The Barry Hobbs Collection of Great War Medals

Five: Sergeant W. Bridges, 1st (The King’s) Dragoon Guards, attached 1st Life Guards, who was present with the Life Guards at the time of their action on Zandvoorde Ridge, 30 October 1914 1914 Star, with clasp (6153 L. Cpl. W. Bridges. 1/D.Gds:); British War and Victory Medals (1DG-6153 Cpl. W. Bridges. 1-D. Gds.); India General Service 1908-35, 1 clasp, Afghanistan N.W.F. 1919 (19597 Sgt. W. Bridges, 1 K.D. Guards.); Imperial Service Medal, G.VI.R., 2nd issue (William Bridges) in fitted case of issue, together with related glazed framed Central Chancery forwarding certificate for the last, dated 17 March 1950, nearly extremely fine (5) £300-£400 --- I.S.M. London Gazette 17 March 1950: ‘Postman, Higher Grade, London Postal Region.’ William Bridges was born in May 1889 at Camberwell, London and attested for the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards in 1906. Following the outbreak of the Great War, he was recalled from the reserve and attached to the 1st Life Guards, entering France with them at Zeebrugge on 9 October to form part of the 7th Household Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division. Bridges would have been present during the famous action at Zandvoorde Ridge on 30 October, described in the War Diary by Captain the Hon. E. H. Wyndham in the following understated fashion: ‘Zandvoorde - Oct. 30. 6am - Heavy bombardment of position opened. At 7.30am position was attacked by large force of infantry. This attack proved successful owing to greatly superior numbers. Regiment retired in good order about 10am except C Squadron on left flank from which only about 10 men got back. Remainder of Squadron missing.’ A number of reservists from the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards serving with the 1st Life Guards can be identified among those killed at Zandvoorde Ridge on 30 October 1914. ‘Kavanagh’s 7th Cavalry Brigade was at the very centre of a most determined attack, supported by some 250 guns, delivered by the first of the new German Reserve divisions. These consisted in large part of ‘the flower of the youth of Germany, middle- and upper class students’, under military-age volunteers, hardly trained but burning with patriotism. Their assault fell chiefly upon the Household Cavalry’s elementary trench lines at Zandvoorde. The artillery barrage dropped on these and on the zone immediately behind them from 6.45 till 8 a.m. It and the following onslaught were so ferocious and concentrated that two squadrons and a machine-gun section suffered almost total extinction. Ernest Hook, a surviving Lifeguardsman, recalled that there was ‘no protection from the shelling as our trenches were on the forward slope and in full view of the enemy and although our gunners put up a great show, they were no match for Jerry’s heavy stuff. We could see their infantry in great masses about 1,000 yards away. Just about then I was hit by a shell that nearly took my left arm off and my officer sent me to the rear. It was the end of the war for me.’ (A History of the British Cavalry 1816-19 volume 7 by the Marquess of Anglesey refers). Medical records show that Bridges was hospitalised suffering from frostbite on 24 November 1914 and transferred two days later to an Ambulance Train. He was married in Peckham on 21 February 1915, shortly after which the following article (cutting with lot) appeared in a local newspaper: ‘Ypres Hero Married in Peckham - A pretty wedding took place on Sunday at All Saints’ Church, North Peckham, between Trooper W. Bridges, of the 1st Life Guards and Eleanor Maud Bridges of Graylands Rd. Peckham. Both parties are well known in the locality and more than ordinary interest was shown in the event, because of the safe homecoming of the bridegroom, whose remarkable escapes at Ypres were reported in the “South London Press” some weeks ago.’ Bridges advanced to the rank of Sergeant during the war and returned to his parent unit - the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards - which sailed back to India in October 1917. The Regiment was garrisoned at Meerut until October 1918 when it moved to Risalpur. On 2 May 1919 Afghan troops seized control of wells on the Indian side of the border. The Afghan Amir Amanullah was warned to withdraw, but his answer was to send more troops to reinforce those at the wells and to move other Afghan units to various points on the frontier. The 1st King’s Dragoon Guards were mobilised on 6 May and, forming part of the British Indian Army's 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, served throughout the Third Anglo-Afghan War. They saw action at the Khyber Pass and notably, on 16 May 1919 at Dakka – a village in Afghan territory to the west of the Khyber Pass - where the regiment made one of the last recorded charges by a British horsed cavalry regiment. Sold with a glazed framed painting of a mounted soldier of the 1st Kings Dragoon Guards, 37cm x 43cm including frame; a framed photograph of the recipient on horseback in sergeant’s uniform, taken in India; an OHMS envelope addressed to the recipient, dated 1942; another envelope addressed to recipient, dated 1939; newspaper cutting regarding the recipient’s wedding in February 1915.