New Year's Day 1915: The unknown 'Battle of Broken Hill' (110 years ago, two Muslim gunmen opened fire on a picnic in Australia)

Western Front Association ^ | 22nd November 2018 | David Tattersfield

[naturalman1975]

....

1 January 1915 was a holiday for the mining community of Broken Hill. It was the height of the southern summer and about 1,200 men, women and children were looking forward to a picnic organised by the Manchester Unity Order of Oddfellows. They were to take a train the 15 or so miles from Broken Hill towards Silverton. Unbeknown to the miners and their families, two men had, for varying reasons, prepared an ambush.

.....

Ambush

As the train, comprising forty open carriages, pulled up a hill two miles outside Broken Hill, it came into sight of the two men at 10.10 am. Gool Mohammed and Mullah Abdullah opened fire. The occupants were badly exposed as the carriages were simply flat bottomed, open wagons with benches for the passengers to sit on.

Gool Mohammed and Mullah Abdullah discharged only half their ammunition rounds (they were wearing homemade bandoliers containing 48 cartridges) into the picnic train. Despite being within easy range, only ten passengers were hit, three of whom were killed, including a seventeen year old girl who had joined the trip with her boyfriend. As the train slowly pulled out of range, a couple of passengers jumped from the train and started back into Broken Hill to raise the alarm.

[naturalman1975]

Yes. I must have been tired when I posted this. I missed that.

[Thank You Rush]

You did get the keywords added...I wouldn’t have known if it was possible after the fact but they’re there now...congrats!

[CodeToad]

BTTT