warhorses | diannewolfer

I was honoured when Lt Col. John Boyce emailed, asking to interview me for an article to be posted on The Chauvel Foundation website. The foundation aims to, ‘promote, support and inspire service to the community by building public awareness of the attributes, dedication and accomplishments of the Australian Light Horse and their greatest commander, General Sir Harry Chauvel.’ It’s a terrific reference resource for those interested in Australian history.

The article, ‘Writing for Younger Readers about the Light Horse‘ shares details of my writing journey with examples from The Last Light Horse and Light Horse Boy. Lt Col. John Boyce has a deep interest in military history and his percipient questions led to interesting reflections on my creative process. I also liked the way page draft examples were included.

My interest in General Sir Harry Chauvel, sparked by WWI research for the ‘Light series’, deepened after meeting Sir Harry’s granddaughter, Dr Honor Auhinleck. A fellow author, Honor contacted me after students at Corryong College read Light Horse Boy and decided to research the veterans on their town cenotaph. That led to a meeting in Corryong, an ongoing friendship, and Upper Murray book launches.

The Chauvel Foundation website is an historical treasure trove of information. There are articles with details about battles, horses, the Lighthorsemen, Art and Poetry, as well as Sir Harry himself. Not only a great reference site, it’s an enjoyable site to dip into for interesting reading.

Around 136,000 horses were sent from Australia to the First World War. Just one came home; Sandy, the favourite horse of Major General Bridges.

Sandy was raised in the high country of Victoria. He carted bricks in Tallangatta until the O’Donnell family donated him to the war effort.

The strong Waler soon became the favourite of Major General Bridges. They travelled from Melbourne together on the Orvieto flagship, joining other ships of the 1st AIF convoy in Albany.

From Albany, the convoy of Australian and New Zealand ships travelled to Egypt where the men trained near the pyramids. Then in April, they sailed to the Gallipoli peninsula. It was too steep to land Sandy and the other horses.

A few weeks after the landing, Major General Bridges was shot by a sniper. Legend has it that the Major General’s dying wish was for Sandy to return to Australia. Those wishes were honoured in 1919.

The Last Light Horse explores Sandy’s journey from Tallangatta, through the war years until his death in Maribyrnong in 2023, via text, archival images, and evocative charcoal sketches by Brian Simmonds. This week, in the lead-up to Remembrance Day, I will be posting images on Instagram to honour the men, women, and animals who sacrificed so much during wartime. Lest we Forget.