces retiring to counter the attack in the west , by 21 September the NZMRB , reinforced by two battalions of the British West Indies Regiment , their own Ayrshire Battery RHA and the 29th Indian Mountain Battery , was ordered forward . Damieh . That night , 21 September , the regiment left its base at Musallabeh and headed north up the Jordan Valley . The 4th Squadron leading they covered the first reaching Kh Fusail and then Tel Es Ed Dhiab , with no opposition . They then encountered a Turkish defence line at the Mafid Jozeleh bridge . Which was captured along with twenty prisoners and two machine - guns . That night the infantry were left guarding the bridge , while the NZMRB continued advancing north to secure an important bridge at Damieh , cutting the Nablus road . At midnight the regiment , supported by a section of the brigade machine - gun squadron , set out again leading the NZMRB along the Jericho - Beisan road . The 3rd Squadron was sent ahead after a force of Turkish troops believed to be withdrawing along the road in front of them and to capture the Damieh bridge . The 11th Squadron remained on the road , as a blocking force , while the 4th Squadron headed to El Makhruk to the north - east . The 11th Squadron captured a Turkish convoy that came along the road . While the 3rd Squadron caught up with the force in front of them capturing several prisoners . They also discovered a Turkish cavalry picket line and forced them to retire down out of the hills onto the low ground along the river towards the Damieh bridge . The 3rd Squadron held the high ground and were counter - attacked by infantry supported by artillery . Part of the squadron was forced to retire to a better defensive position . But as reinforcements were seen to be arriving for the Turkish force , a regiment attack was ordered and reinforcements of their own requested . Support came from a squadron of the CMR and an West Indies infantry company . The regiment was around from and almost surrounding the Turkish position on the bridge . McCarroll planned the assault , on the left six troops and a machine - gun to provide fire support . Then from left to right , the rest of the regiment , less one troop in reserve , followed by the West Indies company , then on the right the CMR squadron . The attack began supported by machine - gun and artillery fire . The Turkish line was pierced and they started to withdraw across the bridge pursued by the regiment . The bridge was secured intact along with 350 prisoners and seven machine - guns . The regiment had four dead , and one wounded , one of the West Indies soldiers was also wounded . The regiment now settled in defending the bridge , while the CMR squadron crossed and started clearing the far bank . Es Salt again . The next day the NZMRB crossed the bridge and at midday continued east towards Es Salt . By 17 : 00 the regiment was camped to the west of the town . The next day the entered the unoccupied Es Salt , watered their horses and continued on east towards Amman as the vanguard . Passing abandoned wagons , dead men and animals , by 12 : 00 they had caught up with the Turkish rearguard . But they had to stop at the village of Suweileh , not only to water their horses , but to wait for the rest of the brigade to catch up with them . That night a selected group of 100 men commanded by Major John Herrold , were sent out across country to damage the Hedjaz rail line south of Amman . Each of the three squadrons provided an officer and thirty - three men . Their only tools were , two picks , two shovels , and four spanners . The force was divided into three one to tackle the rails and the other tow to provide protection . When they found the tracks they followed it for a about . Then when they heard sounds of digging they dismounted and continued on foot and located a group of Turks digging trenches . Part of their objective was to remain undetected , so they withdrew leaving them alone . They eventually located the section of track , they were looking for . However the road alongside the tracks was full of Turkish traffic . Establishing a base from the track , the rail group now crept forward and attacked the tracks . During which an armoured train with trucks full of soldiers came along the rails . They were next disturbed by a mounted patrol , which passed by without observing them . They eventually removed two rails making the tracks unusable . The group then returned to their horses and returned to the regiment at dawn . That day the value of their efforts was seen when a train was wrecked where they had broken the rails . For his command of the operation Herrold was invested as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order . Amman again . On 25 September , the same day the railway group returned , the NZMRB set out at 06 : 00 for Amman . Approaching from the north , they would be supported , during the assault , by the 2nd Light Horse Brigade . At 10 : 30 the regiment , with a machine - gun section and a artillery section was ordered to move forward to the left of the CMR . The Turkish defenders were in redoubts surrounded by barbed wire . McCarroll sent a squadron to attack from the west , which came under Turkish machine - gun fire . Covered by the artillery the squadron was gradually able to advance . At 15 : 30 the reserve squadron galloped forward , dismounted and came under machine - gun fire . The regiment and CMR pushed forward . The 4th Squadron succeeded in reaching a double redoubt , and just as they were about to charge , sixty of the defenders surrendered and others withdrew along the Wadi Amman . By now the CMR had galloped into the town , and out the other side capturing the Turkish defences there from the rear . The battle was over the NZMRB captured 1 , 734 prisoners , twenty - seven machine - guns , five artillery pieces , 298 horses and other military supplies . That night the regiment camped in the Wadi Amman . Several days later the NZMRB was moved to the south to support the 2nd Light Horse Brigade at Ziza . The light - horsemen had taken the surrender of a large Turkish force , part of the Turkish Fourth Army , then had to defend them from the Arab tribesmen . When the brigade arrived the Australian and Turkish troops , who were still armed , were holding a perimeter facing the Arab force . The brigade ' s appearance resolved the situation and the Turkish troops surrendered . Post war . In October 1918 , the regiment ' s part in the war now over , they returned to the Jordan Valley . However many men were now struck down with malaria . In the next few days those that were able returned to Richon - le - Zion , where they established their camp . By November the regiment had eleven officers and 331 other ranks in hospital , and twenty - two of those died of the disease . Only two men from the regiment had not been infected in any way . The regiment remained at Richon until 18 December , carrying out military training and playing sports . They then moved back to Rafa , where a school was established . It was discovered that one of the regiment ' s troopers had , before the war , been a schools inspector so he was immediately promoted to major taking charge of lessons . While waiting for repatriation to New Zealand the regiment played a minor role in the 1919 , Egyptian Revolution , which was a Nationalist uprising in the Nile Delta region . The regiment were reissued their equipment and sent to support the authorities as martial law had been declared . The uprising soon ended without any major incidents . One incident the regiment had to deal with was a request from an Egyptian woman for an officer to grant her a divorce . On 22 June the regiment moved to the Demobilisation Camp at Ismailia on the Suez Canal . They then board the transport HMT " Ulimaroa " and sail for New Zealand . On 30 June the regiment ceases to exist , as such and five weeks later , on 8 August , the " Ulimaroa " arrived at Auckland . Casualties . During its service 434 men of the regiment died from all causes , either killed in action , died of wounds or disease and two were lost at sea . Almost half of those , 202 men , were killed during the seven months they fought in the Gallipoli Campaign and 230 during the two years of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign . There were also 627 men wounded , forty - eight of those were unfortunate to have been wounded twice . The Gallipoli Campaign accounted for almost two thirds of the total number of wounded at 395 men , twenty - nine of them were wounded twice . Then in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign , there were another 232 men wounded , and twenty - nine of those were again wounded twice . Honours . Several men of the regiment were recognised for their service by the British Empire awards system . The two commanding officers Macksey and McCarroll were invested as Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George , and as Companions of the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) . McCarroll also received a bar for the DSO to signify a second award . While Macksey was also invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire . Two other men also received a DSO both majors , Herrold for the raid on the rail line at Amman and Ralph Wyman at Gallipoli . There were two civilian awards , as opposed to military awards , of an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and a Member of the Order of the British Empire . The Military Cross , was awarded to eight officers , two men received bars for a second award . The other ranks were awarded six Distinguished Conduct Medal s , and sixteen Military Medal s . There were also twenty - six Mention in Despatches , for all ranks .