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9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2005 - Page 0060

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Regiment 9th/12th Lancers
Year 2005
Transcription 58 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S)
perished in the field with his brother officer, Lt Grafoon Finckenstein
from the 2nd Guards Dragoons.
Also investigation of the casualty lists for the day also places the
lst Guards Dragoons on the battlefield as well:
lst Guards Dragoons“. The figures for 2nd Squadron were 21 casu-
alties which, included five dead (Unteroffizer Ruhlrnann, Lange,
Dragoons Fisscher, jasschke, Larus and Rohrnann) and fourteen
wounded (including Capt oon Rheinhaben who was wounded, but
stayed with the Regiment). 4th Squadron are credited with 23 casu-
alties, which include eight dead (Lt Graf von Schwerin”, Gefreiters
Engelrnann, Studerrnann, Schulz, Starnrner and Dragoons Klowonn,
Nanrnann, Wenzel) and fourteen wounded.
In the history of 2nd Guards Dragoons there are no figures for
the 28 August 1914 and the only known casualty is Lt Heinrich
Graf von Finckenstein.
In conclusion we now know that both lst and 2nd Guards
Dragoons were present at Moy on 28 August 1914. The confu-
sion as to which Regiments were present seems to arise as to
which bodies or casualties were seen by which individual on the
day. Clearly the VRI on the shoulder straps did focus people’s
attention since they were surprised to see it, and it would appear
there were more casualties from the lst Guards Dragoons than
the 2nd and that is why it was an image that people remem-
bered. Ironically, the original point of research was to see how
the lst Guards Dragoons fit into the story and the 2nd Guards
Dragoons part was not questioned, however most of the infor-
mation came from the Regimental History of the lst Guard
Dragoons, and were indeed the were the larger contributor (two
Squadrons) on the day and it were the 2nd Guards Dragoons
(one Squadron) who were the smaller presence.
Other facts that also came out of the research was that King
George V was the Colonel in Chief of lst Guards Dragoons, and
Lt Col Clifton-Brown 12th Lancers had visited the lst Guards
Dragoons in Germany on a two week visit in 1909. Lt Col
Clifton-Brown wrote a detailed arti-
cle in the Regimental journal
explaining how the Guards ,
Dragoons were different from
British Lancers and answered many
of the questions raised as to why they
did what they did at Moy (advance
across open ground, poor use of
patrols and dismounted when under
fire). Both the Regiments were sister
Regiments in the same cavalry
Brigade and prior to the war had
been billeted together in the same
barracks in Berlin”. Also it was lst
Guards Dragoons that the 9th So/d/ert Garde Dragoher
Lancers would engage at Moncel just over a week later on 7th
September 1914.
In next year’s Journal I will be looking at both of the Regiments
and Lt Col Clifton-Brown’s article in more detail.
Maj PA Watson
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Restoration of the Regimental Bell
s a result of age and continual polishing the
Regimental Bell, that makes up the centre-
piece of the Regimental War Memorial, outside
RHQ, was in very poor condition with many of
the Battle Honours difficult to see. Thanks to
some painstaking refurbishment work complet-
ed by Edward Fraser Ltd the Bell has been
restored to former glory and is now a fitting
memorial to all those members of the Regiment
who have fallen in the line of duty. Using vari-
ously shaped punches and a hammer, with the
Bell supported in pitch, the Battle Honours and
Regimental Crest were brought back to life
through a process known as Repousse. Once the
pitch was removed the Bell was annealed and the
whole process was repeated. After several repe-
titions over a number of days the new details
were added before the Bell was ready to be pol-
ished and returned to its rightful position.
Edward Fraser Ltd is the appointed Silversmith
of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers and is currently
working on a full restoration plan for the
Regimental silver.
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