Current Information:

Born-Clerkenwell

Buzancy Military Cemetery, France

After the opening battles of the war at Mons on 23rd August, 1914 and Le Cateau on 26th August, the British Army (BEF), in conjunction with the French Army, began a retreat that took them all the way back to the River Marne, 200 miles to the south. With the Germans in hot pursuit they were forced to fight a series of rear guard actions as they fell back in extremely hot weather. The Great Retreat, as it became known, came to an end on 5th September, 1914 when the allied forces attacked along the River Marne and drove the Germans back to the River Aisne.

The 15th Hussars landed at Rouen on 18 August 1914 and were soon split up to provide Squadrons for various divisions.  A Squadron went to 3rd Division, B Squadron to 2nd Division and C Squadron to 1st Division. Along with the rest of the BEF, they were all part of the retreat back to the River Marne and by 10th September, the day on which Thomas Chelsom was killed they re-crossed the Marne and heading for The River Aisne in pursuit of the enemy. As yet there is no information concerning the circumstances of his death.