FAMILY LIFE

Alfred William George Simonson was born c1891 in Merimbula, son of John Peter & Phoebe (Berry) Simonson. He had 5 siblings and two of his brothers enlisted, Peter John Simonson & Charley Simonson. The Simonsons have lived in the Tweed since 1920, Peter holding the position of master of the tug boat till 1930 when he retired

APPLICATION

Australia’s involvement in the First World War began when Britain and Germany went to war on 4 August 1914, and both Prime Minister Joseph Cook and Opposition Leader Andrew Fisher pledged full support for Britain. The outbreak of war was greeted in Australia, as in many other places, with great enthusiasm. Alfred enlisted just 6 days later, on the 10^th August. He was a 21year old carter, eager to do his bit. He lived in Tweed Heads and travelled to Brisbane to enlist. His next of kin was his mother Mrs. P Simonson and he was Presbyterian. Alfred was 5ft 2 inches tall (1.57M), weighed 123lbs (55kgs), with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes & dark brown hair. His eyesight was very good and he had a tattoo on his right forearm.

The Examining Medical Officer stated that Alfred “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, Alfred Simonson, 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.”  He was enlisted into the 5^th Light Horse regiments, 11^th reinforcements with service number 1473

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.

The recruits were issued with their uniform: a khaki woollen jacket, heavy cord breeches and the famous slouch hat – turned up on the left and featuring a plain khaki band, chinstrap and “rising sun” badge. A soldier’s equipment also included a dixie (mess tin), water bottle, mug, .303 Lee-Enfield rifle and bayonet

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

His unit embarked the HMAT Mashobra on 4^th October 1915. 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 had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the Training Camp in Egypt, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. 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 

SERAPEUM FEBRUARY 1916

On the 23rd February, the Regiment moved from Maadi to Serapeum on the Suez Canal. On arriving at Serapeum, part of the Regiment was engaged in occupying the Suez Canal Defences. Their role was to patrol and protect the canal zone from potential attacks by the Ottoman Turks or their Bedouin allies, who had previously tried to cross the canal in early 1915.

DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES

Mounted patrols across the desert to monitor for enemy movement.

·      Training in desert navigation, horsemanship, and rifle/machine gun use.

·      Improving defensive positions such as trenches and outposts along the canal.

·      Maintaining communications lines and supporting infrastructure

The Suez Canal was a vital supply and shipping route for the British Empire, linking Europe to India and Australia. Ottoman attacks on the canal were considered a serious threat, so mounted troops like the 5th Light Horse were crucial for mobile desert defence.

HOSPITALISED TONSILITIS MARCH 1916

He was admitted to hospital on 5^th March with tonsilitis & rejoined his unit 22^nd March.

MARCH & APRIL 1916

The 5th Light Horse Regiment was:

·      Based in the Suez Canal defensive zone

·      Conducting long-range mounted patrols and reconnaissance

·      Training for extended desert operations

·      Supporting the formation of the Anzac Mounted Division

·      Preparing for the upcoming Sinai campaign, which would begin in earnest by mid-1916

 In April reports had lately been received by the authorities that signs of movements on the part of the Turks had been noticed in the Abd and Bayoud Districts, and it was to act as supports and reinforcements to the 5th Mounted Brigade that the 5th Regiment was moving out to Katie.

The Regiment accordingly marched from Salhia on the 22nd April, 1916 and arrived at Kantara at 1 p.m. Our orders were to move next day to Dueidar, an oasis twelve miles out on the Darb Sultani, or the Royal Road to Syria.

The normal life at Dueidar during their first stay there, apart from special reconnaissance or special patrols, included horse pickets, observation posts, night patrols, stables, water horses and musketry.

The unit engaged in fighting the Turks and in a series of patrols of 8 miles (12kms) as the Sinai Desert was undulating and it was easy for the enemy to remain hidden. There was also systematic sinking of wells to ensure there was enough drinkable water. All Bedouins seen by the patrols were sent to the rear as we had good reason to believe that they were acting as intelligence personnel for the Turks.

MAY–JULY 1916: DESERT PATROLS AND ADVANCE TO KATIA

Based at Dueidar, the 5th Light Horse continued desert patrols, reconnaissance, and outpost duty along the Suez Canal. In response to the Ottoman raid on Katia (April 23), the British began pushing further east to secure key water sources and stop another Ottoman thrust. The 5th moved into forward positions at Hill 70, Hod el Enna, and near Romani, often rotating between outposts and the main camp.

Daily life included:

·      Scouting and observation patrols deep into the desert

·      Coping with extreme heat, flies, thirst, and sandstorms

·      Skirmishes with Bedouin scouts and enemy patrols

AUGUST 1916: BATTLE OF ROMANI (4–5 AUGUST)

The 5th Light Horse Regiment took part in its first major battle of the war in the Sinai.

Pre-dawn 4 August:

Ottoman and German forces launched a major attack on the British forward line near Mount Royston, west of Katia and near Romani.

The 5th was deployed in the southern section of the battlefield near Wellington Ridge, part of the right flank of the Anzac Mounted Division.

5th Light Horse Role:

Engaged in fierce defensive fighting as the Turks attacked from the east. Then took part in a mounted counterattack, helping push the Ottomans back toward Katia and eventually into full retreat.

The terrain was sandy and difficult, with extreme heat and dust affecting visibility and endurance. The regiment suffered losses, but contributed significantly to what was the first major Allied victory in the desert war

AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 1916: PURSUIT ACROSS THE SINAI

Following Romani, the 5th Light Horse joined the British advance across the Sinai, pursuing retreating Ottoman forces. They fought in actions at Katia and Bir el Abd (9–12 August): These were smaller but intense rearguard skirmishes. The Ottomans conducted delaying actions as they fell back toward El Arish.

Their duties included:

·      Harassment of retreating enemy columns

·      Scouting water sources and tracks

·      Clearing Turkish stragglers and capturing outposts

HOSPITALISED NO DETAILS SEPTEMBER 1916

Alfred was again admitted to hospital on 8th September 1916, no details given, and rejoined unit 18^th September.

OCTOBER 1916

In October 1916, the 5th Light Horse Regiment continued its role in the Sinai Campaign, conducting patrols, reconnaissance, and desert operations as the British forces pressed their advance eastward toward El Arish. While there were no major battles that month, the regiment was actively engaged in mobile warfare, pursuing the retreating Ottoman forces and helping secure territory across the Sinai Peninsula.

NO RECORDS

There is often a gap in many WWI service records, especially for soldiers in the Light Horse regiments. Here is how we can approach it:

·      Many service records only note hospitalisations, transfers, punishments, promotions, or wounds.

·      If Alfred remained in the field without incident, the records often just jump from one administrative event to the next — missing long stretches of active front-line service and I will assume this applies to him

Here is a general overview of what the 5th Light Horse Regiment did in this time. If your soldier was with them throughout, this is almost certainly in what he was involved

LATE 1916: ADVANCE TO EL ARISH

October–December 1916:

Patrolling, advancing across Sinai, securing water points and tracks.

December 1916:

El Arish occupied by British forces without a fight

Early 1917:

Battles in Sinai & Gaza

Jan 1917:

Battle of Magdhaba – the 5th was engaged.

March 1917:

Battle of Rafa – fast, mobile fighting.

March & April 1917:

First and Second Battles of Gaza – both failed attempts to take the town

MID TO LATE 1917: GAZA-BEERSHEBA LINE

Oct 31, 1917:

Battle of Beersheba – famous mounted charge (5th Light Horse fought dismounted on flank).

Nov 1917:

Fighting through Tel el Khuweilfe and Sheria.

Dec 1917:

Capture of Jerusalem (though the 5th was more involved in northern Jordan Valley)

1918: JORDAN VALLEY CAMPAIGN

Jan–May 1918:

Stationed in the Jordan Valley, facing heat, malaria, and raids.

April–May 1918:

Es Salt Raids – attempts to break through to Amman; the 5th Light Horse involved in both raids.

Summer 1918:

Patrolling, resting, re-equipping in Jordan Valley.

SEPTEMBER 1918: FINAL OFFENSIVE

Sept 1918:

Massive Allied offensive begins.

Sept 25–30:

Advance on Damascus.

October 1918:

Capture of Damascus, end of active fighting.

HOSPITALISATION NO DETAILS OCTOBER 1918

Alfred was hospitalised, no details, on 11^th October 1918, was transferred to a hospital in Boulac, Cairo

GOING HOME

Alfred embarked on the HT Delta 5^th February 1919 at Suez for Australia on compassionate leave and was discharged 16^th May 1919. Alfred died 9^th August 1961 in Queensland.

FOR HIS SERVICE

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

---

If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.

We do not have any additional documents or pictures related to this individual.