1914 star Trio 18th Lancers

[Guest exuser1]

Many years ago purchased 1914 star and bar trio to Lieut A Brooke pair MAJ Brook ,unit on star 18th Lancers ,note 18th lancers are Indian Army King Georges own Lancers ,the mic states 18th Lancers star to be issued by India Office att 4th Hussars Lieut ,18 KGO Lancers Capt ,

Clasp issued by govt of India .

When the section shows qualification for bar it simply states Disimbarked between 5th August 1914 Midnight and 22/23rd November 1914 , no other date shown as entrence in to theater ?

Also it shows serveing as a captain in the Indian Army by when attatched to 4th hussars rank drops to Lieut ?

Note He went on to become COL.ARTHUR BROOKE D.L JP Secretary city of Aberdeen T.A.A Counties of Aberdeen and Kincardine .1930-46 County of Banff .1943-1946 Territorial Army Association

[Steven Broomfield]

The History of the 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars has him in C Squadron when the regiment embarked at Dublin on 15th August, 1914, as a Captain.

The History of the 18th Lancers comments (page 118) that Captain Brookee was on leave in England; it also comments that he was wounded well before any units of Indian cavalry arrived in France. Interestigly, referring back to the 4th's history it reports that Lieutenant A Brooke was wounded on 20th November, 1914, though in the text (page 48) it is reported that Captain Brooke was wounded by shell fire on the way back to Ypres from Hooge after being relieved.

I suspect one of several options: Indian officers on furlough were needed to make up the shortfall in trained officers, and were pretty keen to get to France, as they thought it likely Indian units wouldn't go (or wouldn't get there before it was all over). In that case, dropping a rank is quite likely. It is also likely he kept his official rank but acted as a Lieutenant.

Either way, t would seem he made it to France with the 4th Hussars, so an entry date in mid-August would be favourite.

[Guest exuser1]

Excellent ,and many thanks i belive you are correct with the idea of Indian Army Officers being in UK and then keen to be at the front being prepeared to drop a rank ,does make sense ,and his name seems to have a few diffrent spellings ie Brooke and Brook , the mic is quite detailed that the medals are the resonsablity of the Indian Goverment ,what i find a bit odd is this non commital to date of entrence in to theater ie any time betwwen August 14 and November ,again many thanks from excerts from Regimental History

[Guest]

Excellent ,and many thanks i belive you are correct with the idea of Indian Army Officers being in UK and then keen to be at the front being prepeared to drop a rank ,does make sense ,and his name seems to have a few diffrent spellings ie Brooke and Brook , the mic is quite detailed that the medals are the resonsablity of the Indian Goverment ,what i find a bit odd is this non commital to date of entrence in to theater ie any time betwwen August 14 and November ,again many thanks from excerts from Regimental History

I believe there was a Army Order that all Indian Army Officers on furlough would report for duty in the UK. It wasn't their choice (despite their undoubted enthusiasm). The War Diaries of 1914-1915 are full of regiments and Bde and Div staff bulging with Indian Army officers pressed into service with the 'British' Army. It is not difficult to imagine as Kitchener's Army expanded more rapidly than the Army's ability to supply trained officers. The dearth of officers with experience in the Kitchener battalions at Gallipoli - where Kitchener battalions were first used in the massed deliberate assault - was very telling. I can't remember the reference but I am 99.9% certain there was a general/Army order which effectively created a pool of Indian Army officers in the UK who were subsequently farmed out to the newly formed Kitchener battalions, usually (but not always) in key roles. MG