By Aaron Cordy
LEMNOS Primary School students had a history lesson with a difference when Ewan McLean of the 8th Indi Light Horse Regiment visited the school with a pair of his horses.
The purpose of the visit was to engage the young students and teach them the history and the vital role the Australian Light Horse Brigade played in WW1, as well as promote the upcoming Chauvel Australian Light Horse Ride.
“It’s important to promote the memory of the Australian Light Horse and educate kids about them,” said Ewan.
“They don’t understand or don’t know we had to cart everything on a horse, there were no trucks and things like that. The Light Horse were an extremely mobile infantry, whereas the infantry would have to get a train to the battle and then march in on foot. It took them longer to get to the battle, but they could use the light horse as shock troops so they could get them in there quickly.”
The Chauvel Australian Light Horse Ride will begin with a service at the Murray Bourchier Statue in the Queens Gardens on Tuesday, March 4, before they officially set off from the Lemnos Recreation Reserve for the first day of the trek to the Pine Lodge Reserve.
The first leg of the trip will see the LHB ride for 18 days, passing through Devenish, Wangaratta, Wodonga, and Wagga Wagga before arriving at Harden on Friday, March 21. The riders and their brave mounts will then have a 10-day break before setting off on the second leg of the trek on Monday, March 31 from Young, New South Wales.
The second leg will take the LHB on another picturesque 17-day ride through Gundagai, Corryong on the way to Tallangatta where they will finish up on Wednesday, April 16.
While not all the LHBs can sit in the saddle for all legs as other commitments will draw them away, the driving force of the trek, Pat Leary will be there from the first step until the last in the commemoration of the courage and sacrifice of those who served in the Australian Light Horse regiments.
For more information contact Pat Leary on 0427 215 275 or visit www.talhs.org.
