ROYAL GLOUCESTERSHIRE HUSSARS 1914 - 18


The Order to mobilise was given at 7pm on August 4th 1914. They joined the 1st South Midland Brigade with the Warwickshire and Worcestershire Yeomanry, based Newbury Racecourse. The Brigade then moved to the east coast of England in case of a German invasion. In September a second Regiment of the R.G.H. was raised, and later a third.

April 1915 the R.G.H. were ordered to overseas service, but instead of France they were going to Gallipoli. On April 11th they embarked on the 'Saturnia' and 'Minneapolis' under command of Lieut-Colonel W.H.PLAYNE. The unit strength was:

H.Q.: 10 Officers, 107 Other Ranks, 88 horses, 28 mules, and 8 vehicles.

'A' squadron:

Major A.J.Palmer, 7 Officers, 134 O.R., 133 horses, 14 mules, 3 vehicles.

'B' Squadron:

Major H.F.Clifford, 6 Officers, 134 O.R., 131 horses, 14 mules, 3 vehicles.

'D' Squadron:

Major R.M.Yorke, 4 Officers, 135 O.R., 133 horses, 14 mules, 3 vehicles.
 

The R.G.H. reached Alexandria, Egypt, on April 21st. Guard duties followed, until August 11th, when orders came for the Yeomanry to proceed to Gallipoli without their horses. Leaving 4 officers, 100 O.R. and all the horses, the Regiment sailed on August 14th 1915 on the 'Haverford' and 'Ascania'.

Landing at Suvla Bay, the Regiment was concentrated near Chocolate Hill. With no cover available the enemy shelled the Regiment, 2nd Lieut. Gething was killed, Lt-Col. Playne, Captain Longworth, Lieut. Howard, and 2nd Lieut. Colledge were severely wounded.

With the Yeoman acting as infantry, an advance was made on Hill 112 and the Turkish front-line trench captured.
Besides the listed officers, 11 men were killed, 44 wounded and 1 missing.


General Sir Ian Hamilton:

"The advance of these English Yeoman was a sight calculated to send a thrill noof pride through anyone with a drop of English blood running through their veins...... there was nothing to conceal a mouse...... despite the critical events in other parts of the field I could hardly take my glasses from the Yeoman; they moved like men marching on parade. Here and there a shell would take a toll of a cluster; there they lay. There was no straggling; the others moved steadily on; not a man was there who hung back or hurried."


Days of trench duty followed and more casualties (both war and sickness)
were sustained. On November 22nd the Regiment sailed back to Alexandria.
 

                       GALLIPOLI  ROLL  OF  HONOUR

  No.        Rank            Name               Date          Buried

  2nd Lieut.    H.B.GETHING          21st August   Chocolate Hill

1144      Sergeant      A.T.HONEY            21st August   Chocolate Hill

1887      L/Cpl.        Wilfred BARTON       21st August   Chocolate Hill

2004      Private       C.E.CARTER           21st August   Chocolate Hill

2234      Private       R.H.COXWELL-ROGERS   21st August   Chocolate Hill

2585      Private       E.T.CROCKER          21st August   Chocolate Hill

1908      Private       Osman K.FOWLER       21st August   Chocolate Hill

2244      Priavte       N.W.JENNER           21st August   Chocolate Hill

2241      Private       J.J.KEARNEY          21st August   Chocolate Hill

1800      S.S.          F.H.BALL             21st August   Chocolate Hill

2215      Corporal      C.E.CHURCHILL        24th August   Chocolate Hill

2092      L/Cpl.        A.ROWE               25th August   At Sea

1965      Private       R.F.BISS             28th August   Chocolate Hill

1991      Private       T.N.HUNT             28th August   Chocolate Hill

2162      Private       D.H.PEARCE           28th August   Chocolate Hill

2346      Private       Charles S.FREEMAN    28th August   At Sea

1584      Private       H.J.WOODWARD         4th September Welsh C.S.

1975      Private       L.C.DEAN             9th September At Sea

1798      L/Cpl.        R.HUBERT             10th October  Green Hill

1982      Private       H.L.HOLBOROW         11th October  C Beach

1985      Private       H.TAYSUM             12th October  C Beach

1634      L/Sgt.        H.B.WALKER           14th October  At Sea

2381      Private       W.P.JENNINGS         24th October  At Sea
 

The Wounded:

No.       Rank          Name                 Date          Note

          Lt-Col.       W.H.PLAYNE    *      21st August   Severe
          Captain       T.J.LONGWORTH *      21st August   Severe
          Lieut.        A.H.S.HOWARD         21st August
          2nd Lieut.    J.T.COLLEDGE         21st August
          Captain       M.G.LLOYD-BAKER      15th Sept.    Accidental

  Playne.   Longworth.

1465      A/SSM         T.P.LANGFORD         21st August
1827      Sergt.        W.H.KELLY            21st August   Severe
930       Sergt.        H.J.LEWIS            21st August
1909      Sergt.        G.H.LOVELL           21st August
1235      Sergt.        A.F.ROBERTS          21st August
1566      Sergt.        R.DAY                21st August
1626      Sergt.        F.SMITH              21st August
1493      L/Sgt.        F.CHAPMAN            21st August
2205      Corp.         H.MERRY              21st August
1749      Corp.         W.K.W.TAYLOR         21st August
1784      L/Cpl.        J.H.HOLBOROW         21st August
2139      L/Cpl.        H.A.MEW              21st August
1836      L/Cpl.        H.RITCHINGS          21st August
1723      Trumpeter     H.C.CRADDOCK         21st August
1944      Pte.          F.W.ABBEY            21st August
1659      Pte.          H.R.BELL             21st August
1873      Pte.          T.BELGIN             21st August
2415      Pte.          L.J.BENNETT          21st August
1485      Pte.          T.O.T.BOWEN          21st August
2494      Pte.          J.D.BREAKWELL        21st August
2046      Pte.          H.C.CLARKE           21st August
1967      Pte.          L.E.CLARKE           21st August
2200      Pte.          S.CHANDLER           21st August
2233      Pte.          H.CULLIMORE          21st August
1997      Pte.          W.J.EDWARDS          21st August
2342      Pte.          G.D.GENT             21st August    Severe
2010      Pte.          H.L.HARDING          21st August
2239      Pte.          S.J.HARDING          21st August
2251      Pte.          W.HILL               21st August
1786      Pte.          J.W.HOUGHTON         21st August
2250      Pte.          R.F.JAMES            21st August
2360      Pte.          H.KELLY              21st August
2406      Pte.          C.F.HAY              21st August
2111      Pte.          G.E.MEARING          21st August
2467      Pte.          A.MORLEY             21st August
2330      Pte.          A.W.PANKHURST        21st August
2181      Pte.          E.H.PARROTT          21st August
2007      Pte.          H.H.PARSONS          21st August
2097      Pte.          D.C.PEARCE           21st August
2187      Pte.          C.PHILLIPS           21st August
1966      Pte.          G.R.SHIPTON          21st August
1779      Pte.          C.P.TANNER           21st August
2149      Pte.          M.L.VINES            21st August
2245      Pte.          R.G.VINES            21st August
1744      Corp.         J.H.PEGLAR           22nd August
2193      Pte.          H.WHITE              22nd August
2058      Pte.          S.H.COX              25th August
2450      Pte.          E.WALKER             25th August
2006      Pte.          A.R.W.ANSTEY         28th August
1973      Pte.          R.C.HEARLE           28th August
1790      L/Cpl.        H.IRELAND            28th August
1522      Sergt.        G.C.BRIDGEMAN        28th August    Accidental
51411     SSM           W.H.ORGAN            29th August
2264      Pte.          R.C.SMITH            2nd Sept.
676       SSM           A.BUTLER             3rd Sept.
1734      Pte.          F.T.KING             3rd Sept.
2243      Pte.          E.DICKENSON          7th Sept.
2416      Corp.         P.G.EMERY            9th Sept.
1725      Pte.          W.H.MORRIS           14th Sept.     Severe
1735      Corp.         H.STEEL              28th Sept.     Severe
1998      Pte.          J.C.ARMER            28th Sept.
2171      Pte.          F.E.BARNETT          28th Sept.
2077      Pte.          F.G.JONES            29th Sept.
1817      L/Cpl.        F.R.ROW              10th Oct.
1770      Pte.          H.VIVASH             14th Oct.


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