Lt Col. Bourne, 2nd Light Horse Regiment

George Herbert Bourne was appointed Major in command of B Squadron, 2nd Light Horse Regiment when he enlisted in August 1914. Aged 33 he had already served 8 years with the Queensland Mounted Infantry.

Bourne, front row second from the left, 1918 

The Regiment was part of a massive convoy of ships that left Australia late 1914, and with its cargo of troops and horses, they spent their six week voyage forming life-long bonds that would keep them strong in the months and years ahead.

Troops embarking, Star of England A15, 1914 

When Bourne landed with the unmounted Light Horse troops at Anzac Beach on 12 May 1915 they went into the front line the very next day at Quinn’s Post, he wrote to his mother …

“I had 9 men hit in the first 2 hours - bombs doing most damage. On the night of the 14th Major Graham’s Squadron was ordered to charge - they took the enemy’s trench but suffered horribly from machine guns. Graham was killed & lost 50 men out of 90.”

Letter #OM68-25/22, dated 29 May 1915

Bourne was evacuated sick in September 1915. When he rejoined his unit it was heavily involved in the campaigns at Romani, Rafa and Gaza. Bourne was made commanding officer of his regiment on 27 June 1916 and was later awarded the DSO for his contribution in the Battle of Romani.

Bourne leading his Squadron, Palestine, 1917  

Further Reading:

• TR 1835 Henderson Family and Jimboomba Station Papers 1834-1973
• OM68-25 George Herbert Bourne Papers 1846-1956
• APE-39 Bourne Photograph Album 1910-1918
• History of the 2nd Light Horse Regiment, Australian Imperial Force, August 1914-April 1919 by George Herbert Bourne