5th Dragoon Guards 1914

[pmaasz]

I would be grateful if anyone who has records, documents, diaries etc of 5th DGs in 1914 could search to see if there is any mention of a party from that regiment burying an officer of the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars near a burnt-out farm approx 1000yds west of Messines on November 1st. Any info that locates the farm or the burial place will be most gratefully received. Thanks.

[barney5042]

I would be grateful if anyone who has records, documents, diaries etc of 5th DGs in 1914 could search to see if there is any mention of a party from that regiment burying an officer of the Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars near a burnt-out farm approx 1000yds west of Messines on November 1st. Any info that locates the farm or the burial place will be most gratefully received. Thanks.

I have indexed the 5DG War Diary and have the names of all officers who served with the regiment in WWI. What's the name you are looking for?

Barney

[barney5042]

The 5DG War Diary entry for November 2 includes the following:

"The OXFORD Hussars relieved the Regiment at 9 pm and the regiment went into billets at WULVERGHEM as a close support."

Searching the Internet, there's a "WULVERGHEM-LINDENHOEK ROAD MILITARY CEMETERY" but the cemetery was begun in December 1914.

Barney

[pmaasz]

Barney: Many thanks for looking. The officer in question was Capt. BCB Molloy of the Oxfordshire Hussars. He was shot through the head while covering a withdrawal of his men, and buried later the same day near the farm in question by a party from 5DGs (according to the QOOH regimental history). I believe his grave was lost as he has no known grave, and if his body had been recovered later I believe he would have still carried insignia for at least his regiment to be identified and recorded on a headstone. Hence my desire to try to locate the farm and burial spot.

[barney5042]

No mention of Molloy or of burial parties in the 5DG War Diary for the days in question.

Barney

[alanlw]

I have indexed the 5DG War Diary and have the names of all officers who served with the regiment in WWI. What's the name you are looking for?

Barney

Barney, I'd be very grateful if you could help me too. I have reason to believe that (at least) two officers attached themselves to the 5th Dragoon Guards right at the start of the war even though they were from different regiments.

The guy I'm interested in is Capt. Henry Courtney Brocklehurst, a 10th (PWO) Royal Hussar, who was in England when the war broke out whereas his regiment was still in South Africa. He was supposed to be sailing to Antarctica with Sir Ernest Shackleton but left the boat to fight. According to Shackleton he fought at Mons which was on 23 August, nearly two months before his own regiment landed on the continent. The 5th Dragoon Guards were at Mons. Again according to Shackleton Brocklehurst was wounded. The London Gazette shows him becoming an ADC in Sept 1914 and rejoining the Hussars in November. His medal roll index record refers to the 5th Dragoon Guards for getting his 1914 star (as well as the 10th Hussars).

Many thanks.

Alan

PS The other officer, incidentally was Charles Blackburne, a retired officer whose wife was a friend of Col George Ansell and he joined the Dragoons without going through WO formalities. His position was later regularised.