21st Lancers at Omdurman and the Essex Yeomanry

[eyman]

One wonders how many of the participants in the famous charge at Omdurman served with yeomanry units in WW1?

Until this week, the answer for the Essex Yeomanry was nil, as far as I knew. There was one man who was with 21st Lancers but missed the charge: Herbert Digby who served as 3329, 21st Lancers from 1891 to 1899 (Queen's and Khedive's Sudan Medals, no clasp). Recalled to the 17th Lancers for the Boer War he added QSA clasps Cape Colony, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Wittebergen and KSA & 2 date clasps as 5115.

Herbert Digby came from Great Holland, near Clacton and returned there after his army service. Following the outbreak of WW1, he enlisted in the Essex Yeomanry as 1698, almost certainly on 14 December 1914, and proceeded to France in February 1915. On 28 April, he was wounded by shellfire at Poperinghe.

Renumbered as 80567 in 1917, Herbert was killed in action on 11 April 1917 in the mounted charge at Monchy-le-Preux.

Thanks to the pension index cards at Fold3, I have now traced a definite Omdurman charger who served with the Essex Yeo! Take a bow, Edward Albert Rayner. He enlisted in the 18th Hussars in 1890, transferring to the 21st Hussars a couple of months later and then to 21st Lancers in April 1897. He was definitely at Omdurman, receiving a spear wound in his right side, and the two Sudan medals with the Khartoum clasp on the Khedive's edition. He also earned a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal and 1914-15 Star trio before being discharged in July 1918.

From May 1909, Edward served as SSM with Hertfordshire Yeomanry and proceeded with them to Egypt in November 1914. He fractured his skull in April 1915 and returned to the UK soon after, serving with 3/1st and then 2/1st Herts Yeo before - the grand reveal - transferring to 2/1st Essex Yeo on 26 October 1917. He served with 2/1 EY until his discharge.

Needless to say, I have neither group of medals!  Let's hear if there are other 21st Lancers "Or Glory" men who ended up in the yeomanry in WW1.

Ian