Darling Downs man John Egan honouring his family’s history with 11th Light Horse Darling Downs Troop

With each generation, more and more memories are lost to the past. However one Darling Downs man is asking for young people to step up and help keep Australia’s war history alive.

John Egan in the 11th Light Horse Darling Downs Troops

A few years ago John Egan came across two photographs hanging in the RSL club of his hometown, standing out among a wall of Australian troopers.

Not because they were familiar to Mr Egan, but because the two men in the photos were unknown, both their names and their fate.

With a long family history of military service, Mr Egan wanted to make sure his relatives never ended up unrecognised and “lost in history”.

Going back to 1902 one of Mr Egan’s relatives fought in the Boer War in South Africa and in the early 1900s two of Mr Egan’s great uncles were killed in separate conflicts.

One was killed in Gallipoli in 1915 and the other was killed on the Western Front in 1917, and four of his uncles later fought in World War II in the 1940s.

He has since found out that one of his relatives had fought in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 and had been recognised in a monument where they spelt his last name wrong.

The 11th Light Horse Darling Downs Troops

Wanting to follow in his family’s footsteps, Mr Egan begged his parents to let him go to Duntroon Military College in Canberra after graduating from school, but his mother said it was too dangerous. It wasn’t until years later when he joined the 11th Light Horse Darling Downs Troop that he said he took his chance to honour his family history.

Mr Egan grew up in regional NSW before moving to Toowoomba in 1960 and he has been the president of the 11th Light Horse Darling Downs Troop since he retired six years ago.

At 80, Mr Egan is still competing with the Darling Downs Troops in Skill of Arms events, sword tent pegging, and the group participates in Anzac Day celebrations, Remembrance Day events, and regional shows.

On the back of his beloved chestnut gelding and donning an emu-plumed hat, Mr Egan leads the 20 members of the historical re-enactment group that pays tribute to the 11th Light Horse Regiment, an Australian unit that fought in World War I.

The 11th Light Horse Troops were mounted infantry that were assigned as a militia unit in 1935 and John said it was their role to protect the coastline of Queensland.

Traditionally the Light Horse Regiment would go into war in groups of four, known as a section, where three would dismount and fight on foot while the final horsemen held the reins of the other horses.

Unconventionally, in the Battle of Beersheba on the Palestine front in 1917, the troops didn’t dismount and went into battle on horseback, and it became a historical win for the 11th Light Horse.

The 11th Light Horse Darling Downs Troops

The 11th Light Horse Darling Downs is now faced with the challenge of finding young people to keep this important Australian tradition alive.

“We are all getting older now and we need some new riders coming in,” Mr Egan said.

“Some of our troops are well over 70 and once you get over 70 you can’t afford to fall off and break bones.”

Mr Egan said it was great to see when younger generations do get involved.

“We were down in Stanthorpe for Anzac Day last year and it amazed me the amount of young people that were at The Dawn Services,” he said.

“If you don’t understand history, you are bound to repeat it.”

John Egan in the 11th Light Horse Darling Downs Troops

Mr Egan hopes his work for the Light Horse Troops will ensure Australian soldiers will not be forgotten, like the two men whose photographs are hanging in the Ben Lomond RSL that will probably never be recognised.

“Their close relatives would have passed on by now so no one is going to know who they are.”
For more information about joining The Darling Downs Troop visit their website or contact the group at 0746323506