1st Dragoon Guards

[Marigold1]

Here's a bit of a puzzle. It relates to Private Alfred Hall Taylor (No: 5305)

According to the Loughborough Roll of Honour he was in the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards and was killed in action in Flanders on 30 October 1914.

The Long, Long Trail provides the information, however, that the Ist (King's) Dragoon Guards was in Lucknow, India, in August 1914 and did not arrive in France until 7 November 1914.

The database Died in the Great War (via Ancestry) gives the information that Alfred Hall Taylor was 'Household Cavalry. Cavalry of the Line. Bn: Corps of Dragoons, !st King's Dragoon Guards..

Am wondering if Taylor was with the 1st Royal Dragoons, rather than 1st King's Dragoon Guards, as the 1st Royal Dragoons arrived in Belgium on 8 October 1914.

Would be very grateful for comments on this.

Marigold:

[BFBSM]

His MIC shows that he entered the theatre of war on 8 October 1914, and his regiment as 1st D.GDS. which I think would mean your last sentence to be correct.

Mark

[Marigold1]

Thanks, Mark

[BFBSM]

CWGC also show him with the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards:

Rank: Private Service No: 5305 Date of Death: 30/10/1914 Age: 30 Regiment/Service: 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards Panel Reference: Panel 3. Memorial: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL Additional Information: Son of Henry and Sarah Ann Taylor, of 55, Leopold St., Loughborough; husband of Amelia Symes (formerly Taylor), of King St., Whetstone, Leicester. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/915775/TAYLOR,%20ALFRED%20HALL

[BFBSM]

I have found service records for Alfred, joining the 3 Leicestershire Regiment in 1901. Living at 86 Leopold Street, Loughborough. He then transferred to the 1st Dragoon Guards on 14 October, 1901, after 49 days drill (http://search.findmypast.com.au/record?id=gbm%2fwo96%2f0360%2f290%2f001&parentid=gbm%2fwo96%2f360%2f1251244&highlights=%22%22).

The Leicestershire and Rutland, Soldiers Died 1914-1920 Transcriptions on FindMyPast (http://search.findmypast.com.au/record?id=gbm%2fleic-rut%2f12242&highlights=%22%22)

First name(s) Alfred H Last name Taylor Age 30 Birth year - Birth place Southborough, Kent Service number 5305 Rank Private Unit or regiment Dragoon Guards Battalion 1 Enlistment date Leicester Location - City/Town Quorn County/State Leicestershire Country England Death year 1914 Death date 30-Oct-1914 Died 1914-10-30 Cause of death KIA Burial commemeration Ypres (Menin Gate) Mem., Belgium Memorial one Quorn Mem., Leics Notes PD. He was the son of Henry and Sarah Ann Taylor of 55, Leopold Street, Loughborough, Leics., and the husband of Amelia Symes (formerly Taylor) of King Street, Whetstone, Leics.

Mark

[BFBSM]

By the way, the 1st Dragoon Guards, are the King's Dragoon Guards. Why he entered France on the 8th October, the date the Regiment entrained in Lucknow for Bombay, is a mystery to me, unless he was attached to another Regiment.

During the early part of 1914 The King’s Dragoon Guards in India moved to Lucknow, and it was here on 31 August that the regiment received orders to mobilise, which it did by 11 September. On 8 October the KDG, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Bell-Smyth, entrained for Bombay with a strength of 16 officers, 532 men and 512 horses.On the 11 ‘A’ and ‘D’ Squadrons embarked on HT Chilka and the following day ‘B’ and ‘C’ on HT Franz Ferdinand.That day the regiment was brought up to full strength with 17 men and 42 horses from the Inniskilling Dragoons.On 12 and 17 November the KDG disembarked at Marseilles, moving a week later to La Source, Orléans to form part of the Lucknow Cavalry Brigade of the Indian Expeditionary Force.The other regiments of the brigade were the 29th Cavalry and the 36th Jacob’s Horse with ‘U’ Battery RHA in support.

http://www.qdg.org.uk/pages/WW-One-Part-2-119.php

[BFBSM]

Further from the 1st Queen's Dragoon Guards site:

The Regiment was instructed to make and hold certain trenches just north of Messines on the night of the 30-31st.‘C’ Squadron, under Major Terrot, were entrenched in front of ‘B’ and ‘A’ Squadrons, the latter being on the Ypres-Messines road.About 7 p.m. on October 30th, ‘C’ Squadron (Temporarily under Captain Moncrieff) successfully withstood a strong attack by the enemy. At 5.45 a.m. on the 31st, the enemy strongly attacked against the left flank of ‘C’ Squadron, who had eventually to withdraw by successive troops and take up other positions in the rear. Up to now ‘C’ Squadron had about 30 men wounded, including some men from ‘A’ Squadron. Lieutenant Paul and three troop sergeants were killed, and Lieutenant Milne was wounded. At about 10 a.m. the Bays were ordered to retire from the line of the road. Just as they reached a hedge a hundred yards to the rear, Major Browning was killed, while standing out in the open getting the men to line the hedge and form a firing line. Major Matthew Lannowe assumed command, and led the regiment back to the road under heavy shellfire, where the regiment held the line all day.

http://www.qdg.org.uk/pages/WW-One-Part-2-119.php

I would posit, he was attached to the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays).

[BFBSM]

I carried out a quick genealogy search on the QDG website, and they have information that you can order from them on Alfred: https://www.secure-server-hosting.com/secutran/secuitems.php, there is a $30 admin charge.

Mark

[Marigold1]

Brilliant, everyone. Very many thanks.

People on this forum always turn up trumps.

Marigold