Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Captain J. A. Browning. 2nd Dragoon Gds:) good very fine £500-600

Major (Acting Lieutenant-Colonel) J. A. Browning was killed in action at Messines on 31 October 1914, and is buried in the Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery, Belgium.

James Alexander Browning was born on 25 June 1878, son of E. C. Browning, of Rushden, Northants, and was educated at Eton School, 1891-95. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen’s Bays) in May 1898, becoming Lieutenant in August 1899; Captain, September 1901; Major, July 1911, and assumed command of the regiment on 21 October 1914.

From March 1900 to November 1901, he was A.D.C. to the Inspector-General of Cavalry in Great Britain and Ireland. He served in the South African War, 1901-02, being present at operations in the Transvaal, Orange River and Cape Colonies, and received the Queen’s medal with five clasps. From July 1906 to July 1909 he was Adjutant of the regiment.

Browning went to France on 17 August 1914, as second in command of the Queen’s Bays, as part of the First Cavalry Brigade. They were engaged in the heavy fighting before Mons on 24 August and in the retreat from there a few days later. He was also present at the action at Nery, in which the First Cavalry Brigade routed the German 4th Cavalry Division after it had attacked them in their bivouac at dawn on 1 September.

On 21 October 1914, he assumed command of the regiment when the Commanding Officer was wounded in action. On the night of 31-31 October the Queen’s Bays were instructed to make and hold certain trenches just north of Messines. “C” Squadron was entrenched in advance of “A” and “B” Squadrons who were on the Messines-Ypres road. Early on the morning of the 31st, the enemy strongly attacked the left flank of “C” Squadron who were forced to retire by successive troops to take up positions in the rear and at about 10 a.m. the Bays were ordered to retire from the line of the road. Major Browning, completely disregarding his own personal safety, was standing in the open directing his men to take up a defensive position behind a hedge, when he was shot and killed instantly.

Sir John French later summed up the true meaning of these operations when addressing the 9th Lancers:

‘Particularly I would refer you to the period, October 31st, when for forty-eight hours the Cavalry Corps held at bay two German army corps. During the period you were supported by only three or four battalions, shattered and worn by previous fighting and in so doing you rendered inestimable service. There have been few episodes in the war which have been at the same time so splendid and absolutely vital. The First Cavalry Division lost 50% of its numbers between October 30th and November 2nd and the Second Division was hardly in better case but never did men give their lives to better purpose. Their heroism saved the Army.’

Major Browning was mentioned in Field-Marshal Sir John French’s Despatch of 31 May 1915. Sold with further research including extract from Bond of Sacrifice and a modern photograph of his grave-stone.