Re-enactment of the Battle of Beersheba (Reuters)
The Sinai-Palestine campaign in World War I as it was known, was comprised of two parts and extended from Jan 1916-July 1919 when the troops finally departed for home. There were 14 major battles and we won seven and lost seven. Of the military campaign the Sinai portion began in May 1916 as the troops marched along the Mediterranean coast towards Israel and ended a century ago in the Rafa battle.
The troops fighting were primarily NZ Mounted riflemen a distinct group comprised of farm boys on horses from the provinces riding under their provincial banners – the Aucklands, the Wellingtons and the Canterburys.
The slow progress, few battles and desert conditions made this campaign particularly harsh and monotonous. But it cemented a link with the land and the people they met.
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