6/Dragoons, Villers Hill British Cemetery

[laughton]

I need some assistance from the Pals on the GWF.

 

We have two Canadians that are UNKNOWN and most likely in the Villers Hill British Cemetery. One of those is a Lance Corporal in the Cavalry, the details of which I have posted on our CEFSG forum here: 

Unknown Cavalry (2): F407 Villers Hill British Cemetery

In order to close in on that topic, I had to look to see if there were British Cavalry units in that area, which is when I came upon this issue associated with the 6th/Dragoons. Either I have the complete wrong unit or there is a mix up at the CWGC.

 

Were the 6th Dragoons a cavalry unit? It appears from Chris's Long Long Trail (here) that they were. If that is true, then I could not prove the Canadian Lance Corporal on the basis of CAVALRY, as he could be a Dragoon, of which there are six (6) on the Cambrai Memorial for 1 December 1917. How do they differ from the Dragoon Guards?

 

There is some confusion with the Dragoons as listed:

 

The main case where it seems to start is with Private Watson #D/9262, listed on the CWGC as 6th Dragoons (Inniskilling) who died on 1 December 1917. If we check the GRRF (2060408) it says the man in that grave, by  that name did die on 1 December 1917, however the COG-BR (2630876) says he was a Dragoon Guard - is that the same unit? You will see on that COG-BR there are a number of other Dragoons, in particular the UNKNOWN LANCE CORPORAL who died on 7 October 1918. If you check  the CWGC (this link) there are none listed for that period, so the date must be wrong. If the correct date is 1 December 1917, then there are 25 men on the CWGC (this link), 21 of which are on the Cambrai Memorial. If you check all of November and December 1917, you get the same results, the 21 KIA on December 1st.

 

That may mean that the Serjeant in Plot 6 Row D Grave 1 is Serjeant Frederick Henry Ashton, if the COG-BR (2630876) says he was a Dragoon, which is not what appears on the GRRF (2060437). That one page could have 18 of the missing 21 Dragoons.

[Steven Broomfield]

In answer to the question about Dragoons differing from Dragoon Guards, the answer is that by 1914 it was merely in name (and in items of dress when not in khaki). The differences are purely historic and relate to the development of mounted troops in the British (and irish) service into two strains - 'Horse' and 'Dragoons'. The latter were effectively mounted infantry whereas the former were what we would know as cavalry.

 

In 1914 there were 7 regiments of Dragoon Guards (numbered 1 to 7), and three of Dragoons - the 1st (or Royal), 2nd (Royal Scots Greys) and 6th (Inniskilling).

 

At the time you mention, the Inniskillings were in one of the Indian Cavalry Divisions, heavily involved at Cambrai helping hold the German counter attack.