Digitised @ SLQ – 2nd Light Horse Photographs and Diaries

Light Horse patrol passing through Zernukah Israel 1914-1918

As Australia commemorates the First World War, State Library of Queensland has made available online a significant album of digitised photographs showing the 2nd Light Horse Regiment’s activities in the Middle East, and significant digitised diaries from Gallipoli and the Middle East.

2nd Light Horse Association Records

The photographic album and diaries are part of a larger collection of the Regiment’s Association records bequeathed to State Library that includes personal diaries of Lieutenant Colonel Stodart, and The Reverend Captain George Green. Green was a clergyman from Emerald and Rockhampton in Central Queensland when he enlisted in the Australian Army in September 1914. He served as a chaplain with the 2nd Light Horse Regiment at Gallipoli and in the Middle Eastern campaigns. His diaries vividly describe the horrors of the Gallipoli campaign.

The photographic album allows us a glimpse of what the troops were seeing as they travelled through the Middle East, with breathtaking views, of temples and ancient aqueducts as well as heartbreaking views of prisoners of war.  The album also shows relaxed moments of escape with soldiers having snowball fights.  Of particular interest are views of the Australian Imperial Camel Corps.

Australian lighthorsemen snowballing on the slopes of Mt. Lebanon during the First World War 1914-1918

The collection also contains military records specific to the Regiment including nominal rolls, personnel records and casualty lists, details of activities in Gallipoli and the Middle East, maps and publications.

Light Horse transports crossing a river at Esdud Israel during the First World War 1914-1918

Newly digitised content can be found throughout this blog by looking for digitisation tags and Digitised@SLQ headings. More content is available through State Library’s catalogue One Search.

C. Cottle - Digital Collections Curator, State Library of Queensland