A Small Collection of Awards to the 21st Lancers

Three: Private L. Branch, 6th Dragoon Guards, late 21st Lancers, who participated in the latter regiment’s celebrated charge at Shabkadar in September 1915

1914-15 Star (L-2464 Pte. J. Branch, 21st Lrs.); British War and Victory Medals (L-2464 Pte. J. Branch, 21 Lrs.), minor contact marks, otherwise generally very fine (3) £180-220

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Small Collection of Awards to the 21st Lancers.

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John Branch was a pre-war regular who went out to Egypt with the 21st Lancers in November 1910 and, on the regiment’s return to India, was present in its opening action of the War, namely the celebrated charge at Shabkadar on 5 September 1915, when fellow 21st Lancer, Shoeing-Smith Charles Hull, was awarded the V.C. The regimental history takes up the story:

‘The Mohmand tribe, a warrior race of Afghan origin, encouraged by German and Turkish arms and money, advanced south through the Khyber Pass towards the rich Punjab. A Field Force was immediately sent to meet them and the Regimental Headquarters with ‘B’ and ‘C’ Squadrons and the Machine-Gun Section marched from Risalpur at the end of August 1915, to join it.

Early on the 5 September, after a day or two spent patrolling the area, a large number of tribesmen was found entrenched in the foothills near the village of Shabkadar. A confused battle developed after the Field Force infantry advanced and finally a charge was made by the two squadrons led by the Commanding Officer, to clear a force of the enemy which was outflanking our line.

A canal had to be crossed in order to reach the enemy and inevitably there was some confusion and loss of formation. As each man scrambled out he was engaged at close quarters and, although tribesmen outnumbered the squadrons by five to one, a large number of them were accounted for before they could escape into the thick fields of eight-foot-high maize.

Private (Shoeing-Smith) C. Hull was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour in this battle. Seeing that Captain G. E. D. Learoyd, the Adjutant, had had his horse shot under him and was in great danger, Hull galloped up to him under a heavy fire, took him on his horse and carried him to safety.

Regimental Sergeant-Major E. Ryder, Staff-Sergeant (Saddler) W. Simpson and Lance-Corporal T. Ballard were all awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Mr. Ryder, who was commissioned as a Regimental Officer soon afterwards, freed a Private whose foot was caught in the stirrup iron of his fallen horse. Staff-Sergeant Simpson first rescued a Sergeant who had been dismounted, was surrounded, and in great danger, and then went on foot to protect an officer who, being mortally wounded, was unable to protect himself. Lance-Corporal Ballard first offered his horse to his Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel J. B. Scriven, whose own had been shot under him. The Colonel refused to take it, but, catching hold of a stirrup leather, went forward again with Ballard and Lance-Corporal Lucas towards the enemy. They had not gone far before Colonel Scriven was shot through the heart, his last words being: “Go on, lads, I’m done.” Ballard, however, refused to leave his body, and, with Lucas, dragged it to the edge of a maize field. They lay behind it and kept the enemy at bay firing over it until Ballard saw the 1st Lancers (Indian Army) coming up when he broke from cover and guided the Commanding Officer to the body of his Colonel.’

Branch, who went on to serve as a marksman in ‘B’ Squadron, changed his name to Christopher John Simmonds in January 1920 and transferred to the 6th Dragoon Guards in the following month, and was still serving as an Acting Corporal in August 1922; sold with a quantity of copied research.