Lot Essay
Sold with original Record Office forwarding letters and a good run of 9th Lancers' Concert Party Programmes, 1902-1912.
Private John Sydenham Ballsdon Gardiner, a Herefordshire man, had seen 16 years service with the 9th Lancers prior to embarking for France in mid-August 1914. The Regiment carried out a charge on Elouges Ridge, near Quievrain on the 28th of the month, when, under a hail of fire, it galloped over 2000 yards of open ground into six Battalions of the enemy - the latter were supported by six Batteries. One participant later wrote, 'We simply galloped about like rabbits in front of a line of guns, men and horses falling in all directions. Most of one's time was spent in dodging the horses'. Then on 7.9.1914, the 9th Lancers carried out another spectacular charge against Germany Cavalry at Moncel, this being the last occasion on which a British Cavalry Regiment participated in a lance-to-lance action. Remarkably, on this occasion, casualties were much lighter, amounting to three killed and eight wounded. Sadly Gardiner was almost certainly among the latter, dying of wounds at Charte Indre on 20.9.1914. Aged 34 years, he was interred at Desir Cemetery.
Private John Sydenham Ballsdon Gardiner, a Herefordshire man, had seen 16 years service with the 9th Lancers prior to embarking for France in mid-August 1914. The Regiment carried out a charge on Elouges Ridge, near Quievrain on the 28th of the month, when, under a hail of fire, it galloped over 2000 yards of open ground into six Battalions of the enemy - the latter were supported by six Batteries. One participant later wrote, 'We simply galloped about like rabbits in front of a line of guns, men and horses falling in all directions. Most of one's time was spent in dodging the horses'. Then on 7.9.1914, the 9th Lancers carried out another spectacular charge against Germany Cavalry at Moncel, this being the last occasion on which a British Cavalry Regiment participated in a lance-to-lance action. Remarkably, on this occasion, casualties were much lighter, amounting to three killed and eight wounded. Sadly Gardiner was almost certainly among the latter, dying of wounds at Charte Indre on 20.9.1914. Aged 34 years, he was interred at Desir Cemetery.