Llandrindod's cavalry

Description

As part of the Llandrindod Victorian Festival (August 2010) Martin Heighway delivered an illustrated talk 'Cheer up - you'll soon be dead!' at the Glen Usk Hotel. The talk was split into two halves: Llandrindod Wells in the First World War and Llandrindod's Cavalry (D Squadron, The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry). This is the audio recording of Part Two, about the Montgomeryshire Yeomanry. The Drill Hall Llandrindod Wells; the make up of the squadrons of the Yeomanry, with D Squadron being a territorial regiment of men from Llandrindod Wells; the muster of the regiment in August 1914 and the journey through Wales and across to Norfolk with their horses; the logistics of looking after hundreds of horses; camp at Blickling Hall, Norfolk and service on the east coast of England; transfer on ship to HMT Arcadian (a former postal steamer) to Alexandria, Egypt; 1916 garrison duty on the Suez Canal; the Arab Revolt and campaigns against the Turks in Sinai; the Battles of Gaza; remuster as an infantry regiment the 25th Battalion RWF (the Royal Welsh Fusiliers) in the 74th Division from 1 January 1917; 25 RWF involvement in the campaign into Palestine 1917-1918; and the third Battle of Gaza (Beersheba) October 1917 where 25 RWF were in support for the famous and successful Australian light horse charge which took Beersheba along with the wells, so there was water for the 40,000 men and horses to roll up the flank of the Gaza defences; the capture of Jerusalem, December 1917; back to France on the SS Malwa, April 1918; the battles of the Hindenberg Line, including Epehy, 18th September 1918, where the unit suffered 65 casualties and Sgt Waring won the VC; the return to Britain (to Welshpool) and disbandment; last parade in 1920; the graves of two Llandrindod men killed 31st October 1917 (at Beersheeba) in the CWGC graveyard - of Corporal Edward Daines Hutt and Private Smith. (The gap near the end of the talk was because the speaker presented a short excerpt from the Australian film, "The Lighthorsemen", (1987) about the battle of Beersheeba, 31st October 1917).