Real-life recreations are used to produce historic figurines such as The Charge at Beersheba. Photo: BrandNet.
At Halloween’s dusk, 1917, one of the last major cavalry charges in history stormed the Turkish town of Be’er Sheva.
Known as the Battle of Beersheba, the strategic attack hoped to displace occupying Turkish soldiers and gain access to a critical water source for Australian troops. Heavily fortified, Be’er Sheva would not be an easy conquest.
Come sundown of 4 November, the 12th Australian Light Horse Brigade sharpened its bayonets and rushed the trenches on horseback, waylaying occupants and quickly overcoming their defences.
More than 30 servicemen gave their lives capturing the town.
In remembrance of stories like this, Brandnet has produced a series of carefully reproduced historical renditions to honour the men and horses that helped win the Turkish town.
Each model tells a story from a unique perspective. Standing out from the range is The Charge at Beersheba, which depicts a soldier galloping his Light Horse mount with bayonet outstretched.
“The Light Horse brigades were mounted infantry, meaning they would use horses as transport to battle before engaging on foot,” says senior graphic designer Steve Rainey.
“But in this instance they rode right to the trenches, leapt across and took their opponents by surprise.
“The Light Horse victory over Turkish troops was a real turning point for the allied forces’ campaign at that time, so the Battle of Beersheba is highly regarded as a significant achievement in Australian military history.”
Bringing to life such influential moments in national history is no simple task. Each figurine can take up to three months just to design and sculpt pre-production samples.
“To ensure this model was historically accurate we liaised with Phil Chalker, who was at the time the president of the Australian Light Horse Association,” Steve says.
“He connected us with a local farrier who has a passion for the Light Horse and reenacts at events with his horse.
“We carefully considered equipment for both horse and rider, and liaised carefully with a number of historians, photographers and service members to make sure we really did our focus justice.”
Whether your interest lies in military history or you simply appreciate a thoughtful design, the details behind each figurine are sure to impress.
Rather than creating just another shelf product, creator BrandNet shares important military stories through its designs that exist to educate and encourage deep reflection.
Each model arrives at its new home with a certificate outlining the historical inspiration behind its creation.”Our figurines let people stay connected with Australia’s rich military history,” Steve says.
“They serve as a constant reminder of the bravery and selflessness of our service men and women, and help us honour their sacrifice every day.”
The Charge at Beersheba, Resting on Reversed Arms and other iconic figurines are brought to life by the design team at BrandNet and are available online at Military Shop.
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