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3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales)
3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales) proceeded to France in October 1914 and remained on the Western Front throughout the Great War.
18th Oct 1914 3rd Dragoons Home
28th Oct 1914 On the 28th October 1914, Major-General the Hon Sir Reginald Talbot, K.C.B. the honorary Colonel came down to bid the Regiment Godspeed, and on Friday 30th October it entrained by squadrons for Southampton, where it embarked on the s.s. Victorian. Sailing at 1:00am on the 31st October, 1914, the regiment arrived off Havre at 8:30pm, disembarked at 6:30 next morning, and marched up to the Rest Camp.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales?s) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918? by Captain H P Holt
2nd Nov 1914 3rd Dragoons leave camp On the 2nd of November squadrons left the Rest Camp at intervals of an hour and entrained at the dock station, Headquarters and ‘C’ Squadron being the first away at 8:00pm. The regiment reached Cassell about midnight on the 3rd.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales?s) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918? by Captain H P Holt
4th Nov 1914 3rd Dragoons march to Wittepoort Farm After bivouacking near the station at Cassell, the 3rd Dragoons marched at 10am on the 4th by way of Poperinghe and Ypres to Wittepoort Farm, which was reached about 8:00pm.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918 by Captain H P Holt
5th Nov 1914 3rd Dragoons go into trenches The weather was very cold and wet and the camp was shelled during the afternoon of the 5th, when three men were wounded.
The 6th Cavalary Brigade which the 3rd Dragoon Guards had now joined, had been almost continuously in action since they landed in Belgium. They had suffered severely, the reinforcement therefore being very welcome. The regiment had not long to wait for their first action, as every man was needed in the line. At 5:30pm on the 5th they paraded dismounted, and marching through Hooge, took over the trenches on the eastern front of Herenthage Woods, south of Ypres-Menin road, at 10:00pm.
‘A’ Squadron was in the centre with a machine gun, ‘B’ squadron on the right and ‘C’ on the left with another machine gun. The trenches were very inadequate. Men had to climb over the top from one trench to another. Several were killed whilst so doing by snipers and shell fire.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918 by Captain H P Holt
6th Nov 1914 3rd Dragoons under fire At dawn on the 6th November there were several outbursts of rifle fire and the position was shelled at 9:10am. There was no protecting wire, the country was open with some woods and a few farms dotted about here and there. The Germans were entrenched about 150 yards from their front. Between 9 and 10:00am and again from noon to 2:00pm, there were heavy bombardments with renewed rifle fire. Enemy attacks were expected, so the right of the line was strengthened by two troops of the 1st Royal Dragoons with two machine guns at about 4:00pm. When one gun crew was wiped out by a shell Private Sharkey carried on till another shell hit him, refusing to have his wounds attended as every man was wanted at his post.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales?s) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918? by Captain H P Holt
7th Nov 1914 Reliefs At 2:00am on the 7th November the Regiment was relieved by the 5th Fusiliers, reaching it’s bivouac at 6:00am. The losses had been heavy in the first fight. This was largely due to the inadequate protection against shell fire. Captain Hodginson had been mortally wounded, dying the next day, and 20 NCOs and men were killed. Captain Kevill-Davies, Lieut. Talbot and 34 NCOs and men were wounded.
The same evening the Brigade moved up to support Lord Cavan’s Brigade, bivouacking near Zillebeke. Lieut-Colonel Smith-Bingham took over temporary command of the brigade, as General Mackins had proceeded to Boulougne owing to illness.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales?s) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918? by Captain H P Holt
8th Nov 1914 3rd Dragoons in support At 5:00pm on the 8th November 250 men under Major Mason took over the support and reserve trenches about a mile south east of Zillebeke, but as their services were not necessary, they returned to camp at dawn next day.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales?s) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918? by Captain H P Holt
10th Nov 1914 3rd Dragoons stand to. On the 10th the regiment "stood to" at 5:30am, moved up dismounted at 1:00pm, to trenches at Zillebeke, and in the evening to a wood in rear of Lord Cavan’s headquarters, returning to camp at 10:00pm. 2nd-Lieut Horn was wounded by shrapnel in the afternoon.History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales?s) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918? by Captain H P Holt
11th Nov 1914 Prussian Guards attempt a break through. Wednesday 11th November will be remembered as the day when, after terrific artillery fire, the 1st and 4th brigades of the Prussian Guard made an attempt to break through to Ypres. Fifteen battalions, specially brought from Arras, managed to penetrate our line at three points, getting into some woods behind it. In spite of their numbers and fine tradition, the attack failed, however, with great slaughter to the enemy. On that date the 3rd Dragoon Guards "stood to" at 5:30am and moved up to support Lord Cavan at Zillebeke, returning at 9 o’clock in the evening. The following Army Order issued the next day to the 1st Division, 2nd Division, 3rd Division and 1st and 3rd cavalary Divisions is worthy of reproduction:
"G 983 12th November 1914. The Commander-in Chief has asked me to convey to the troops under my command his congratulations and thanks for the splendid resistance to the German attack yesterday. This attack was delivered by some fifteen fresh battalions of the German Guard Corps which had been specially brought up in which to carry out the task of which so many other corps had failed-viz, to crush the British and force a way through to Ypres. Since it’s arrival in this neighbourhood the 1st Corps, assisted by the 3rd Cavalry Division, 7th Division, and troops from the 2nd Corps, had met and defeated the 23rd, 26th and 27th German Reserve Corps, the 13th Active Corps, and finally, a strong force of the Guard Corps. It is doubtful whether the annals of the British Army contain any finer record than this.
Douglas Haig
(Lieut-General commanding the 1st Army Corps) History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918 by Captain H P Holt
12th Nov 1914 3rd Dragoon Guars at Zillebeke On the 12th November the 3rd Dragoons moved up again from the bivouac near Halte in support of Lord Cavan’s trenches about a mile due east of Zillebeke, and at 5:00pm went into other trenches about a mile south-east of the village. That night passed quietly. Although an attack was expected at 4:30am, nothing happened till 8:20, when the regiment was subjected to some very heavy shrapnel and rifle fire.
When relieved by the Blues at 6:30pm the Regiment had sustained the following casualties: Lieut Talbot, 5 NCOs and men killed and 15 NCOs and men wounded. Lieut Talbot had been previously wounded, when, sitting with his back to the parapet with four men, all five were killed by concussion from a shell which landed nearby.
History of the 3rd (Prince of Wales) Dragoon Guards 1914-1918 by Captain H P Holt
1th Nov 1914 3rd Dragoons in Action
29th May 1915 Heavy Fighting
26th Sep 1915 Dismounted Cavalry in Action
28th Sep 1915 On the Move 
10th Oct 1915 Recovering from Wounds
16th Oct 1915 The Derby Scheme
17th Nov 1915 Infantry Assault
1st Dec 1915 Derby Scheme Armlets
11th Sep 1915 Last day of Derby Scheme Recruitment
10th Jan 1916 Group System Reopens
14th January 1916 Battery Retaliates to Trench Mortars
9th February 1916 Call Ups
11 April 1917 Heavy Casualties
11th April 1917 Supplementary War Diary Record
11th May 1917 New Horses Arrive
24th Mar 1918 Cavalry Charge
10th August 1918 On the Move
3rd October 1918 In Action
9th October 1918 Into Action
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Want to know more about the 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales)? There are:6611 items tagged 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales) available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. |
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Those known to have served with 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales) during the Great War 1914-1918. - Coleman Frederick Philip. Pte. (d.2nd June 1915)
- Cousins James Richard . Pte. (d.30th May 1915)
- Flutter Frederick James. (d.11th Apr 1917)
- Goodsell Albert Walter. Private
- Guiver Thomas. Sgt. (d.6th Nov 1914)
- Haigh Francis Edward. Pte. (d.1st July 1915)
- Keegan James Joseph. Pte. (d.6th Nov 1914)
- Lavery J.. Pte. (d.6th Nov 1914)
- Lavery John. Pte. (d.6th Nov 1914)
- Leslie MC. Cecil George. Mjr.
- Neville Thomas V.T. Thacker. Capt. (d.13 May 1915)
- Nicoll Alaxander. (d.13th May 1915)
- Poole Edward Earnest. Cpl. C Sqn. (d.20th Nov 1914)
- Robertson William. Pte. (d.30th May 1915)
- Spensor Bernard. Sgt. (d.17th Nov 1914)
- Usherwood Frederick. L/Cpl (d.31st May 1915)
- Wain William. Pte.
- Wainwright Arthur. (d.6th Nov 1914)
- Wilson Thomas. Pte. (d.13th May 1915.)
All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please.
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260239 Pte. Thomas Wilson 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales' Own) (d.13th May 1915.) Just started doing family research. This was my great-grandfather, and I would love to find out more about him.
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254776 Pte. James Richard Cousins 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.30th May 1915) James Cousins was killed in action, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Menin Gate, along with fellow comrades from the 3rd Dragoon Guards.
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254641 Cpl. Edward Earnest Poole C Sqn. 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.20th Nov 1914) Edward Poole was born in Welshpool, Powys, his father was a Sergeant of police and his parents lived in Cwmbelan, a tiny village on the Welshpool Aberystwyth Road, just west of Llanidloes.
He loved horses and joined the 3rd Dragoon Guards from the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry in 1909. In 1912 he went to Egypt with the regiment to guard the Suez Canal.
When war was declared the regiment was shipped back to the UK from Alexandria to Liverpool. From there they moved to Ludgershall in Wiltshire and then to Southampton.
Taking the RMS Victorian they arrived in Le Havre on the 31st of October 1914 before joining the 3rd Brigade, 6th Division at Ypres on 4th of November 1914.
Edward was wounded in the Zillebeke Trenches, South East of Ypres, during the First Battle of Ypres, on 17th of November 1914 and died of his wounds, aged 27, on 20th of November 1914.
He is buried in Poperinge Old Military Cemetery, close to some of his colleagues, who we assume died in the same action.
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241472 Mjr. Cecil George Leslie MC. 3rd Dragoon Guards Cecil Leslie was aged 40 when he died on 11th August 1919. He is buried in the Old ground in the South-East part of the Kilmore Church of Ireland Cemetery, Castlegrain, Co. Cavan, Ireland.
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241363 Pte. William Robertson 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.30th May 1915) William Robertson served with the 3rd Dragoon Guards.
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226188 Capt. Thomas V.T. Thacker Neville 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.13 May 1915) Thomas V. T. Thacker Neville, Captain 3rd Dragoon Guards
was killed near Ypres while in command of his Squadron
on Ascension Day, 13th May 1915, Aged 34.
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217928 Pte. William Wain 3rd Dragoon Guards William Wain was a high experienced soldier serving over 37 years in the Army. Prior to being deployed with the BEF he had seen active service in 6 campaigns the first being in South Africa in 1881 followed by Egypt 1882, Khartoum 1884-1885, Black Mountain Expedition (India) 1887 and the South African War 1889-1902.
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216331 Pte. John Lavery 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.6th Nov 1914) John Lavery died aged 19 whilst serving with the Dragoon Guards, a regular soldier, he had previously served with the Durham Light Infantry. He went to France with the BEF on the 31st of October 1914.
John is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial and is commemorated on the Triptych in St. Paul's Church Jarrow.
he was born in Jarrow in 1895, he had enlisted in Jarrow and lived Lichfield Nottingham. In the 1911 Census he is recorded as John Lavery, age 16, a Metal Cleaner in an Iron Foundry, a Boarder with the Wallace Family living at 132, Dee Street, Jarrow-on-Tyne.
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211432 Frederick James Flutter 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.11th Apr 1917) Frederick James Flutter died 11 Apr 1917 he was a member of the 3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales Own). He has no known grave and is remembered on Bay 1 of the Arras Memorial. Frederick had joined the Army some years before the war was declared and was stationed in Egypt at the outbreak of hostilities. He went to France and was wounded in Sept 1915 returning to duty in 1916. Frederick was baptised at Monkton on 14 Mar 1884 the son of Richard Kingston (of Pembroke) & Margaret Jane Flutter(of Leeds) who late in the 19th century held the White Hart Inn Pembroke Street P.D. By 1917 residing at the Green. Richard, his father had been born at Castlemartin 25th Feb 1844 to Charles William & Martha Flutter. Richack Kington Flutter aged 36 a Farmer of Hardings Hill Angle had marrried Margaret Jane Thomas aged 32 of Moreston Farm Monkton the daughter of Thomas Thomas a sadler by licence on the 22 May 1880.
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211420 Pte. James Joseph Keegan 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.6th Nov 1914) My dad's cousin, Private James Joseph Keegan, aged 28 (Service N. D/3698)who is buried in the Ypres Reservoir Cemetry was killed on the 06/11/1914, probably around Ypres. I'm curious to find out any information that might cast some light on what engagement the 3rd Dragoon Guards were involved in on that date in which he met his death
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211144 Pte. Francis Edward Haigh 3rd Dragoon Guards (d.1st July 1915) Francis Haigh arrived in the Ypres Salient on 18/5/1915.
On the 1st June 1915 he was killed in action; 13 days after joining his unit in the trenches.
Apparently on 1st June 1915, there was some heavy shelling of the British front line at Hooge, Belgium.
Private Francis Haigh is commemorated with others of the 3rd Dragoon Guards who have no known grave, on the relevant panel of The Menin Gate at Ypres.
Rest in Peace.
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