FAMILY LIFE

Christian Petersen was born c1994 in Murwillumbah, son of Ernest Carl Christian “Christy” Petersen & Clara Jane (Brady) Petersen. His brother, Corporal Charles Godfrey Peterson was killed 18^th November 1916 in France. The Petersen family lived in Eungella where Christian was a farmer.

APPLICATION

He was 22 years 4 months old, single farmer, and eager to do his bit, just like his brother was doing. He travelled to Brisbane on 1^st December 1916 to complete his medical examination. Christian had been a member of the Murwillumbah Light Horse for 4 years. He named his mother, Clara Petersen, of Murwillumbah, as his next of the kin.

Christian was 5ft 9 ¼ inches tall (1.75m) and weighed 158lbs (72kgs) with a fair complexion, hazel eyes & brown hair. His eyesight was very good and he had a scar on his left knee. He was dentally fit, with one tooth requiring a plate.

The Examining Medical Officer stated that Christian “can see the required distance with either eye; his heart and lungs are healthy; he has the free use of his joints; and he declares he is not subject to fits of any description. I consider him fit for active service.”  On the second page of the Attestation Paper, he made the following oath in the presence of the Attesting Officer: “I, Christian Petersen, swear that I will well and truly serve our Sovereign Lord the King in the Australian Imperial Force until the end of the War … SO HELP ME, GOD.” 

Christian was Presbyterian. He enlisted as a trooper in the 2^nd Light Horse, 25^th reinforcements with service number 3189.

2^ND LIGHT HORSE REGIMENT

The 2nd Light Horse Regiment was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army during World War I. Raised in August 1914; it was part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade. The regiment fought exclusively against the Ottoman Empire. The regiment was composed of mounted infantry, known for their mobility and versatility, and played a significant role in campaigns across Gallipoli, Egypt, Sinai, and Palestine.

They had the reputation of being the most glamorous arm of the Australian Imperial Force. The Light Horse was organised along cavalry lines in regiments of about 600 men. It functioned more like a mounted infantry, with the horses used as transport or, if required, to carry the men swiftly away from the battlefield. The men mostly fought dismounted. The favoured horse was a mixed breed known as the Australian Waler and when fully loaded, they often carried between 130kg and 150kg.

LIVERPOOL TRAINING CAMP

His training began soon after enlistment. Liverpool Military Camp was the main centre in New South Wales to provide basic military training. Conditions at the camp were generally poor throughout the war. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together.

Firstly, a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas

The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months.

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

His unit embarked from Sydney on board HMAT Karmala on 3^rd February, 1917.  The epic voyage across the ocean has been described as “the longest journey to war in the history of the world.” They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. On-board, Officers organised rigorous training drills and exercise sessions for the men. They were expected to do their own washing, sweep the decks and carry out other chores

Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant. 

Three hearty meals a day were served; breakfast usually consisted of porridge, stew, and tea. Lunch included soup, meat, vegetables, and pudding. Meat, bread with jam and tea was served for dinner. Many of the troops experienced bouts of seasickness on the voyage. The crossing the Equator ceremony, ‘Neptune’s Journey,’ was played-out on each troopship.

EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP

They disembarked on the Suez 11^th March 1917. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the Egyptian training camp, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons. 

Training would be for eight hours a day six days a week. All day long, in every valley of the Sahara for miles around the Pyramids of Giza were groups or lines of men advancing, retiring, drilling or squatted near their piled arms listening to their officer. For many of the battalions many miles of desert had to be covered in the morning and evening to and from their allotted training areas. At first, to harden the troops, they wore full kit with heavy packs. Their backs became drenched with perspiration, and the bitter desert wind blew on them as they camped for their midday meal and many deaths from pneumonia were attributed to this cause.

The unit then went to the isolation camp in Moascar. During World War I, this camp provided the final preparation for entrainment to Alexandria and the Western Front. The isolation camps screened soldiers arriving in Egypt as reinforcements for two weeks, checking for any illnesses such as measles which can break out when people are crowded together for long periods. Ismailia is a city in north-eastern Egypt, situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal. 

SINAI AND PALESTINE CAMPAIGNS 1917

He was taken on strength on 1 May 1917 at Shellal. The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. Christian would have been part of the Stalemate in Southern Palestine was a six-month standoff between the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force and the Ottoman Army. The two hostile forces faced each other along the Gaza to Beersheba line during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, with neither side able to force its opponent to withdraw.

MAY – SEPTEMBER 1917: PREPARATION AND HOLDING OPERATIONS

After the Second Battle of Gaza in April 1917 (which failed to break through the Ottoman lines), the 2nd LHR, as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade were stationed around Shellal, Tel el Fara, and Gaza region: the regiment was involved in holding the line, conducting reconnaissance, patrolling, and fortification of positions. They conducted mounted patrols and raiding missions against Ottoman outposts to probe enemy strength and movements. This included intelligence gathering and occasional skirmishes.

The regiment used this quieter period to retrain, rest, and reorganize after the earlier battles. There was also emphasis on improving logistics, coordination with artillery, and use of new tactics in preparation for a major offensive.

By September 1917, the 2nd LHR and the broader Desert Mounted Corps were preparing for what would become the Battle of Beersheba on 31 October 1917. This included long-distance movements, reconnaissance of potential attack routes, and planning for coordinated assaults.

SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION, MARAKEB SEPTEMBER 1917

On 8^th September 1917 he attended the School of Instruction at Marakeb, for 2 weeks, which specialised in machine gun instruction. He rejoined his unit in Fukhari, then attended the Hotchkiss Gun Course. The Mle 1914 Hotchkiss machine gun chambered for the 8mm Lebel cartridge became the standard machine gun during the latter half of World War I and on 29^th September he qualified as a first class gunner.

OCTOBER 1917 TO JUNE 1918

Between October 1917 and June 1918, the 2nd Light Horse Regiment (2nd LHR) played an active and critical role in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, under the Australian Mounted Division. This period included some of the most important operations of the war in the Middle East.

BATTLE OF BEERSHEBA 31 OCTOBER 1917

The 2nd LHR was involved in the broader Battle of Beersheba, although the famous charge was made by the 4th and 12th Light Horse Regiments of the 4th Brigade. They played a support role, conducting flanking and screening movements, and helping secure the approaches to Beersheba. The successful capture of Beersheba was a turning point, leading to the collapse of the Ottoman defensive line around Gaza.

ADVANCE THROUGH GAZA AND PURSUIT OPERATIONS NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 1917

After Beersheba, the 2nd LHR was involved in the Third Battle of Gaza and the pursuit of retreating Ottoman forces northward through Tel el Sheria, Huj & Junction Station. These actions helped clear the way for the advance on Jerusalem.

OPERATIONS AROUND JERUSALEM LATE 1917 – EARLY 1918

The regiment was tasked with patrolling and securing the flanks during the capture of Jerusalem in December 1917. After the city's fall (9 December 1917), the 2nd LHR was involved in protecting supply lines, reconnaissance, and defensive operations against Ottoman counterattacks in the Judean Hills.

JORDAN VALLEY CAMPAIGN EARLY 1918 – JUNE 1918

In early 1918, the regiment moved to the Jordan Valley, where they remained for much of the spring and summer.

Key roles during this time were defending the Jordan River crossings (particularly at El Auja, Ghoraniyeh, and Makhadet Hajla) & participating in raid operations east of the Jordan, including the first raid on Amman (March 1918) – where terrain, weather, and strong Ottoman resistance led to limited success & the Es Salt raid (April 1918) – another difficult operation marked by rugged terrain and stiff resistance.

The Jordan Valley was extremely challenging due to malaria and disease, extreme heat & poor water supply. The regiment operated in harsh conditions while holding a strategically important line.

JORDAN JULY 1918

In July 1918, the 2nd Light Horse Regiment (2nd LHR) was still stationed in the Jordan Valley, continuing its role in defensive operations, reconnaissance, and patrols, as part of the 1st Light Horse Brigade, within the Australian Mounted Division.

The regiment manned defensive lines in the Jordan Valley, guarding against Ottoman attacks. They held and patrolled the bridgeheads at Ghoraniyeh and El Auja—key river crossings that had strategic importance for future offensives. This included trench work, maintaining fortifications, and rotating outposts

Daily mounted patrols were conducted along both the west bank of the Jordan River and into the foothills to monitor Ottoman troop movements. They engaged in skirmishes with Turkish patrols on occasion.

WOUNDED IN ACTION JULY 1918

On 3^rd July 1918 he was wounded in action with a bullet wound to the head, arm, back, & hips at Jericho. ½ gram of morphia was administered to him that day. The body wounds were superficial & Xray of head showed no fracture. There were enlarged glands behind right sternocleidomastoid mastoid (neck muscle).  A report stated “since wounded, no persistent headaches. It was recommended he not be declared permanently unfit but return to Australia for 6 months.”

HOSPITALISED

He was admitted to the field ambulance on 4^th July, and admitted to the 14^th General Hospital in Port Said on 11^th July. By 21^st August the report stated that the wounds had all healed, has persistent headache dull & apathetic appearance. Ophthalmic examination negative.  

WILTSHIRE REST CAMP

From there he was sent on 29^th August to Wiltshire, England. Here he would convalesce but continue with drilling & training as the technology and techniques were rapidly changing and soldiers had to be up to date when they were ready to rejoin their units

WAR ENDED

At 11 am on 11 November, 1918, the guns fell silent. The November armistice was followed by the peace treaty of Versailles signed on 28 June 1919. Between November 1918 and May 1919, the men of the 2nd Battalion returned to Australia for demobilisation and discharge.

GOING HOME

Christian came home on the Wiltshire and disembarked on 3^rd October 1918. He was discharged 13^th November 1918

FOR HIS SERVICE

For his service, John was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal

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