Description
Object description
British trooper and NCO served with 18th (Victoria Mary, Princess of Wales's Own) Hussars and 18th (Queen Mary's Own Hussars in GB and Ireland, 1906-1914; NCO served with 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars, 2nd Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div on Western Front, 8/1914-9/1914
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment as trooper with 10th (The Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Hussars in London, GB, 1906: employment as apprentice shoemaker in Regent Street, London, 1900-1906; background to initial recruitment at St George's Barracks, London, 4/1906. Recollections of period as trooper with 18th (Victoria Mary, Princess of Wales's Own) Hussars at Fulford Barracks, York, GB, 1906-1908: barrack accommodation; relations with recruits and NCOs; physical training; preparation of horses' food; sword practice; attending riding school.
REEL 2 Continues: cleaning saddlery; inspection parades; difficult nature of sword practice; deserters; rifle training; story of officer with speech impediment; question of visits into town; food; pay and expenditure including buying extra food.
REEL 3 Continues: relations with officers; role of troop sergeants; recreational activities on visits into town; pay; rifle training as recruit and trooper; exercising horse; cleaning stables and saddlery; leave allowance; nature of troop and squadron training.
REEL 4 Continues: nature of regimental formation training; annual training routine; specialist exercises for lance, sword and rifle tested at regimental sports days; dismounted action exercises; question of machine guns; brigade training exercises on Salisbury Plain; journey to Dunkeld Rifle Range, 1907.
REEL 5 Continues: reaction to mechanical unreliability of lorry during journey to Dunkeld Rifle Range, 1907. Aspects of period as trooper and NCO with 18th (Victoria Mary, Princess of Wales's Own) Hussars at Curragh Camp, Ireland, 1908-1911: relations with Irish civilian population; success in rapid rifle fire training and consequent cancellation of posting back to 10th (The Prince of Wales's Own) Royal Hussars. Aspects of period as NCO with 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars on internal security duties during dock and rail strike in Liverpool, GB, 1911: unloading and transport of beef carcasses; reaction of civilian population; personal morale. Recollections of operations as NCO with 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars, 2nd Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div in Belgium and France, 8/1914-9/1914: taking up positions on railway cutting and sight of failed attack by 9th (The Queen's Royal) Lancers in Elouges sector, Belgium, 24/8/1914; assuming infantry role and issue of bayonets prior to occupying trenches in Aisne area, France, 20/9/1914; inappropriate cavalry greatcoat
REEL 6 Continues: Aspects of mobilisation as NCO with 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars at Tidworth Camp, GB, 8/1914: assisting in quartermaster's stores; reaction to outbreak of First World War, 4/8/1914; question of role of cavalry; reservists; journey to France. Recollections of operations as NCO with 18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars, 2nd Cavalry Bde, 1st Cavalry Div in Belgium and France, 8/1914-9/1914: advance to area around Mons, Belgium; refugees; taking up positions on railway cutting and sight of failed attack by 9th (The Queen's Royal) Lancers in Elouges sector, Belgium, 24/8/1914; first casualties during patrol; illustration of confused situation during retreat; volume of fire.
REEL 7 Continues: story of ambushing German cavalry patrol; ration supplies and care of horses during retreat; cavalry role as rearguard; failure of German cavalry charge against dismounted cavalry position; issue of bayonets.