General News
28 February, 2026
Veterans' Voices: Louis Paul Krieg
Louis Paul Krieg was born on his parent’s farm at Kornheim, east of Dimboola, Victoria, Australia on October 24, 1893. He was the youngest son of Carl and Emma Krieg.
The Krieg family came to “Mt Hope”, Brymaroo, on the Darling Downs in 1902, settling on 640 acres. Two horse-drawn covered wagons were the form of transport from Victoria, and the family of three boys and four of their five girls lived in the wagons until a house was constructed.
In 1907, Louis’ older brothers Arthur and Victor purchased property at Brookstead, later to be named “Glen Royal”.
Here young “Lew” as he was known, helped them get established, and up until his enlistment at Oakey, Queensland into the 11th Light Horse Regiment, B Squadron on December 20, 1914, worked both with his parents at Brymaroo, farming and with his brothers at Brookstead.
His next of kin was his sister Ada Kreig, Mount Hope, Jondaryan. Louis (Lew) Paul Krieg was a Flying Officer with the No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps.
Two Squadrons of the 11th Light Horse were formed in Queensland and a third in South Australia. The Regiment was united for the first time at “Fraser’s Paddock Camp,” outside Brisbane, on May 2, 1915. His Service number was 228.
During the next months, Lew rose to the rank of Corporal, and then five days later, to the rank of Sergeant. On his enlistment papers, his name was spelled Kreig. His father had this changed after his death.
Two groups of the 11th left Australia in June 1915, Sgt Krieg on June 16, and Sgt Krieg’s B Squadron embarked on June 2, 1915, on the HMAT Borda bound for the Port of Aden, arriving on July 12.
They were there to reinforce the British Garrison against the predicted enemy attack.
They re-embarked on July 18 without seeing action. The regiment was reunited in Egypt on July 23 and began training as infantry, having been ordered to leave their horses in Australia. A month later, they deployed to Gallipoli. In a letter from Lew dated “Gallipoli September 2, to his sisters, he speaks of a parcel from them containing Chocolate, a pocketknife, and some wattle, which he put up in his dugout. He seemed quite cheerful, stating that it wasn’t too bad and that he had to get some men together to dig trenches.” While in Gallipoli the 11th Light Horse was once again split into different units, and it wasn’t until February 12, 1916 that the unit was again reunited, by which time all of the AIF Troops had returned to Egypt. Louis (Lew) Paul Krieg was among the last group to be evacuated from Gallipoli on the nights of December 19–20, 1915. In Egypt, after four months on the Gallipoli Peninsula, he spent fourteen days in the 3rd Aux Hospital with a shoulder injury. Medical reports described it as “mild.”
About this time records also show that his Identity Disc was found on the Suez Canal between March 6 and April 3, 1916 and were being held at AIF Headquarters, Cairns. What can also be established from his records is that he was made a Squadron Sergeant Major, Warrant Officer Class 2 on August 27, 1916 and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on September 15, 1916.
Returning to its mounted role, the 11th Lighthorse joined forces defending the Suez Canal on July 20, 1916. In the ensuring months it conducted patrols and participated in several forays into the Sinai Desert. In another letter dated “Egypt, October 26, 1916, he talks of a fortnight stint in the desert with 1800 mounted men in the column beside the camel transport, [water and fodder], they travelled ninety miles out from the Suez Canal, the last 30 miles was a dry stage, done in two night marches [“awfully creepy, not allowed to smoke or speak loudly’], in his own words.
“We arrived at a given point about a half a mile from the enemy position at dawn, and there we waited for the heavy fog to lift. The moment it lifted, we could see the Heights of Maghara and what was in front of us. An absolutely impossible position had it been strongly held. Our Squadron was called out to make a demonstration to test the position, and we lined up behind a sand dune. Owing to the shortage of an Officer, I was given charge of the troop, and four troops marched off at a walk. As soon as we got in range, they opened fire, and it wasn’t long before we were all riding for our lives to get cover under the hill they were occupying. The moment we started to gallop, they concentrated all their machine guns and rifle fire on us, expecting every minute to see horses and men falling. Nothing happened until we got within 200 yards of the hill when my horse got shot in the thigh, breaking his leg. Luckily, he never fell but immediately stopped and must have done the 200 yards under even. I don’t know how they missed me; the bullets were biting all around me, and I'm satisfied I’m dead lucky, or the Turks are bad shots. When we had the horses undercover, we got busy and soon had them on the run, taking about twenty prisoners. Their casualties were heavy. We only had one in the squadron and four or five in the whole column.
About 5pm, we retired, finding it impossible to go on without water. When I came back, my horse was still standing in the same place, a pitiful sight. He had to be shot, but I couldn’t do the deed even though I’m callous. He was a fine horse, one of the best I’d ever ridden, and I can assure you that the sand is the thing to test them. It’s simply cruel, the load a man has to carry. Camels are the thing for this country. To go on with the operation, we retired about three miles where supply of water and forage had been dumped. Can you imagine the quality of the water 1800 horses would drink after going without for 24 hours.
There we camped for the night [a jumpy old night] didn’t know whether the Turks would counterattack, but they did not and assure you did sleep after two nights on the march. Only had one day’s fighting, impossible to carry on under such conditions. We got back to the Oasis where the water was after two days marching. The General complimented our squadron on the work they did, said he had never seen a squadron go into action in such an orderly manner under fire.”
In April 1917, the Regiment moved to Palestine to join the main British and Dominion advance. It joined its first battle on April 19, 1917 when it attacked, dismounted, as part of the ill-fated second battle of Gaza. On October 13, 1917, 2nd Lieutenant Louis Paul Krieg was attached to the 4th Lighthorse Brigade Training, based in Cairo, and his first command was at the Training Regiment where he remained until November 4, 1917.
[After Gaza fell on November 7, 1917 the 11th Light Horse participated in the pursuit that followed and then spent the first months of 1918 resting and training]. On January 20, 1918 he was commissioned a Lieutenant. It was during this time that Lieutenant Krieg was seconded to the 1st Australian Flying Corps. In April he attended Gunnery School, and in May the Observation School. On August 2, 1918 he graduated as a Flying Officer Observer. Records show that he was on a number of missions having brought down two enemy aircraft. His pilot, Lieutenant E.C. Stooke DCM was credited with three enemy aircraft. Tragically on August 19, 1918 at Ludd in Palestine, while he and his pilot were testing Aircraft, they were both killed. Aircraft Mechanic Joe Bul’s recorded the crash in his diary Monday August 19, stated,
“We had a very bad accident this morning, Lieutenant Stooke and Lieutenant Krieg went up in a Bristol Fighter No 1280 for an engine test. While he was taking off the engine cut out and he came down near the railway line and crashed into a moving railway engine and both the petrol tanks burst into flames and blew the machine to pieces. The pilot was killed immediately and the Observer burned to death. An unfortunate end to two skilled and reliable aircrew in 1 squadron Australian Flying Corp”.
Louis Paul Krieg aged 24. Both men were buried in the Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel, and Palestine (including Gaza). Louis Grave is AA 17. Ramla (formerly Ramleh) is a small town 12 km southeast of Jaffa towards Jerusalem. There are over 3,500 1914-1918 and 1000 1939- 1945 service personnel buried there.
His Commonwealth War grave information has Louis as the son of Carl and Emma D. Krieg, of Jondaryan, Queensland. On his grave is the inscription IN MEMORY OF OUR SON.
Louis Paul Krieg is commemorated at Australian War Memorial, Roll of Honour on panel 187 (188), Brookstead Honour Roll, Jondaryan Honour Board, Pittsworth Great War Honoured Dead, Toowoomba Roll of Honour WW1, Toowoomba St Luke’s Church WW1 Honour Roll.
