Current Information:

Age-32

15, Morval Road, Brixton

At the start of the war in August, 1914, the 7th Dragoon Guards of  the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Indian Cavalry Division, were in India but they were soon on their way to Europe, landing at Marseilles on 13th October, 1914, from where they moved north to the trenches at Vieille Chapelle and Festubert. On 20th December, 1914, 200 men from the 7th Dragoon Guards, along with the 47th Sikhs were sent from Gorre to Festubert to attack and retake some lost trenches there. After a number of delays this attack took place at 1am on 21st December. The initial attack had some success but heavy flanking fire from the enemy forced them back to their starting line at Festubert. At 4am, the attacking force which now included the 2/8th Gurkhas, tried again and this time made it to the trench which was their objective. But the end result was the same. Enfilade machine-gun fire plus the waterlogged nature of the retaken position made remaining there untenable and once again a withdrawal to Festubert took place, but not before D Squadron became detached from the advance and lost heavily when they attempted to charge the machine-guns. One of the casualties sustained by 7th Dragoon Guards was Samuel Bryce.