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The Waler: Australia’s Great War Horse by Marian Bartsch
Around Australia’s towns and cities memorial pillars remind people of the sacrifices made by the men who died during the 1914–1918 ‘war to end all wars’. But few Australians are aware that over 130,000 Australian horses also went to war and that none of these steeds returned home. The Waler vividly portrays the important role played by these horses and the men who rode them in the battles of North Africa and the Middle East. It culminates in their heroic ‘Great Ride’ to capture Damascus, while parched and desperate for water under heavy enemy fire.
The Waler leads viewers through the gripping and heartbreaking journey of the horses — ultimately sold or shot at the end of the war — and their young riders, from the Australian outback to the desert sands of North Africa. It shows us the tragedy of human arrogance, as animals of great courage, discipline and endurance paid the ultimate price in human wars. Only a few decades later in the Second World War, machines rather than animals would be sent into battle. This moving narrative includes dramatic re-enactments, photographs and newsreels, and holds the story together through the lives of two famous horse–rider partnerships — Michael Shanahan and his horse ‘Bill the Bastard’ and Guy Haydon and ‘Midnight’.