Current Information:

Age-19

Born-Islington

On 1st June, 1915, the 3rd Dragoon Guards of 6 Cavalry Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division were in the line at Hooge Chateau and Zouave Wood in the Ypres salient. Trench warfare meant that there was little or no role for the cavalry to play so they were dismounted and holding the trenches there in the same way as the infantry would. From 5 am to 8.30 am and again between 2 pm and 4 pm, the enemy shelled their trenches, causing a number of casualties. At 5am on the following day, 2nd June, the chateau was heavily shelled and to avoid being blown to bits the men of  retreated to the cellars. When the shelling stopped the trenches were manned and a German infantry attack was driven off everywhere except at the stables of the chateau. 3rd Dragoon Guards took part in a counter attack here and managed to regain some of the lost ground. Among the casualties over these two days was William Evans who was killed in action on 1st June.