Current Information:

Age-33

SDGW-21/10/14 

21, Newington Green, Mildmay Park

Ypres Town Cemetery, Belgium

The 1st Dragoons landed at Zeebrugge on 7th October, 1914 as part of 6th Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division and made their way south to Ypres where they arrived on 13th October. They moved to Wytschaete on 14th October and then to Poelcappelle on 16th November. The German advance on Ypres from the east forced them to withdraw to Zonnebeke on 18th October and on the following they saw action for the first time when C Squadron moved to Ledeghem where they came under sniper fire. This forced them to fall back to Poelcappelle and at dawn on 20th October they took up a protective line from Westroosebeke to a point near Paschendaele. Their left was unsupported after the French moved back and there was a lot of shrapnel, so that afternoon they withdrew to a line running from Langemarck to St Julien. There were some casualties for 1st Dragoons during his day’s fighting, one of whom was Frank Ryder.