If you've read the previous blog post about my upcoming May release, If Wishes Were Horses, you'll have heard about some of the inspiration behind the book, already.
The Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse Association features in the story and it was my way of helping to raise awareness for the wonderful work they do and for the education and promotion of Heritage horses and how fragile their existence is becoming. 
Without groups like these, our wild horses who have a history dating back to our first settlers, will be wiped out through culling in National Parks. 
The demand that these horses are in, makes culling throughout the country seem like a wasted, if not wasteful  opportunity to re-home and preserve the lives of these beautiful horses. 
I support the work this organisation is doing and I hope that I can bring their work to a wider community of not only local horse lovers, but animal lovers and decent Australians every where. 
​

​Guy Fawkes Heritage horses, or Brumbies as they are sometimes known, have a very long and proud heritage and while they are probably best known for being the descendants of the horses captured and used by the Light Horse regiment during WW1, these animals actually go back earlier to the first settlement. Over the years after either escaping, or being deliberately released, the natural selection process over the generations since has weeded out the weaker qualities of the original breeds who formed the basis of the herd, until only the strongest, healthiest and robust of the breed remains.

Guy Fawkes horses come in a variety of colours and sizes—throw backs from certain original blood lines used often come up. range in height from a large pony approx 13hh – 15hh. They can be almost any colour including true black, with dilute (palomino and buckskin), double dilute (perlino and cremello) taffy and broken colours often seen.
The Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse Association was formed after the cull of 2000 when over 600 horses were slaughtered from helicopters and the Government ordered a study to be undertaken as the public outrage over the cull was too loud to ignore.
 
In February 2002, the final report by the Heritage Working Party found that these horses had significant historical, military and cultural value. They are direct descendants of Australia’s wartime cavalry horses, known as Walers, and are the only group of Australian Wild Horse to have this proven heritage value.
Please click on the links below to read these reports.
​
guyfawkeshorsesv1
guyfawkeshorsesv2
 
The Heritage Horse Association is run on donations and memberships. They do incredible work and provide a vital service in taking captured horses from the National Parks trapping program to rehome. Without this organisation, these precious animals with such important heritage value to our country, would be slaughtered.
If you can help, please do. You can become a member without owning any horses, and your membership will help supply food and ensure that aerial culling will never be considered again. You can become a member or make a one off or monthly donation here: 

https://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=WK-SF40ERGMHLyaXSBrNT0Ns6IkGRhWh7bv8ayG9COHUq2qw6AunfMWpiPe&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d333dc9aadeed3fe0b5b299d55fd35542

or visit the Guy Fawkes Heritage Horse association page here and become a member. http://guyfawkesheritagehorse.com/membership/

If you've been following me on social media (and haven't gotten sick of all my photos yet) you'd no doubt heard of my recent addition to my horsey family of two Guy Fawkes heritage horses sometimes known as Brumbies. 
When it came to naming them I wanted something that reflected their heritage. Its harder than it sounds, particularly when you're registering them, something I hadn't had any previous experience with, and realise you cant have two horses in the stud books with the same name! So originally Mum was going to be Beersheba, shortened to Sheba, and bub was going to be Romani, (pronounced Rom-ah-nee) named after two of the battles the Light horse were involved in during the First World War. However, Beersheba was already taken, so Romani stayed, (we call him Rommi) and for Mum we decided on Bonny, official title, the very Australian sounding Bonzer Girl, cause she is pretty damn Bonzer if you ask me! So please meet, Guy Fawkes ROMANI and Guy Fawkes BONZER GIRL.

I thought i'd add a bit of the history behind Rommi's name, I think its important that we learn about what has largely been an ignored part of our ANZAC history. The Light Horse isn't really as well known, as some of our other military divisions for some reason, but both man and horse played a vital role in many victories under terrible hardships and we owe a great debt of gratitude to them both.

Taken from the Australian Light Horse Association web page. Head over here to read up more about the Light Horse. ​​http://www.lighthorse.org.au/famous-battles/world-war-one/famous-battles-the-battle-of-romani

The battle at Romani was also where another Aussie legend was forged; The story of Bill the Bastard. You can read about him and other war horse stories here  

The Battle of Romani 4/5 August, 1916
...suddenly, in the confused fighting, a large body of Turks punched a gap through the defenders and swept around the edge of a high escarpment hoping to come in on the Australians' rear. However, Chauvel had already stationed a handful of Australians on top of the precipitous slopes to guard against such a move. Now these men sprang into action...
  Soon after midnight on August 4, 1916, the dim shadows of Turkish soldiers darted across the Sinai Desert towards the Romani tableland. Ahead lay the isolated outposts of Major-General Harry Chauvel's Anzac Mounted Division, which barred the way to their objective, the Suez Canal.
  Towards dawn the Turkish army sighted the Australians. Charging forward, they sliced through the thin defences, annihilating the posts before any effective resistance could be organised. And thus began the bloody battle of Romani, a conflict which, after two days of murderous fighting, saw the Anzacs shatter forever the Turkish dreams of controlling the most vital man-made waterway on earth.
  After the evacuation of Gallipoli, Australian infantry divisions were transferred to the Western Front in France, although General Sir Archibald Murray, British commander in the Middle East, had fought bitterly against the move.
  Murray was not being pig-headed. Actually he expected the Turks to advance against Egypt at any moment and he felt he could hold the enemy only with the assistance of the battle hardened Australians. The general was still smarting under the loss of the Anzacs when he received word that the Australian Light Horse units still under his command must be transferred to France to replace heavy AIF battle casualties. To Murray, this was the last straw. Realising the mounted troops were the backbone of the force he was building up to stop the Turks, he flatly refused to let them go.
  And even as General Murray was making his decision, the German General, von Kressenstein, was moving his Turkish force slowly down through Palestine, intent on taking the Suez Canal even if it cost him every man in his command. Treading the identical route that Napoleon had traversed in his ill-fated expedition on 1801, the Turks brushed aside and scattered British cavalry and infantry formations that tried to bar their advance. By April 1916, Murray knew the position was serious.
  To meet the threat to the canal and Egypt, Murray ordered Chauvel and his Anzac Mounted Division to prepare to halt the rolling Turkish juggernaut. Chauvel, who was to prove himself the great strategist and leader of mounted troops of his era, spent days surveying large areas of desert before finally deciding on his battleground, the Romani tableland. While the enemy was still many miles away, Chauvel dispersed his Anzacs around Romani and kept them there until they became accustomed to the fearful heat and reduced water rations.
  In late July, far-flung mounted Australian patrols began a series of hit-and-run raids on enemy bivouacs. But the Turks disregarded these pin-pricks and rolled on towards Romani until they approached the Anzac outposts situated some miles out from the tableland. Yet it was not until almost midnight on August 3 that Australian listening posts heard the sounds of troop movement to their front.
  These posts were still trying to get news of the enemy's rapid advance towards Romani when thousands of Turks, who had crept to within yards of the Australian outposts without being spotted, swept forward.
  Next instant the whole desert exploded into action as wave after wave of fanatical Turks burst out of the night screaming, "Allah, Allah. Finish Australia."
  The full fury of the assault now fell on the main body of the 1st Australian Brigade, 1st, 2nd & 3rd Regts, which had been waiting tensely on Romani's lower slopes.
  Charging shoulder to shoulder in massed ranks with bayonets outstretched before them, the Turks ran straight into the point-blank fire of the Light Horsemen. Soon the crackle of machine-guns and rifles merged into a crashing crescendo of sound as whole lines of the enemy were wiped out only to be immediately replaced by others. For three hours the Light Horse threw back one massed attack after another. Then, still under tremendous enemy pressure, they were ordered to withdraw slowly.
  Although the withdrawal was carried out according to orders, it was impossible to conceal the manoeuvre from the enemy. As a result, the Turks, convinced they had the Australians at their mercy, drove in with increased fury and even crashed through some parts of the Anzac line. Many died in those fearful attacks like the troopers who, with their horses bogged in the loose sand, could not defend themselves as the enemy swarmed over them.
  Major M. Shanahan, DSO, seeing five of the men unhorsed and surrounded by Turks, galloped wildly through the enemy ranks, got one of the Australians up into the saddle with him and, with two others clinging to each stirrup, got clean away. In the thin light of dawn, an Australian sergeant thought he saw one of his men go down beneath a scrum of Turks. Roaring at the top of his voice, he wheeled his horse and charged into the shadowy confusion. Sweeping the man clean up on to his saddle, he galloped away to safety. It was only when he pulled his horse up that he realised the man behind him was a Turk.
  As daylight flooded through the haze of battle, General Chauvel, watching the battle from a vantage point, could see his battered 1st Brigade still struggling against tremendous odds as it continued to retreat. Also, Turks were now sweeping in massed waves against the New Zealand brigade. But Chauvel made no move to reinforce his hard-pressed men, for the battle was going exactly as he had foreseen.
  Hidden on the flanks waiting his command were his 2nd and 3rd Australian Brigades, while British cavalry and artillery units were already moving up into position. After more violent fighting, the Turks not only over-ran the New Zealanders holding Wellington Ridge, but many infiltrated right through the Anzac area. As a result, men began stalking each other in deadly hand-to-hand combat.
  Then, suddenly, above the roar of battle, came a blood-chilling, eerie sound as 800 Turks in a solid mass flung themselves at Mount Meredith, screaming and chanting as they ran. Mount Meredith, a key point of the defences, was held by New Zealanders, who, opening up with a murderous rapid fire into the close-packed enemy ranks, sent the Turks spinning to the ground in their hundreds.
  The slaughter was still going on when Chauvel at last decided to spring his trap.
  First, the general directed the remnants of the 1st Brigade to stop their withdrawal and, after joining up with the New Zealanders, hold a firm line. Then he brought the 2nd and 3rd Brigades in from the flanks, thus implementing his plan to compress the enemy into an area covered by the British artillery. Finally, as the Anzacs dismounted and moved in a great mass towards the Turks, the British artillery opened up. Salvoes crashed right into the enemy ranks and great gaps appeared in the tight-packed force preparing to counter-attack the advancing Australians.
  The sand literally turned red. And the thunder of the guns was the death knell of Turkey's hopes of conquest.
  Under a pitiless searing sun, the Romani tableland for the rest of the day shuddered under the violence of battle as the tide swayed back and forth with Australians and Turks locked in a fight to the finish. Helped by the never-ceasing artillery barrage, the Anzacs gradually clawed their way forward, throwing back desperate counter-attacks as they hurled the enemy from position after another. Elsewhere, the Turks still flung themselves forward in massed suicidal attacks, probing for a weak spot in the main Anzac positions. But the thin line held firm as groups rushed from one trouble spot to another.
  Legend has it that South African-born Brigadier J.R. Royston, 3rd Brigade Commander, became known to his men as "Galloping Jack" by wearing out 14 horses in his wild dashes along the line rallying his men when trouble threatened. Royston had a long and distinguished military career, serving as a teenager in the Zulu War, 1879 and Commanding the 5th and 6th Contingent of the Western Australian Mounted Infantry during the Boer War.
  Suddenly, in the confused fighting, a large body of Turks punched a gap through the defenders and swept around the edge of a high escarpment hoping to come in on the Australians' rear. However, Chauvel had already stationed a handful of Australians on top of the precipitous slopes to guard against such a move. Now these men sprang into action.
  Peering over the escarpment's brink, they quickly picked off the Turks as they scrambled up the almost sheer sides. When the wallÕs base was high with dead, the survivors broke of the engagement. As darkness closed in, silence at last descended over the area. Men from both sides broke of the battle from sheer exhaustion and sank to the ground in their positions. It started all over again just before dawn when Chauvel, realising he must keep the initiative, got his gaunt and haggard Anzacs to their feet and ordered them to make a final onslaught against the Turks. The artillery, he said, would help by laying down another devastating bombardment.
  Now the Australians and new Zealanders launched such a frenzied attack on the enemy still holding Wellington Ridge that the impetus of their charge drove the defenders back almost to the crest. But the Turks refused to retreat farther. So they stayed there and died to the last man.
  After that, General Chauvel applied pressure right along the line. It was too much for the Turks, particularly when the artillery opened up. They turned and fled, leaving 5000 dead on the battlefield.
  In the pursuit that followed, the enemy was to lose many more men before finally falling back to their main position across the Sinai Desert. The battle of Romani was over.

Corporal Austin Edwards, his horse Taffy, and all equipment.Corporal Edwards was seriously wounded at the Battle of Romani. During the battle, Taffy stood still for his wounded rider to remount and escape.
​

​http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1827882/encampment-near-romani-august-1916/
 
http://alh-research.tripod.com/Light_Horse/index.blog/1955002/battle-of-romani-sinai-august-4-to-5-1916-1st-lhfa-aif-war-diary-account/

The transcription:
 
4 August

Strength

The following men having been wounded and evacuated are struck off strength.
26 Private W Robertson

929 Private JB Frame

8287 Private LC Nielsen

9515 Private NE Davis
 
Remount No. 822 having been wounded and destroyed and struck off strength.

Captain Woods (Signal Squadron) temporary attached for duty.

0100 - Received order per Assistant Director of Medical Services to move out with Mobile Section.

0300 - Major Robertson, Captain McLaren, Captain Bateman and Lieutenant Cunningham with Mobile Section to Machine Gun Squadron area of 2nd Light Horse Brigade at Bir Et Maler. Sent Lieutenant Story with two sandcarts forward to report to Brigade Headquarters 1st Light Horse Brigade.

0430 - Received message from Brigade Headquarters asking for whole unit to evacuate  wounded from firing line. Advanced until we came under heavy shell and machine gun fire north of Wellington Ridge. Sent detachment (less self, 1 section bears and 2 sand carts) back to cover. Proceeded forward with extra bearers, 2 sand carts and collected 4 serious casualties. Brought up another sand cart for 2 serious cases. Bearers and Drivers behaved very well under heavy shrapnel and rifle fire.

0500 - 26 Private W Robertson shot in back while doing excellent work. Six (6) horses hit.

Sent orders and remainder of bearers. Transport retired to shelter near machine gun area of 2nd Light Horse Brigade. Came under shell fire and several bombs dropped over them. 929 Private JB Frame wounded in foot. Detachment under Major Robertson retired about ½ mile further out of fire zone.

0630 - Tent Subdivision with 1 section bearers retired with Brigade Headquarters about 500 yards to shelter of steep sand ridge. Brought up 1 sand cart, 1 sledge and went out and collected 3 wounded men and sent them back.

0730 - Whole Ambulance Detachment returned from zone of rifle fire to point ½ mile east of Bir Et Maler close to Brigade Headquarters.

Sent back Major Robertson and portion of tent subdivision to camp to assist Captain Glisson.

1000 - Bearers under Captain McLaren sent to Hod with Divisional Headquarters. Shrapnel burst wounded Privates Nielsen and Davis and two horses.

1400 - Whole ambulance detachment moved to Hod with Divisional Headquarters and watered and fed horses.

1700 -  Moved west to railway and then south to point about 1 mile south of Bir el Ara'isa and bivouacked for night. Tent subdivision and Carts busy all day and night dressing and evacuating wounded.


5 August

0100 - Received and distributed rations and two fantasis for water for horses. Stood to arms at 0300. Reported.

0400 - Reported to Brigade Headquarters. Left Hod at 0445 and marched to Mount Royston and thence south eastward to Hod el Enna behind the 1st Light Horse Brigade collecting en route four wounded Turks. Sent in several slightly wounded Troops with prisoners.

0830 - Arrived Hod el Enna and watered and fed horses and men.

0930 - Sent Captain McLaren back to camp at Romani with four wounded Turks on camel cacolets and despatch for Assistant Director of Medical Services notifying our position.

Left Hod el Enna and marched to high ridge between Bir el Gulud and Qatia arriving at 1230 and reported to Brigade Headquarters.

1445 - Apparently no other ambulances east Qatia. Attack ordered for 1530. Sent signal message to Assistant Director of Medical Services asking for instructions re evacuation of casualties. No reply.

Established dressing station in depression on ridge in line with Brigade Headquarters about ¾ mile from Qatia under Captain Bateman. Proceeded forward with two sand carts and bearers to sheltered hod about ½ mile from firing line. No information at Brigade Headquarters as to positions of collecting points.

1600 - Proceeded forward with two sand carts and one section bearers and collected four seriously wounded cases from 5th Light Horse Regiment and Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment. Came under shell and rifle fire and had to retire. Lot of time lost looking for collecting posts and carts were sent out with guides only to find that the wounded had in the meantime been sent back.

1800 - Received orders to retire to Romani. Moved whole detachment to Brigade Headquarters. Carts still out collecting wounded. Whole Brigade had to wait till 2000 for their return.

2100 - Left for Romani with 22 casualties on sand carts and sledges.

2340 - Arrived Romani. Horses very tired. Watered and fed. All cases dressed and fed and made comfortable by 0200 (6 August).


Hospital return for Week Ending 5 August 1916:
 
Remained 29 July 1916
11

Admitted
209

Discharged
22

Died
3

Evacuated
132

Remaining
63

 
 
The Roll of Honour contains the names of all the men from the Anzac Mounted Division known to have served and lost their lives during the Battle of Romani.
 
Roll of Honour
 
David J. BARCLAY, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Bertie Gerald BARRETT, 11th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 7 August 1916.
Henry BELL, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 6 August 1916.
Owen Ernest Hugh BINGHAM, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Charles John BRUCE, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Harold Alfred BURRILL, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Douglas Dunmore CAMPBELL, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Conyers CLIFFORD, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Frank Railton CLINCH, 1st Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Walter Herbert COURTMAN, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 3 August 1916.
Richard Walter CROZIER, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Thomas Andrew CUNNINGHAM, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Francis Patrick CURRAN, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Thomas DALE, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Dennitt DAVIS, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Norman DIGBY, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 6 August 1916.
Halven Roy DRADY, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Arthur William DRINKWATER, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
John DUELL, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 6 August 1916.
Samuel James DUNKINSON, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
 
Leonard Ridgeway EASTHER, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Percy Walter FINNIS, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Horace Ernest FRAZER, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 7 August 1916.
James Malcolm FROST, 10th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
 
Stewart Courtney GADEN, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 6 August 1916.
Harold GIBBON, 11th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 7 August 1916.
Thomas Lambert GLASBY, 11th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 7 August 1916.
Bartholomew James GOGGINS, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916. 
Alexander Harold GOOD, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Died of Wounds, 7 August 1916.
William James GRAHAM, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Charles HOLLEDGE, 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Edmund John HOWARD, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Fergus Stanley IBBOTT, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 6 August 1916.
Fred INGLIS, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Alfred William JAMES, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 6 August 1916.
Christian JEPSON, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
John William JONES, Imperial Camel Corps, Killed in Action, 6 August 1916.
 
Austin KEANE, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
John KELLIHER, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Basil KERSLAKE, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 5 August 1916.
 
Thomas LITSTER, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Walter Bernard LORD, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Wilford LUDBEY, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 6 August 1916.
 
Duncan Mark MacLAREN, 10th Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 6 August 1916.
Lewis MANSON, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Charles Bute MASSY, 5th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Thomas McCAHON, New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron, Died of Wounds, 4 August 1916.
Samuel Crichton McGOWAN, 5th Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 7 August 1916.
William McQUIGGIN, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Vivian Roy MORROW, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Edward Charles MORTON, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Died of Wounds, 7 August 1916.
Ralph Graham MOTTERSHEAD, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Henrie Clarence NICHOLAS, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Nicholas James OATES, 23 Infantry Battalion attached to Imperial Camel Corps, Killed in Action, 6 August 1916.
Thomas O'CALLAGHAN, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Harold Reath OLVER, 2nd Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Alan Dexter PALMER, 3rd Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron, Died of Wounds, 6 August 1916.
Joseph George Alfred PICKENS, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Joseph Charles RADNELL, 1st Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Frederick Ormsby REES, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Alan Serafino RIGHETTI, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
John RITCHIE, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Mark ROSENBERG, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
 
Roy Stanley SEWELL, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Andrew Mitchell SHARP, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Lionel Francis Watson SMITH, 2nd Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Stuart Rutherford SMITH, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Wilfred SMITH, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Francis Guthrie SMITH, New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
William George STEELE, 5th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 5 August 1916.
Harold Rowton STEVENS, 11th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 7 August 1916.
William Henry STRIBLEY, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
George SULLIVAN, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Ralph SUTTON, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Died of Wounds, 5 August 1916.
 
Alfred Gibbs TOLMAN, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
William TOOHEY, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Michael TUCKEY, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
 
Roderick William URQUHART, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 7 August 1916.
 
John WALKER, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Died of Wounds, 6 August 1916.
Leslie WALLACE, Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment, Died of Wounds, 7 August 1916.
Mervyn Leigh WATERS, Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Roderick Noel White WEAVER, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Frank Lindsay WILLIS, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 4 August 1916.
Harry Noel WILSON, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Alfred Thomas WINTERTON, 1st Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Percy Severn Roy WOODYATT, 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Edgar Alma Mark WRIGHT, 6th Light Horse Regiment, Killed in Action, 4 August 1916.
Henry Patrick WRIGHT, 8th Light Horse Regiment, Died of Wounds, 7 August 1916.
 
Lest We Forget
 ​

This is my brand new release coming out in May and I'm very excited. So much of this story evolved into something far deeper and more emotional than I'd initially anticipated. 

​The idea for this story started while I was attending our local ANZAC day march in Bowraville last year.
An image of a young man dressed in the Light Horse uniform, reenacting a trooper from WW1 walked out of the our old pub, that had been there during those first heady days of the war being announced. It was an image that suddenly transported me back through time and I felt as though I were watching an actual event that could have taken place during the first world war.  

​
There are so many elements of this story that opened my eyes to so much heroism and sacrifice; from our brave ANZACS and the feats that both man and horse achieved in the light horse regiment, to our front line ambulance officers of today and during the tough first  world war era. They created this story and told me what they wanted to say, I just wrote it down.
I can not wait to share this book with you all, its been a while since a book I've written has had such a huge tug on my heartstrings the way this one has, and I sincerely hope you are as touched by reading it as I was researching and writing it.

                          My top 5 favourite Christmas Carol Albums

Love ‘em or loath ‘em, Christmas carols are the one thing you can depend on to signal that Christmas Day is imminent. You can’t go anywhere without encountering them, so it pretty much sucks if you’re in the loath ‘em category of Christmas Grinches! They play on the radio. They play when you’re doing the groceries. They play in the shopping centres… and for the love ‘em camp—they play in our cars and at home too. For the Christmas lovers, I thought I’d share a list of my favourite carols.

1. Aussie Christmas With Bucko & Champs, Vols 1 & 2. I love this album. It’s the funniest, craziest Christmas album you will ever listen to from Greg Champion & Colin Buchanan. You might recognise Colin from Play School if you had kids in the 90’s. With tracks titled; We wish you a ripper Christmas, Yobbo Santa, Aussie Jingle Bells and Australians let us BBQ… you won’t get more Australian Christmas than this. (I still almost wet myself when I listen to the outtakes of Six White Boomers and Here comes Christmas Bob… about a dodgy fella who sells cheap pressies in the pub.) This album is such a huge part of my Christmas.

           https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/aussie-christmas-bucko-champs/id480806113

1. Elvis’s Christmas Album.  You can’t beat Elvis. No, seriously. Elvis is not only the King of Rock, but he’s also the King of Christmas. (Okay that’s not an actual title—but it should be) My nanna had an Elvis Christmas album when I was a kid and I have the same one. It brings back lovely memories of growing up.

           https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-classic-christmas-album/id563624878

1.  It’s a High Five Christmas. Stay with me here. I swear, you HAVE to go and listen to this, but make sure it’s the original group. I bought this back when my kids were toddlers and I still swear it’s the best Christmas CD you’ll find. It’s fun and happy and I dare even the grinchiest Grinch to not start boppin along to this fantastic album.  

            https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/its-a-hi-5-christmas/id305946774

1. Merry Christmas Strait to You by George Strait … Okay, I can excuse you for rolling your eyes a bit here. Country music. Old guy… but there’s something about his voice that fills you with gooey, Christmas goodness and I love him.

             https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/merry-christmas-strait-to-you/id96607

1. ​Merry Christmas Mariah Carey. If her upbeat, husky version of All I want For Christmas doesn’t make you think of every romantic Chick flick Christmas movie ever made, then you need to get out there and watch more chick flick Christmas movies!

             https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/merry-christmas/id585972750  


           So I say embrace the Christmas spirit, or stop by the bottle shop and buy some                   Christmas spirits, but either way, enjoy Christmas with some of this great music, go on!

     Thank you so much to all my readers for your support and friendship, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a fantasic new year and I look forward to showing you my two new books we have planned for release in 2017!