General Hodgson’s Australian Mounted Division had a night march of thirty-four miles from Khalasa to Iswawin, south-east of Beersheba, and after the 3rd Light Horse Brigade had been detached to assist the Anzac Division, orders were given to General Grant’s 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade to attack and take the town of Beersheba from the east.  The orders were received at four o’clock, and until we had got an absolute hold on Tel el Saba an attack on the town from this direction would have been suicidal, as an attacking force would have been between two fires.  The shelling of the cavalry during the day had been rather hot, and enemy airmen had occasionally bombed them.  It was getting late, and as it was of the greatest importance that the town’s available water should be secured that night, General Grant was directed to attack with the utmost vigour.  His brigade worthily carried out its orders.  The ground was very uneven and was covered with a mass of large stones and shingle.  The trenches were well manned and strongly held, but General Grant ordered them to be taken at the gallop.  The Australians carried them with an irresistible charge; dismounted, cleared the first line of all the enemy in it, ran on and captured the second and third system of trenches, and then, their horses having been brought up, galloped into the town to prevent any destruction of the wells.  The first-line eastern trenches of Beersheba were eight feet deep and four feet wide, and as there were many of the enemy in them they were a serious obstacle to be taken in one rush.  This charge was a sterling feat, and unless the town had been occupied that night most, if not all, of the cavalry would have had to withdraw many miles to water, and subsequent operations might have been imperilled.  Until we had got Beersheba there appeared small prospect of watering more than two brigades in this area.

Luckily there had been two thunderstorms a few days before the attack, and we found a few pools of sweet water which enabled the whole of the Corps’ horses to be watered during the night.  These pools soon dried up and the water problem again became serious.  The Commander-in-Chief rewarded General Grant with the D.S.O. as an appreciation of his work, and the brigade was gratified at a well-earned honour.  The 7th Mounted Brigade was held up for some time in the afternoon by a flanking fire from Ras Ghannam, south of Beersheba, but this was silenced in time to enable the brigade to assist in the occupation of Beersheba at nightfall.  The 4th Light Horse Brigade’s captures in the charge were 58 officers, 1090 other ranks, and 10 field guns, and the total ‘bag’ of the Desert Mounted Corps was 70 officers and 1458 other ranks.