Charge at Khan Ayash

Charge at Khan Ayash
Part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I
Australian Light Horsemen at Khan Ayash
Date 2 October 1918 Location Khan Ayash 17 miles (27 km) north of Damascus on the inland road to Rayak and Homs Result British victory
Belligerents
British Empire	Ottoman Empire Germany
Commanders and leaders
Edmund Allenby Harry Chauvel Henry West Hodgson	Otto Liman von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Pasha Jevad Pasha Ismet Pasha
Units involved
3rd Light Horse Brigade Australian Mounted Division Desert Mounted Corps	146th Regiment Army Troops, Fourth Army and unidentified cavalry
Casualties and losses
Unknown	2,000 prisoners

The Charge at Khan Ayash occurred on 2 October 1918 about 17 miles (27 km) north of Damascus after the pursuit to, and capture of Damascus, which followed the decisive Egyptian Expeditionary Force victory at the Battle of Megiddo on 25 September during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I. After Damascus had been encircled by Desert Mounted Corps on 30 September, the 3rd Light Horse Brigade advanced through the city on 1 October to charge and capture remnants of the Ottoman Yildirim Army Group withdrawing along the road north to Rayak and Homs.

Following the victories at the Battle of Sharon and Battle of Nablus during the Battle of Megiddo, and the Capture of Damascus, remnants of the Seventh and Eighth Armies retreated in columns towards Damascus from the Judean Hills. Rearguards at Samakh, at Tiberias and at Jisr Benat Yakub were captured by the Australian Mounted Division. Remnants of the Fourth Army also retreated in columns towards Damascus along the Pilgrims' Road from Amman. The rearguard at Irbid was attacked by the 4th Cavalry Division and Deraa was captured by the Sherifial Army.

The last formation to leave Damascus, the 146th Regiment (Fourth Army) left during the night of 30 September, was followed early the next morning; 1 October by the 10th Light Horse Regiment (3rd Light Horse Brigade), in the process accepting the surrender of the city. The Australian light horsemen followed the retreating columns north along the road to Homs during the day, encountering numerous rearguards which were attacked and captured, until they we were stopped by strong defences protecting a 2,000-strong column near Khan Ayash. Early the next morning a large column of retreating German and Ottoman combatants was seen moving towards a pass just north of Khan Ayash. Two squadrons of the 9th Light Horse Regiment (3rd Light Horse Brigade) rode north to cut the road in front of the column while the third squadron charged into the column splitting it and forcing it to surrender.