The Memoirs of the 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Royal Hussars, 1906-1922 Photo by] [W.& D. Dowriey HER MAJESTTTHE QUEEN, Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment The Memoirs of the I 8th (Queen Mary's Own) Royal Hussars INCLUDING OPERATIONS IN THE GREAT WAR BY BRIG.-GENERAL CHARLES BURNETT, C.B., C.M.G. With Maps and Illustrations WINCHESTER : WARREN AND SON, LIMITED,- 85 HIGH STREET 1926 MADE AND PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WARREN AND SON LTD. WINCHESTER DEDICATED, BY GRACIOUS PERMISSION, TO %er ff!Laie5tg @be Queen, COLONEL-IN-CHIEF OF THE REGIMENT PREFACE COLONEL MALET'S story brought the Regimental History of the 18th Hussars down to the year 1906. The following pages, which are in continuation of these Regimental Records, will complete the History of the Regiment up to its amalgamation with the 13th Hussars. The basic facts have been recorded by successive Com- manding Officers in the Regimental " Digest of Services," and the compiler is deeply indebted to the contents of that book for the accuracy of his composition. He also has to acknowledge, with much gratitude, the kindness and courtesy of the " Historical Section of the War Office," whose staff invariably gave him great assistance in his search through official documents for a framework for those events, in which the Regiment bore such a distinguished part during the Great War. As a traditional event, it is a sad task to have to close the Memoirs of the Regiment as an individual unit in His Majesty's Army. Both Regiments, the 13th and the 18th~have this burden to carry, but it has been immeasurably lightened by the tad and camaraderie of all ranks of both Corps since the amalgamation has taken place. Regimental memoirs are no doubt dull reading for any but soldiers intimately concerned, and on that account an attempt has been made here and there in this narrative to intro- duce a human touch into a semi-official record of events, in the hope that a little of the dullness may thereby be enlightened. Her Majesty the Queen, our Colonel-in-Chief, has graciously permitted the dedication of these pages to herself, and the Regiment is in this small way enabled to express its deep debt of gratitude to Her MajeSty for her constant and kindly interest in her Corps. LaStly, although the 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Royal Hussars have ceased to figure as a separate unit in the Army List, their Colonel-in-Chief has shared their amalgamation, and they and another most distinguished Corps have the united privilege of having at their head " The Queen " Colonel-in- Chief of the I 3-18th Royal Hussars. CONTENTS PAGE Chapter I..York and The Curragh . .... i . 11.-Tidworth . .... 7 . 111.-The Outbreak of The Great War.-Mons . 16 . IV.-The Retreat from Mons . 27 .. V.-The Marne . .. 37 .. W.-The Aisne . .... 49 . VI1.-The Race for the Channel Ports 5 6 .. V1II.-Ypres. 1914 . 64 .. 1X.-Ypres. 1914 (continued) .. 75 .. X.ÑChristmas 1914 . 85 .. XI.-Zillebeke . 88 .. XI1.-The Fir& Gas Attack . 94 .. X111.-Wieltje . .... 98 .. X1V.-Hooge . 103 >> XV.-191s .... 1x3 >> XW.-x916 .... .... "7 S. XVI1.-1917 .... 122 S$ XVII1.-1918 .... .. 129 .. XIX.-1918 (continued) . .... 137 S> xx.-1919 .1922 . 146 Appendix A.-Officers, N.C.O.'s and Men killed and wounded during the War .. B.-Lie of Officers with the Regiment on various .. dates ...... .... C.-Honours and Awards gained by the Regiment . during the Campaign . D.-L&? of Marches and Mileage .... .. E.-Battle Honours awarded to the Regiment F.-Roll of Officers on the Strength of the Regiment . and with the Reserve Regiment during the War .......... .. G.-Lias of Officers 1908 .1922 . H.-Officers, N.C.O.'s and Men Missing during the War . .... .. I.-Regimental Itinerary ...... J.-Composition of the Cavalry Division at the commencement of the Great War . ILLUSTRATIONS Her Majefiy the Queen, Colonel-in-Chief . Frontispiece To face page Colonel the Honble. H. S. Davey, c.M.G., Commanding the Regiment 1910 - 1914 Brigadier - General C. K. Burnett, c.B., c.M.G., Command- ing the Regiment 1914- 1918 ...... Officers of the Regiment, 1913 . .... Her Majeay's Visit to her Regiment at Tidworth before its departure to France, AuguSt 8th, 1914- (I) Three Cheers for Her Majefiy the Queen . (2) Colonel Burnett presenting the Officers of the Regiment to Her Majefiy ...... Officers of the Regiment in the Camoy Valley on September ~jth,1916 .......... .. Lieut.-Colonel W. Holdsworth, temporarily in Command of the Regiment, Oftober 1918, and its Senior Officer on amalgamation with the 13th Hussars . .. Colonel E. C. Jury, c.M.G., MS., Commanding the Regiment June znd, 1919, to September ~yth,1922 . MAPS To face page Mons, AuguSt 23rd - 24th, 1914 . .. .. 26 Itinerary of the 18th Hussars in the Retreat from Mons .. Combat of Moncel .. Itinerary of the 18th Hussars, forming part of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, September and Oftober, 1914 .. .. Itinerary of the 18th Hussars in October 1914, and Trenches occupied in the Winter of 1914 and Spring of 1915 . Itinerary of the 18th Hussars in Oftober 1914, showing localities which the Regiment occupied in the Winter of 1914- I; and Spring of 1915 . .. .. Cambrai, November, 1917 .. The German Offensive, 1918 .. .. .. Marches and billets of the Regiment during the greater part of the War .. .. .. .. .. .. At end Memoirs of the 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Royal Hussars CHAPTER I YORK AND THE CURRAGH Colonel Malet's Memoirs left the Regiment quartered 1906 at York in 1906. Lieut.-Colonel Pollock-Morris, D.s.o., was in Command, having succeeded Colonel P. S. Marling, v.c., c.B., in February of that year. Life went very merrily at that sporting northern station ; it was quite the best quarter which had been struck since Lucknow, and no Indian climate to contend with. Hunting, polo, racing, shooting, rowing, cricket and football were all to be had for the asking-and matrimony as well. It has often been a question in later days as to whether a permanent " Old Comrades' Dinner " should not be held in that northern capital, as well as in London ; so many had relations and friends within hail of York MinSter. Nevertheless soldiering was not negleaed, and from June 11th to 16th,1906, the Regiment, together with the Yorkshire Dragoons, took part in minor manoeuvres at Hexham, and on the nth July furnished a Field Officer's Escort, consisting of 7 Officers and 109 N.c.0.'~ and men for His Majesty the King on the occasion of his visit to Newcastle-on-Tyne. Lieut.-Colonel W. P. M. Pollock-Morris, D.s.o., Captain C. J. Thackwell, D.s.o., Captain G. V. Clarke, D.s.o., Captain E. H. Bayford, D.s.o., Lieut. C. L. Wood, and Lieut. G. H. Anderson attended. A Command Order of July 12th Stated :- " The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, has received the King's Command to express to the troops who took part in the ceremony at Newcastle- on-Tyne, on the I ith instant, His Majesty's gracious appre- ciation of their appearance on parade and Steadiness under arms." B MEMOIRSOF THE I~THROYAL HUSSARS 25th September.-The Regiment was inspected by Major- General Baden - Powell on 25 th September, 1906, and again on the 5th April, 1907. Both Signalling and Musketry Reports for 1906 were eminently satisfactory. The General Officer, C.-in-C. Northern Command, remarking on the first-named report, says :- "Very satisfactory. This report has given me as much satisfaction as it must have given the Regiment." 22nd May to 22nd July.-In 1907 the Regiment spent the greater part of the summer, which was very wet, on manoeuvres in Scotland, and on the march there and back. The horses suffered considerably from cold and wet and lost a lot of condition, and this was aggravated to a certain extent by a sea voyage and change of climate to Ireland in the autumn of the year. 11th August.-On the Regiment's return from the Scottish manoeuvres to York, the General Officer, C.-in-C. Northern Command, wrote to the Commanding Officer as follows :- " The 18th Hussars, having returned to York, I should like to place on record my sense of the admirable manner in which all arrangements for the march of the Regiment northwards were made by the Officer Commanding and his Regimental Staff, and also my entire satisfaction with the conduct of all ranks, during the time they were in this Command, with every discomfort." The Regiment moved from York to the Curragh, Ireland, on the 2nd-yd October, 1907, joined the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, under Brigadier-General The Honble. J. E. Lindley and was quartered in Ponsonby Barracks. The Curragh proved an inhospitable Station, as far as weather was concerned, after York, and many of the 18th will remember with no great feelings of pleasure their sojourn on that wind-swept ridge, which runs from Gibbet's Rath to above Donolly's Hollow. However, it was a very fair hunting centre and there was abundance of football. " Training " of all ranks for war had been systematically advancing in intensity and progress ever since the South African War, and with " individual training " in the winter and " com- bined training " of a rising scale during the spring, summer and autumn, everyone's time was fully occupied. A constant series of inspections, to test progress in all degrees of regimental 19¡ training was the result, and in 1908 it may be noted by our forefathers that the following inspections occurred :- 15th January.- Inspection by the Inspeftor-General of Cavalry at Winter Training.