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Remembered Today:

4th Queens own Hussars


Guest Hootsmon

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Here some more of the diary.

13/10/14

I laid in a trench for five hrs and a French woman gave us tea and eggs, bread, butter, very good of her hope we can do her a good turn, we did too just at daybreak Jack Pearce saw a German looking over the wall and let us know we went after him and saw 10 of them gallop away we caught one and we got all theuir lances we then joined the regiment. We were dismounted when a gun went off and our horses galloped away, we had a nice job to get them back. We had dismounted action in a wood and it was raining, we run about 5 miles the enemies infantry after us. One section wiped out completely and Mr Lonedale killed, we can't find our horses and the Germans right on us we did not know what to do, the Dublin came along and I am glad they are on our side the Germans are very sorry. I might say they did move and the Germans turned and run for all they were worth.

We reached billet about 12 midnight nearly dead.

14/10/14

Rested all day Siddons slightly wounded.

15/10/14

Digging trenches all day and making loop holes in the roof of houses.

16/10/14

I left with Mr Faulkner very early in the morning to have a look round see if any Germans about. We had to cross two fields on our hands and knees, we were wet through but still kept on, we saw a patrol and found out the village was held, while I was comming back I met Pte Smythe of A squad I told him to keep of the road but I found him dead soon afterwards he was on the road. We had a game with one German sentry Mr Faulkner and I crept up near him and first he would make a noise and when the sentry ran to find out who it was I made the same noise we kept him running for 15 minutes, then went back to billet. We started at 3 oc pm dismounted to attack the village we went about 5 mls across fields the wholw Bdge, the 4th crossed the railway and captured the station we then made a rush for the town, my God we did get it, machine guns in houses, on the church and all houses filled with Germans, we held half the town so we had to go. Cpl Wakefield shot in the head dead, Sgt Dellow wounded.

17/10/14

We are going to Messines to rest and we want it.

18/10/14

I have got a bad leg and the doctors sent me with transport.

26/10/14

My name is in the papers for coolness under fire and helping wounded men while under fire.

3/11/14

My leg is poisoned I'm still with transport. I went to see the regiment and found we lost some good officers Mr North, Capt Hunt, and my old chum Fred Ewans dead.

6/11/14

I rejoined and alarm sounded at 12 midnight but we went back to billet.

13/11/14

Trenches for 36 hrs it rained snow and hail the whole time we could not move, very bad trenches, and we had one gun with us the one in pieces.

14/11/14

A great chum of mine died of cold Pte McKieman.

16/11/14

We had to go about 7 miles to get our horses we could hardly stand yet we kept on and falling down and going to sleep the officers kept us going.

18/11/14

At last we reach billet we can not eat, sleep, at all.

19/11/14

Turn out again 2nd Bdge are returning we have got to go in trenches again for 24 hrs.

20/11/14

Ypres this is a nice trench dead Germans everywhere we sit on them stand in fact we have got to sleep on them tonight if we can. I was very lucky again I was laying with a man to keep each other warm when he was hit with a piece of shell how I was not hit I don't know.

When I am reading the actual diary I can see his wrighting change I can just imagine the stress he is going through, and looking through a magnify glass I can see cigerette ash burns on the pages.

Thats all for tonite will post some more later

Rich

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Interesting as ever madraf. Was there any mention of the attack on the Mont des Cats? It seems strange as the attack took place on 12/10/14 by 3rd Cavalry Brigade (4th Hussras, 5th Lancers and 16th Lancers) yet no mention in the diary? Unless of course his squadron or troop was not involved with seems unlikely. Also, no mention of the attack on Warneton which took place shortly after.

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Ciaran

no the diary does not make any mention of these places, I guess it is possible that he had his dates mixed up or for some reason was not involved in them but like you say that would seem unlikely. Were Mont des Cats & Warneton towns or villages? I guess it's possible he didn't know exactly where he was some of the time so these names never came up.

Ill post some more tomorrow

tiil then

Rich

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Well, the Mont des Cats was a rather large area of high ground upon which a monastary was situated. 3rd Cavalry Brigade attacked this position and captured it from the Germans. They then went on to the village of Warneton where heavy fighting took place in an attempt to take it from the Germans. After some heavy hand to hand fighting they were beaten back by the well dug in enemy.

As you say, it could be that he did not know the name of the area he was in but I think it more likely he was involved in some recce duty away from these areas judging by the entries in the diaries for the days surrounding these events. I could of course be wrong though!

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Hi Ciaran

I'll check 4th Hussars in the great war to see if I can figure out if some of the men were sent out on recon at that time. Ill post some more diary tonite after work.

Rich

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry i havent posted in a while but my computer was down, sometimes it's easier to find information from 90 years ago than it is to find modern technology. But while I was down I noticed that I missed a day from the diary and what an eventfull day to miss, well here it is.

10/9/14

Once more I lead the regiment and I am to protect the advance guard. I went in front myself as I do not like sending men out to get shot at, after going about a mile I saw a man laying in the road of course I rushed at him but he was dead, I sent all papers he had on him back and rode on, his head and leg were shot through.

I had one man with me Pte. Groom so got as far as the village I stopped to look through my glasses and saw

hundreds of Germans so I sent a report back to sat the village was held but groom never came back. I was left with the enemy all around me. One officer saw me and tried to catch me but I shot him in the chest and got away, of course I was lost but met one of our men who said he was lost too so we kept together, we found a German cart turned over and looked in we found a lot of stuff for eating and I had a blanket I will keep this as long as I can. We met Mr Swoands, Aldy, and Amey in fact I was just going to shoot them as I took them for Germans but they shouted well they were lost too. We are all going to find the regiment. Mr Swoands is going back to the village with Aldy and Amey and I told him not to go, well he was killed and Amey badly wounded and Aldy nearly dead with fright. I told the other man Mr Cantly to keep with me and I would find the Reg. Well we found the 15th infantry Bdge and they had one batry of art who had lost their guns, the 27th Bdge and Lt. Nerve was in charge of them they were acting Mj. The officer came from Newbridge and I had a good talk with him he said he would like me to lead his men into a village as I knew about it than his men, when we got near the village I saw some of the enemy get out of a motor car and we let them have it we killed 4 and wounded 2 and captured 2 and the motor car not a bad days work. I had a belt of a serge to keep. We led the prisioners back and handed them over to our infantry and we heard good news our infantry had taken 1,000 prisioners 9 guns and 12 mascars, we lost one officer, 3 men dead.

Pretty big day to miss eh? As I was reading the forum something didn't seem right and something was missing. I'll post some more tomorrow if my comp stays stable.

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I'm really going to have to dig out my 4th Hussars war diary and compare notes. As you say, its fascinating to get two takes on the same story.

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Ciaran

Looking at the war diaries I see a Lt Sword being killed not Swoands as I thought it said in my grandads diary

Here's what the official diary sais.

post-902-1158868849.jpg

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21/11/14

After 24 hrs we leave trench and go back to same billet.

22/11/14

We started building overhead cover for horses, we are supposed to be resting but we do more than many men who get 45/ a week. Pat went sick and sent home.

3/12/14

We are still supposed to be resting. The King inspected us to-day he looked rather old. The farm we are in belong to some pro German but we are giving him something to do.

6/12/14

Gen. French inspected us to-day he said he was proud of the old fourth.

24/12/14

Guns firing as hard as they can from 5 am till 12 midnight.

25/12/14 Christmas Day

We played football but lost and we had dinner all together rather a good time and we got some beer at night.

31/12/14

I am going on leave until 4/1/15 I shall have a good time you bet. I reach Hazlebroch at 9 oc and was in London 2 oc.

1/1/15

I spent the day going to see my sisters and I saw Pat just going to Curragh.

2/1/15

Time flies and I had a good time.

4/1/15

Back again in billet.

11/1/15

I am in charge of my troop and we went about 40 miles to a place called Hanleels we are going to get some more horses.

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Madraf,

Firstly may i say that your photos are really good and a pleasure to see. I cannot give you any specific information on your Grandfather but you may find the following website of interest to you.

www.qrh.org.uk

if you follow the links on the right hand side you will find a very interesting piece regarding the 4th Queen's Own Hussars from Formation as Berkleys Dragoons in 1685 all the way through to thier amalgamation with the 8th King's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958.

you will also find a discussion board very similar to this and there are many poeple on there with interests in the 4th Hussars who may be able to help you further with information regarding your grandfather.

I hope that you do not think that i am trying to stear you away from this site because i am not but being a serving member os The Queen's Royal Hussars which is ultimately the successor regiment to the 4th, i speak with fact of the information that is there.

Good luck and best regards.

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Bluenose

I'm glad you are enjoing the diary, & thanks for the link to the QRH, I will check it out to-day. And don't worry

about stearing me away from this site as we are all here to gain knowledge about our relatives or someone that served

in WW1 and any info or link will help.

thx Rich

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  • 1 month later...

To all the Pals that have been reading my Grandad's Diary and wondering why it stopped I have to appologize. With the passing of my father & family duties I have not been able to post for a while.

I will continue now if anybody is still interested.

13/1/15

We make a riding school and settle down for a good time, my troop played football with 4 troop and won 4/2.

15/1/15

To-day we had a game with HQ, beat them 11 / 5. I was mending all the squads boots but as I got no pay for it I soon left.

26/1/15

We had another game to-day A squad and beat them 6 / 4 I think we have got the best team in the regiment.

27/1/15

Snow and very cold.

28/1/15

I met some 8th Hussars, very glad to see them.

29/1/15

Put in a pass to go and see 8th Hussars.

31/1/15

Saddle up and back again to Ottersteen, it was snowing all the time, very bad ride.

6/2/15

Pte. Stringer went sick.

8/2/15

I start bomb throwing and was in charge of the squadron team, Cpl Martin is rather good.

12/2/15

Yhe motor bus came and off we go to Ypres we had a nice ride, made us think of London and home.

13/2/15

We slept in a prison last night and now standing too for trenches, we turned out at 12 midnight in trenches by 2am.

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14/2/15

Nearly dead with cold and water up to our knees but make the best of it. We have some good snipers so have the Germans, still raining.

15/2/15

Pte. Raybold was shot in collar bone and Sgt, Peake killed outright then Sharpe was wounded. We are going to change places with 5th Lancers. We are about 15 yards from German trench, can here them speaking quite plain and we stood for 3 hrs water up to the knee and mud all over our faces. At 12 midnight we heard a band playing and the Germans started singing and we joined in with them.

17/2/15

Big battle on our right and we heard that our people had retaken some trenches. We had some sport putting our caps on top of trench and when they fire we gave them one in the same place. Still raining, we heard them sapping and reported it.

18/2/15

Gen. Gough inspected us to-day it made us laugh to see him up to his waist in mud and water. 6 day now and I beleive we are goinf out tonight for a rest. Roll on.

19/2/15

2pm at last we are releived, and some of the men could not walk and we had to help each other what a night, walk, walk, walk,walk sore feet hungry but give me sleep, at last we got to the prison again and we washed our feet and fell down to sleep. I did not wake up until 10 oc next day then I had a pound of bread some tea.

20/2/15

I am rather sore and Cpl. Hamill went sick, not many boys left now. We are in reserve to 16th Lancers.

21/2/15

Called out to support 16th they are badly cut up, we waited to see how many men we had. Cpl Hamill in hospital another man shot himself but we go and found the 16th had lost 98 men, the enemy bombed us all night.

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22/2/15

We were just having some tea when the made an attack, we kept them back and they must have lost hundreds.

23/2/15

We put the dead all together and made a nice grave for them. This morning the enemy kept us busy all day and we hope to be relieved tonight. We got away at 6 pm. My troop sargent poisoned so I take my troop to the bus and home to Ottersteen once more.

24/2/15

I am very sick and can hardly walk so I shall go sick if no better tomorrow.

25/2/15

I have to go to hospital at Revon and that was full up, I went to Le Harve reached there 3/3/15.

6/3/15

I am better but am taking over a nice job.

14/3/15

I am in charge of German prisoners in hospital.

2/4/15

Leasve Le Harve and am expected to rejoin my regiment.

18/4/15

I am with regiment at Hazlebrock very nice place.

9/6/15

Went to Dickebush to dig trenches, fine life this is we are brown and strong as anything we get a shell now and then. The people are all spies and I am surprised we let them stop.

20/7/15

Went to trenches as usual but I just got back to field when they started shelling us. My God it was hot too. Well I laid down and about 5 minutes after, I was hit in the hip it did not hurt much at first, they put me in a motor and off to Baillue I went When I came too the first man I saw was my brother he was hit in the back. I thanked him for carrying me out of the line of fire as he did to.

21/7/15

Well the next day I was sent to Boulogne and ther they found nine pieces of shell in my leg and hip. I was sent home to England and arrived at Netly on 27/7/15 nearly dead. Capt. Crowle is my doctor and I find him vry good he has saved my leg, the sisters too very good.

I think this is all until I am better and out again.

I hope everybody enjoyed the Diary this is where it ends, allthough William did return to France and served in the Labour corps he did not add to the Diary.

Thanks Rich

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  • 3 years later...

Hi all.

I too have been researching the Millitary background of a great Uncle who served with the 4th Hussars and was killed in 1918. He was Corporal Robert Hamill and he entered WW1 in August 1914. I found this website after much searching but am glad to say the effort looks like it may have been worthwhile. The photographs and diary extracts were particularly interesting because it is possible that Robert Hamill is in the photographs and there is mention in the diary of a Cpl. "Hamell" on the entries for 20.02.1915 and 21.02.1915.

Madraf - if you read this could you possibly check the spelling of Cpl. " Hamell". I know that my relative entered France in August 1914 as a lance Corporal so it is absolutely feasible that this is him.

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Hello and welcome!!

Firstly, I can understand why you added to this thread, it must have taken a lot of searching!

Secondly, did you know Corporal Hamill had been awarded the Military Medal as well as the "usual" British medals?

Name: HAMILL

Initials: R

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Corporal

Regiment/Service: 4th (Queen's Own) Hussars

Date of Death: 20/04/1918

Service No: 8792

Awards: M M

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Allied Sect. 1116.

Cemetery: GUISE (LA DESOLATION) FRENCH NATIONAL CEMETERY, FLAVIGNY-LE-PETIT

It may be worth asking the Moderators to start a separate thread for you, with his own Name and Regiment in the thread title. You won't have access to the Private Message facility until a minimum of 5 posts, so you can start building by replying to any responses!

I hope you enjoy whatever information turns up!

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Hi Kevin and thanks for the welcome.

Yes I knew that he was awarded the MM but am trying to find out what for and when.

I have a reasonable amount of info on Cpl. Robert Hamill from his birth cert and from census records and we even have some correspondence and postcards from him. However, when I started looking a little deeper into his background and speaking to other family members it became obvious that we really knew nothing of this man and his experiences in WW1.

I know when and where he was born, where he was living and working in 1911 from census returns and where he is buried. What I don't know is when and where he was wounded prior to his death on 20.04.1918. I have pieced together a speculative scenario leading up to his death which I think is fairly reasonable but lacks confirmation.

He is buried in Guise ( La Desolation ) cemetery in France, what is significant here is that Guise was a German held town until November 1918 ( Robert died in April 1918 ). This particular cemetery was started by the Germans and contains only around 40 allied graves. It is therefore possible that Robert was wounded and captured by the Germans, who then treated him. According to his death cert he died of wounds on 20.04.1918. I assume that it was then the germans who buried him.

He is mentioned in the June 1918 edition of the London gazette having been awarded the MM. What I am trying to put together now are the events leading up to his death. I have requested a quote from the National Archives for copies of the 4th Hussars War Diaries of March and April 1918. Since Cpl. was awarded the MM and died in April there is a chance he gets a mention. I have also ordered a copy of the book " the 4th Hussars in the Great war ".

It was great to find this website and this thread. The photographs at the beginning are fantastic, not just as historical documents but also for their photographic quality, hard to believe they are almost 100yrs old. It's also possible that my relative is in that very photo. The diary extracts posted here also were very interesting, and again since there is a possible reference to a Cpl."Hamell".Great stuff and well done to all who have taken the time to post.

Thanks everyone.

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Hi Hamill

I will dig out the old diary tonight when I get home, it is possible that I copied it wrong as it is quite old. I have a copy of the Fourth Hussars in the Great War, if you want me to look up anything just let me know.

Rich

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Rich

Great War Diary thanks. It tells me it snowed the day my grandad arrived in France! Does the history make mention of a Captain Mason or Lt Mewburn in 1914-15?

Well done on all of this

Patrick

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Hamill

I checked my grandads diary & found that you are correct, the first referance on the 20th definately sais Hamill while the referance on the 21st showing him going to hospital does look like Hamell. So I checked the copies of the war diaries that I have and it shows cpl Hamill 8792 being sick.

Rich

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Hi Patrick

I had a quick look through the 4th Hussars in the Great war book and it does show Capt Mason being awarded DSO and being mentioned in dispatches,

I couldn't see anything on Lt Mewburn but will have another look & will let you know. You say it was snowing when your grandad arrived in France was Mason or Mewburn your grandad?

Rich

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Thanks Rich

My grandad was in the 14th Hussars attached to the 20th Hussars

Mason and Mewburn were 14th Hussars attached to the 4th Hussars

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Hi all

I have some info on the death of Colonel Hogg the CO on 1st Sept 1914 referred to in earlier posts which I can root out if anyone is interested.

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Hi Rich.

Thanks for looking up the diary again.

Yes, thats him ok, 8792 Cpl.Hamill. So that means your grandfather and my great uncle were mates in 1914-1915 and went through the early part of WW1 together. Amazing that we are sitting here now discussing this. Well done to your grandad for writing all this down. Do you know if your grandad was in "C squadron "? The reason I ask is because of the photos at the beginning of the thread. If your grandad was in C squadron then there is a chance that Robert Hamill was also in C and therefore is also in the photo.

Can I ask which diary is it that refers to Robert Hamill's service number, is it your grandads diary or do you have access to other war diaries? Thanks for the look up offer in the Hussars history book but I have ordered the book so can have a read through when it comes.

Like I said before I am trying to find war diaries or anything which might shed some light on Cpl. Hamill's death in 1918. I have tried the National archives but so far they have not been very forthcoming.

Just as a general question since I am not very well versed on things millitary. When I began searching for Cpl.Hamill's millitary background I initially assumed he would be in one of the Irish regiments since he was from Belfast but by chance more than anything else found out he was a Hussar. How did the Hussars recruit? Cpl. Hamill also seems to have been a career soldier since he was a Lance Corporal in 1914, this would suggest he joined some years prior to the outbreak of WW1. Did the Hussars recruit in Belfast,Dublin or Ireland generally or were they drawn from all over Britain? Was being a Hussar or a member of a cavalry regiment something that was considered prestigious?

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