Cavalry slaughter .

[Jerrymurland]

Steve, stuff is on the way to you. didn't know your surname!!

Jerry

[Guest ianukuk]

Hi,

I have recently found out that my great-grandfather was a captain in a mounted regiment at the somme, unfortunately I don’t know which one yet. I would imagine that he would have been part of a Cheshire regiment as he lived and would have enlisted in Macclesfield. I would much appreciate any information on a cavalry from this area. One thing I do know is that he was one of the lucky ones, he sat on his horse for 3 days and nights waiting for the order to tell his men to charge but it never came.

[Jerrymurland]

Its quite possible he was in the Cheshire Yeomanry, you could begin there. I don't think the CY were at monchy and again it is possible that the regiment was 'dismounted' as were many cavalry regiments to become infantry.

you could start with this link:

http://www.thecheshireyeomanry.20m.com/

and here:

http://www.1914-1918.net/CAVALRY/cheshire.htm

Jerry

[steve140968]

A big thanks Jerry , very much appreciated . ianukuk , have you tried tracing your great - grandfather on-line through the medal index cards at the National archives ? Regards , Steve .

[Guest ianukuk]

thanks for the help this has now given me somewhere to start, if anyone happens to come accross a captain J Axon if they could let me know that would be spot on.

once again thanks

[GrandsonMichael]

The parts Robert transcribed from J.W. Burrows, Essex Units in the War 1914 – 1919, The Essex Yeomanry, Vol. 3., to my mind, give a rather different explanation for the high casualty rate compared to some of the earlier quotes from other sources.

I would like to add some more information from Burrows as it is interesting to see that there is actually a marked difference between the different sources.

“Lieut.-Colonel Whitmore’s conclusions respecting this noteworthy action should be put on permanent record. He wrote:

1. (a) It was quite evident that Monchy was not held by troops before our arrival, although small parties of both the 111th and 112th Brigades were found in the village.

( The enemy might have easily occupied the entire village at any time prior to our cavalry having put it into a state of defence.

2. (a) Our casualties from shell-fire were extraordinary small in the open, but very severe in the village; this was due to the soft state of the ground in the open as opposed to the hard state of the roads and walls of the houses.

( If it had not been for the fact of being held up in front by machine guns the casualties caused by shell-fire would not have been serious, but the combination of the two caused considerable casualties.

3. Great difficulty was experienced in removing the led horses. This was due in the first place to casualties already caused, which blocked the roads, and, secondly, to the fact of such a large number of horses of many units all seeking the same shelter outside the village, thus attracting attention, with the result that the enemy’s guns were directed upon them at once.

There were constant visits over our lines during the day by enemy aeroplanes, which were left to their own devices on each occasion, unmolested except by ourselves. On one occasion I was informed that one swooped down very near the ground and used his machine gun against our led horses. If these enemy aeroplanes had not been allowed to visit us so often the position which we held would not have been so accurately marked by enemy guns.”

(Burrows, pages 139 & 140).

Cheers,

Michael

[GrandsonMichael]

Strangely in all the official accounts I have read the involvement of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry is not mentioned.

Jerry,

In addition to what Steve wrote about the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, the following quote from Burrows:

“Indications pointed to a counter-attack and consolidation actively proceeded on the northern and eastern sides of Monchy. Though bodies of the enemy could be observed in the neighbourhood of Infantry Hill concentrating for an offensive, the strength of the machine gun-fire prevented the German movement materializing. Isolated parties, chiefly of the 111th and 112th Infantry Brigades, were collected and were a welcome reinforcement to the rapidly dwindling cavalry regiments. Considerable assistance was also rendered later by a party of Northamptonshire Yeomanry, which had entered the town.”

(Source: J.W. Burrows, Essex Units in the War 1914 0 1919, pages 131 & 132).

Cheers,

Michael

[GrandsonMichael]

On the slightly brighter side of life?

"Amidst the general turmoil, wrote an officer, and noise of incessant bombardment, it was refreshing to hear Colonel Whitmore remonstrating with his adjutant (Captain R. C. Proby) for not taking cover. “My dear Dick”, he said, ‘if you continue to stand there you will be hit and I cannot afford to loose you.’”

(Burrows, page 131).

Cheers,

Michael

[Jerrymurland]

Thanks Michael, that's the first official mention i've seen.

[Gordon Caldecott]

Can anyone tell us an account of the whole incident? I`d never heard of it till a few moments ago, and am curious to know more?

Is this the incident, were the cavalry charged a farm house, only to hit a wire fence, and be mown down by machine gun fire? Something about the Queen mothers brother killed there also????

[Jerrymurland]

I think you have the wrong action Gordon, The action we have been discussing took place in April 1917 during the Arras Offensive when Cavalry units took Monchy le Preux. No mention of any wires in the accounts I have, or the Queen Mother's brother.

Jerry

[Gordon Caldecott]

Cheers Jerry.

Is the account of this battle long winded, or could we have a copy of it on this thread? Do you know the battle I`m talking about, thinking of it, I`m sure it happened in 1914ish?? Does anyone know when the Queen Mum`s brother was killed?

[Robert Dunlop]

Gordon, I can't speak to the Queen Mother's brother being killed, but the action you describe sounds more like the cavalry charge by the 4th Dragoon Guards and the 19th Lancers at Audregnies, just south of Mons, on August 24th, 1914.

Robert

[Robert Dunlop]

This account of the cavalry charge at Elouges. It was compiled by Richard van Emden, who edited the story of Ben Clouting in 'Tickled to Death to Go':

'The order to retire had been given at about 1 am [on the 24th August], and later that morning the 4th Dragoons were sent to cover the retirement of 5th Division from around the villages of Thulin and

Audregnies.

At around 6 am, and as a prelude to the day's fighting, the 9th Lancers and 18th Hussars contested the northern approaches to the smouldering town of Thulin with units of the enemy's 7th Division, retiring south as the full weight of the German advance was felt.

Later, at around 10 am, L Battery of the RHA shelled relatively small numbers of German troops seen advancing southwards from the same village. These troops had quckly retreated, and as L was itself coming under sporadic fire from German artillery, the battery began to retire with the rest of the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, until L was ordered to a new position on high ground, 600 yards south of the Audregnies-Elouges road.

The order to fall-back had been given by Allenby in view of the overwhelming forces ahead of him. It was to be a staged retirement, the main body of 5th Division moving south along three roads east of Elouges, with the 2nd Cavalry Brigade acting as the division's rear guard.

Only at around 11 am did Fergusson [GOC 5th Division] begin to realise the ominous threat to his left flank. A considerable gap of around 4,000 yards existed between Elouges and Audregnies, and reports from the Royal Flying Corps clearly showed that huge columns of German troops were heading southwards, and that, more immediately around Quievrain and behind the Valenciennes-Mons road, an entire army corps, the IVth, was preparing to advance, supported by artillery. In response, Fergusson sent forward his only reserves, consisting of 15th Brigade's 1st Cheshires, the 1st Norfolks, and the 119th Battery Royal Field Artillery; their job was to hold back an enveloping attack to be launched [by] the German 7th and 8th

Divisions. Realising the weakness of his position, Fergusson called on Allenby for assistance, in response to which he received the support of the 2nd and 3rd Cavalry Brigades, themselves retiring on Angre.

The 4th Dragoons arrived in the vicinity of Audregnies, halting in a stubble field near the railway station. The 4th Lancers were on the right, a little in advance. At around 12.30 pm, as Lt Chance of A Squadron [4th DG] recalled:

"Bull Allenby turns up, nods at Oldrey and rides off. 'Get girthed up' says Oldrey, 'Stand by your horses, prepare to mount, mount!'

The commands are rapped from troop to troop and 'walk-march' follows. There is a whee-thump of shells and a crash of house tiles from the village ahead."

If each squadron had a designated purpose in the attack, it became hopelessly lost in the excitement of the now famous charge. It was almost the entire Regiment of 9th Lancers which went into action first, with the help of a few men of the 18th Hussars. They attacked to the right of the Roman road, closely supported by the 1st and 2nd Troops of B Squadron, 4th Dragoon Guards. The two troops charged along the road in an attempt to seize a house variously refered to a cottage or a farm, which lay on the outskirts of the village of Baiseux. Coming under almost immediate shell, rifle and machine gun fire, both were forced to take cover, though not before a dozen or so casualties were sustained.

The direction of B Squadron's attack was now followed by at least two Troops of C Squadron, which, in charging to support B Squadron, managed to reach the house, before being swept off the right by the

intense German fire. Moments later, A Squadron attacked, making for the north-east edge of the village, where the 4th Dragoons' Machine Gun Section gave covering fire. A Squadron, with the remaining Troops of C Squadron galloped out and across the open fields in front of Audregnies, and were cut down.

During this attack several men were seen to plummet head first into a narrow, fifteen-foot deep cutting which ran across the line of charge, while those that got past were quickly forced to arc eastwards by a torrent of fire coming from the direction of Quievrain.'

Ben Clouting states:

'It was a proper melee, with shell, machine gun and rifle fire forming a terrific barrage of noise. Each troop was closely packed together and dense volumes of dust were kicked up, choking us and making it impossible to see beyond the man in front.'

Van Emden again:

'Major Levinson of B Squadron, 18th Hussars, had watched the charge with a grandstand view: "Suddenly there was a tremendous increase in the hostile gun and machine gun fire on our left. The first three squadrons carried lances (and were in open column of squadrons - the remainder had no lances) and appeared to be in column of troops as near as possible but in both cases, the formation, if even made, was

being rapidly lost as they were being exposed to a terrific shell and machine gun fire - a dozen shells bursting over them at a time - and I could distinctly see the men falling off their horses - others

evidently wounded just clinging on".

Arthur Osburn, who watched the confused scene, wrote later that "Every rifle and machine gun on their side was now also blazing away at our rather desparate and rather objectiveless cavalrymen."'

Ben:

'... hit the ground at full tilt and with my sword still firmly attached by a lanyard to my hand, was lucky not to impale myself. A riderless horse came careering in my direction and, collecting myself, I raised my hand in the air, and shouted "halt" at the top of my voice. It was a 9th Lancer's horse, a Shoeing Smith's mount and

wonderfully trained, for despite the pandemonium, it stopped on a sixpence."'

Some troopers made it to the sugar factory:

'... but it was an illusion of safety, quickly dispelled as first the German artillery and then machine gunners readjusted the range, plastering and spattering the walls with shrapnel and bullets, flushing the hapless troopers out. There was certainly no way forward, and really no way back; the only chance appeared to be

eastwards to two large conical slag heaps, 600 yards east of the sugar refinery.

Those with Talbot were ordered to dismount and get into action on top of the slag heap, but like the sugar refinery it proved too dangerous, for the German gunners quickly reset their sights and began to take the top off the mound with several well-aimed rounds.

Hundreds of men and horses now lay strewn across several fields, some dead, most wounded, some suffering from horrific injuries. To those who took part, the ill-fated charge became known as "Shrapnel Monday" or the "Joy Ride". Yet despite the ferocity of the Germans' rifle, machine gun and artillery fire that day, much of it was poorly directed against the on-coming cavalry. The Germans, as Osburn noted, "seeing a comparatively large mass of cavalry suddenly let loose and galloping towards them, got a bad attack of the nerves".

Their lack of resolve may also be attributed to the accurate fire of both the RHA and RFA Batteries which, while unable to locate their German counterparts, caused havoc among the closely formed ranks of infantry advancing from Quievrain.'

Robert

[wainfleet]

This excerpt from Trooper Clarence Garnett, 8th Machine Gun Squadron, Essex Yeomanry:

"I was riding a little horse called Nimrod and leading another with a pack saddle on his back loaded with boxes of machine gun ammunition. We had not gone far when a huge shell burst to my right. The pack horse fell, and as I was holding on to him so tightly, he pulled me out of the saddle. I let go and managed to stay on Nimrod, regaining my balance, but then my saddle slipped under his stomach. I rode on, hanging on for dear life, on his bare back. All the rest of the column had left me and seeing a huge hawthorn tree, I got behind it and adjusted the saddle. I remounted and rode on alone to where the others had gone and quickly entered the village where I saw a dead pack-horse with ammunition on his back, so I dismounted and took a box. Galloping along the street I soon reached the building marked 'Château' on my map, where I was stopped by an officer who demanded my box of ammunition and told me to follow him. By now there were a few of us and the shelling had become very heavy, so the officer ordered us to lie down under the shelter of a wall. As I was lying in a gap between two cottages, I immediately got up, still holding my horse, and lay down under the wall of the cottage opposite. I had not been there long when a light shell came through the gap in the cottages and cut down the officer and most of the others. Nimrod was terrified and he reared up violently, dragging me along the street for some yards until I was forced to let go. I never saw him again after that. As it was pointless staying in that spot, I wandered along the street and into the main square which was simply covered with dead horses and men. Later in the morning it started to rain and I swear the streets of Monchy ran red with blood."

Robert

Robert

Fantastic - a very belated thank you for posting this, which I've just found! Clarence Garnett was my great uncle. He only died about ten years ago, and I believe he was the last survivor of the Essex Yeomanry from the war. His mind was sharp, and his memory amazingly accurate, to the end. His best mate was Harry Mugford VC, whom he stayed in touch with long after the war and whose life, he told me, was virtually ruined by the injuries he received on that day.

IIRC, he told me that the "charge" was a mistake, that they were caught out by enemy fire and had to make an unplanned advance which sort of seems compatible with what's been written here. He told me too that he saw General B-J killed, and I formed the distinct impression that he was less than impressed with his conduct of the action.

Regards,

W.

[Robert Dunlop]

Thanks very much for the feedback. It is great to hear of the personal connection!

Robert