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Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (4) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Belfast (4264. Pvte. J. Philson. 7/Dn. Gds.);
KSA (2) (4264 Pte J. Philson. 7th Drgn: Gds:)

James Philson was born at Liverpool and attested on 30 January 1897. He serves in South Africa between 8 February 1900-8 August 1904. He returns home until 8 August 1905 before returning to South Africa serving between 9 August 1905-17 November 1908. He serves in the U.K. until he is discharged on 29 January 1908.

1911 Coronation Medal, Egypt Medal, 1882 reverse (engraved ‘1303 Regt. Sergt. Maj. F.C. Butcher, 7/Dn Gds’); Queen’s South Africa Medal, 5 clasps, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, JOHANNESBURG, DIAMOND HILL, BELFAST (engraved ‘Capt & Qr. Mr. F.C. Butcher. 7.Dn Gds’); King's South Africa Medal, 2 clasps, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902 (engraved ‘Capt & Qr. Mr. F.C. Butcher 7/Dgn Gds’); Khedive's Star 1882-1891, dated 1882.

Hon. Major Frederick Charles Butcher, 7th Dragoon Guards

Frederick Charles Butcher was born on June 5, 1851 in Portsmouth, Hampshire and enlisted in the 7th Dragoon Guards on June 5, 1872. Butcher rapidly rose through the ranks, becoming Regimental Sergeant Major on July 31, 1881. The R.S.M. was expected to have a strong educational background and, in the Nineteenth Century, this requirement alone disqualified most soldiers from being eligible. Still, R.S.M. was the senior non-commissioned appointment within a regiment and was a highly coveted post among the ranks. For Butcher to receive this appointment after only nine years of service demonstrates that he was a man of exceptional abilities. This was best summarized by the following brief, somewhat tongue-in-cheek description of Butcher, written in the October 1892 issue of the regimental journal, The Black Horse Gazette:

He enlisted rather more than 20 years ago, and report says that he had a somewhat lengthy connection with the Riding School. After some years he became a Sergeant Instructor in Musketry, and then upset a good many people’s calculations by being made R.S.M. He is now the senior of that rank at present serving in the British Cavalry, and we in the Regiment think he is the best. He can see through a brick wall better than most people, and has an excellent knack of pulling the refractory up sharp. The Shooting Club owes its rise to him, and also its success. He has a fine word of command, knows the Drill book by heart, and loves to catch one tripping. His hobby is “shaves,” and he can always produce one out of the scantiest material. He can sing an excellent song at a camp fire, and knows the kind which suites his voice. He is a man of energy and action, and a terrible alarmist. India seems to have agreed with him, as it takes a good horse to carry him through a long field day. His smile is pleasant, and his weight heavy. He is very popular with every one.

Butcher’s appointment to R.S.M. occurred prior to the 7th Dragoon Guards’ deployment to Egypt in August 1882 to participate in the campaign to suppress the insurrection of Egyptian nationals against the Khedive, led by Colonel Ahmad Urabi. The regiment was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Brigade, along with 3 squadrons of the Household Cavalry and the 4th Dragoon Guards.

Butcher’s first chance for military action occurred on August 22nd when the British Cavalry, including the 7th Dragoon Guards, attacked Egyptians defending a railway station at Mahsameh. Although only a minor engagement, the regiment suffered its first casualties of the campaign, with one officer and five men wounded.

The Egyptians attacked the British position at Kassassin during the day on August 28th but this assault was beaten back. With the Egyptians attempting another advance at dusk, the 1st Cavalry Brigade was ordered to charge. It took some time to get into position and the full moon was shining brightly above the desert when the Brigade, led by the Life Guards, attacked and overran the enemy’s position, scattering them about. Celebrated as the “Moonlight Charge of the Household Cavalry”, the 7th Dragoon Guards were held in reverse during the initial assault and only participated in the mopping-up operations after. The regiment suffered another one officer killed and three men wounded during this engagement.

The 7th Dragoon Guards also participated in the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir (September 13th). Advancing 13 miles at night, the force under Lieutenant General Sir Garnet Wolseley attacked at 4:55 AM and the battle was over by 5:30 AM. The 1st Cavalry Brigade was positioned at the far right flank and did not participate in the main assault on the Egyptian redoubts. The British force suffered 57 killed and 382 wounded. The cavalry attacked the fleeing troops and casualties were extremely light, with the Household Cavalry, the 4th Dragoon Guards, and the 7th Dragoon Guards suffering no casualties at all.

Butcher was not present at the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir. The regiment’s medal roll lists Butcher as “yes” for the Tel-el-Kebir clasp but this is crossed out and “no” is written in its place. 450 members of the 7th Dragoon Guards received the Egypt Medal with Tel-el-Kebir clasp while 115 received it without the clasp. There are no regimental sources indicating why so many did not receive the Tel-el-Kebir clasp. However, Butcher would not have been called to arms without a mount and it’s possible that his troop horse was incapacitated. Butcher’s Egypt Medal was engraved to “1303 Regt. Sergt. Maj. F.C. Butcher, 7/Dn Gds”. Butcher also received the Khedive’s Star. Tel-el-Kebir was the last battle of the war and the 7th Dragoon Guards remained in Egypt as part of the occupying force until February 1883.

The 7th Dragoon Guards briefly returned to England before being ordered to India in December 1883. They remained in India for nine years before departing in February 1893 from which they were next stationed again in Egypt, until finally returning home to England in October 1894. During this time, Butcher was extremely active in most regimental matters and often appeared in The Black Horse Gazette through his affiliations with the Freemasons (Butcher served as the regiment’s Worshipful Master), the Sergeant’s Mess (Butcher was the presiding sergeant), the Shooting Club (Butcher was the Secretary), and frequent smoking concerts (which Butcher organized). Clearly, Butcher was a man involved in all aspects of making the 7th Dragoon Guards an enjoyable regiment in which to serve. This undoubtedly helped explain his popularity among all members of regiment.

After serving as R.S.M. for an impressive 14 years and 87 days, Butcher was commissioned into the 7th Dragoon Guards as Lieutenant and Quartermaster on October 26, 1895. The regiment was posted to Aldershot in January 1900 and it was while there that the 7th Dragoon Guards received orders in February 1900 to depart for South Africa as part of the British force against the Boers.

The Anglo Boer War had been underway since October 1899 and the early phases had gone badly for the British. In response, the British poured 260,000 troops and vast quantities of supplies into the country in early 1900. The 7th Dragoon Guards departed England with a contingent of 24 officers, 565 men, 60 chargers, and 447 troop horses, arriving at Cape Town on March 3, 1900. The regiment was attached to the 4th Cavalry Brigade and initially was assigned to patrol the surrounding veldt. They sustained their first battle casualty on April 7th and participated in their first substantial engagement on April 27th when they attempted to cut off the retreat of a force of 1200 Boers. The maneuver failed and the cavalry brigade was forced to beat a hasty retreat when the Boers reoccupied their position.

On May 7th, the 7th Dragoon Guards were part of the cavalry force under Field Marshal Lord “Bobs” Roberts that began the 250-mile advance to Pretoria. The regiment held the distinction of being the first British unit to enter the Transvaal on May 20th and was part of Lieutenant-General John French’s cavalry surrounding Johannesburg, which surrendered on May 31st. After a brief rest, the force continued their advance on Pretoria, which quickly surrendered on June 5th.

Although there were hopes for an early end to the conflict, peace terms could not be reached and Roberts continued the campaign on June 11th and 12th at a rocky knob called Diamond Hill. Probing the Boer position, the 4th Cavalry Brigade was forced to extend their line and dismount, remaining under the blazing sun for two days. The 7th Dragoon Guards were unable to advance or retreat in daylight as the Boers put up a heavy and accurate fire at the slightest movement. Eventually, the Boers withdrew and the enemy’s position was captured. Despite being exposed to enemy fire for two days, the 7th Dragoon Guards casualties were surprising light, with only 5 men wounded.

Butcher was present at all of these battles. Wear and tear on both men and horses in the early months of the 7th Dragoon Guards arrival is South Africa was considerable and Butcher, as Quartermaster, was no doubt kept busy keeping the regiment functioning and properly supplied.

Diamond Hill was the last set-piece battle and the rest of the Boer War degenerated into guerilla warfare, with the 7th Dragoon Guards making constant sweeps across the veldt in the hopes of capturing the ever-elusive Boer.

It was during this later part of the campaign that the highpoint of Butcher’s Anglo Boer War service occurred on December 30, 1900. As described in The Great Boer War by Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame), “Kritzinger's men had crossed the railway north of Rosmead on December 30th, and held up a train containing some Colonial troops.” This state of affairs did not last for long. As Captain W.S. Whetherly wrote in the January 1908 issue of The Black Horse Gazette, “At Rosmead we found our dear old friend Butcher, who, during our absence, had been distinguishing himself in command of a hastily improvised troop composed of details and sick horses and had successfully driven off a body of Boers who had threatened the railway in the neighborhood.” It almost certainly was for this action that Butcher was later mentioned in dispatches.

Butcher departed for England aboard the Gascon on August 3, 1902 in charge of a party of 102 men from the regiment. For his Anglo Boer War services, Butcher was mentioned in dispatches in the September 10, 1901 London Gazette, granted the rank of Honorary Captain, effective November 29, 1900, awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal with 5 clasps (Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast; engraved to “Capt & Qr. Mr. F.C. Butcher. 7.Dn Gds”) and awarded the King's South Africa Medal with 2 clasps (engraved to “Capt & Qr. Mr. F.C. Butcher 7/Dgn Gds”).

Butcher’s retirement on June 5, 1906 represented the passing of an era for the 7th Dragoon Guards and the July 1906 issue of The Black Horse Gazette included the following lengthy farewell article:

On May 31st, our old and valued friends, Capt. and Mrs. Butcher, left the regiment amid the general regrets of all ranks. Our Army, and the 7th Dragoon Guards in particular, brings up many good men, but one would have to travel far and search long before a better type of the British soldier than Frederick Charles Butcher was found. He joined us just 34 years ago and served under nine different colonels, two of whom he drilled on the square as recruits. An admirable Regimental Sergeant Major, he developed into a no less admirable Quarter-Master, and until the day he retired he displayed the same enthusiasm for his profession. Whether it was a question of drill, organization, interior economy, cavalry reorganization, or arm reform, he always had a sound and sensible opinion to offer, and he further had the faculty of propagating the most astonishing “shaves” when in his opinion things were getting a trifle slow and a fillip was required. As Regimental Sergeant Major, Captain Butcher served in the Egyptian campaign of 1882 and received the Medal with the Khedive’s Star. During the South African War, he served continuously with the Regiment, and at times filled the position of Provost-Marshal, Staff Officer, Intelligence Officer, and once he sallied forth from Rosmead Junction with what debilitated men and horses he could scrape together, and rescued a train that was held up by the Boers. Perhaps there were few better known officers in the Orange River Colony than our Quarter Master, and certainly none who did their duty better, and it is thanks to him that we generally the best clothed, best equipped, and best fed Regiment of any on trek. Many an extra ration of rum we also owed to his foresight. For his services he was mentioned in dispatches, was promoted to the rank of Captain, and received the Queen’s Medal with five clasps, including those for the battle of Johannesburg, Diamond Hill and Belfast, and the King’s medal with two clasps.

Regimentally, he was perhaps most associated with our very flourishing “Black Horse Shooting Club,” and it is owing to his untiring work as Secretary for no less than 19 years that the Club is in such a flourishing state. We know of no Regiment which has a Shooting Club so well organized, and we believe it is the oldest Regimental Shooting Club in the service. We shall miss Captain Butcher’s cheery face at our forthcoming meeting very much.

Captain Butcher was entertained by the Officers at a farewell dinner and presented with a silver cake basket and cheque to which no less than 51 past and present officers contributed. On the day of his departure Capt. and Mrs. Butcher were taken to the station in a landau drawn by four pom-pom horses, and the whole Regiment turned out to cheer one of the best friends we ever had. It will be a satisfaction to old hands to know that Captain Butcher has got congenial employment as Quarter-Master to the Denbighshire Hussars, and is going to live in Denbigh. In the name of our readers we wish him and Mrs. Butcher a long life and every happiness.

His retirement from the 7th Dragoon Guards did not end his service to the Crown and, as noted above, Butcher was employed as Honorary Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the Denbighshire (Hussars) Yeomanry on June 23, 1906. He was quickly promoted to Honorary Captain on December 24th of that same year. The Prince of Wales was escorted to his Investiture at Caernarvon Castle in 1911 by the Denbighshire Hussars and it most likely was for this reason that Butcher received the 1911 Coronation Medal. He was granted the rank of Honorary Major in the Territorial Force on August 5, 1908 and retired from the Yeomanry on March 25, 1914.

Butcher did not remain retired for long and he was again recalled for service with the 7th Dragoon Guards in the Great War. Butcher was stationed in England throughout the war and his Medal Index Card confirms that he did not qualify for any Great War campaign medals. Despite this, Butcher continued to accumulate accolades. He was granted the rank of Honorary Major in the Regular Forces on December 9, 1917 and awarded the Silver War Badge on July 8, 1918. Butcher was 67 years old at the time and the badge almost certainly was awarded for what can assumed to be declining health. Butcher had served an impressive 45 years in uniform, including 14 years as Regimental Sergeant Major and 22 years as Quartermaster.

Interestingly, the regimental journal has several photographs of Butcher, including two of him during the Anglo Boer War:



Butcher On Trek:



Butcher at Bester's Kraal:

Miniatures: Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R.; East and Central Africa Medal, 1 clasp, UGANDA 1897-98; Queen's South Africa Medal, 5 clasps, CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, JOHANNESBURG, DIAMOND HILL, BELFAST; King's South Africa Medal, 2 clasps, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902; 1914 Star, with clasp, British War Medal, Victory Medal with M.I.D. oak leaf, French Officer of the Order of Agricultural Merit.

Brigadier General Moreton Foley Gage, D.S.O., 5th Dragoon Guards, late 7th Dragoon Guards

Moreton Foley Gage was born on January 12, 1873 in New York, the sixth and youngest son of Lieut. General the Honorable Edward Thomas Gage, C.B., and Ella Henrietta Maxse. Gage was the grandson of Henry Hall, the 4th Viscount Gage, the great-grandson of 5th Earl of Berkeley, and a decedent of William the Conqueror. As might be expected for a family with such distinguished lineage, the Gage’s were well connected in British society.

Gage graduated from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the 7th (The Princess Royal’s) Dragoon Guards on March 12, 1892. At the time, the regiment was stationed at Muttra, in the Meerut district, and generally enjoying the comfortable life that the British enjoyed while employed in India during the Raj at it zenith.

The regimental journal, The Black Horse Gazette, is full of articles describing various sporting and social events. Gage was enjoying these to the fullest; joining the Muttra Gun Club, playing cricket, being initiated into the local Masonic lodge, and participating in pig sticking. However, life in India was not without its troubles. Shortly after Gage’s arrival, the regiment lost six men to disease in July 1892 and another seven by January 1893.

The 7th Dragoon Guards left India in February 1893 and, after a yearlong stint near Cairo, returned to England in October 1894. It was here that Gage distinguished himself as an equestrian. He won the Heads and Posts competition at the Royal Military Tournament in 1895 and placed second in the Riding and Jumping competition in 1896, demonstrating that he was one of the best horsemen in the British army.

It was an impressive performance for a junior officer and yet Gage accomplished more. In 1896, he was appointed the 7th Dragoon Guards assistant adjutant and awarded an instructor’s certificate in musketry. On April 15, 1896, he received his first promotion, to lieutenant.

Gage was seconded to the Foreign Office for service in Uganda on January 9, 1898. It was a somewhat unusual appointment for an officer who, up to this point in his career, seemed more interested in the manly pursuits associated with Victorian high society. However, central and east Africa were still somewhat of a mystery and many British officers would jump at the chance for a bit of adventure.

Much of the Sudanese army was in rebellion and for good reason. The troops had been continuously campaigning for a considerable period, treatment by the officers was harsh, pay was low and six-months in arrears and, as a final insult, they were ordered once more to active service but had been prohibited from taking their families with them, in violation of a common practice at the time. It was an ugly situation for the British and a force consisting mainly of Indian soldiers, commanded by Major Cyril Godfrey Martyr, DSO, was sent to suppress the revolt.

In addition to several minor skirmishes, there were a few larger battles including two at the forts near Mruli on the Nile. The first occurred on April 26, 1898 when an attacking force of 250 troops captured the rebels’ stronghold at Mruli. 37 British government troops were wounded in the engagement. Gage was wounded in the foot but it was not considered serious and he was able to continue the campaign. Gage also participated in the second assault on August 4 when the British-led force attacked 500 Sudanese mutineers at night, killing 27 of them.

Although the British lead forces engaged the rebels on numerous occasions, the primary adversary was the jungle itself. When Gage, in command of a company, was finally ordered to leave on September 9 and proceed up the Nile, his relief was tremendous:

I cannot feel grateful enough that I have at last left those hateful counties, Uganda and Unyoro, behind me, I hope I never have to see them again, but to return to England via the Nile.

Gage’s lengthy account of his adventures in central Africa was published as a series of letters and articles in the 7th Dragoon Guards regimental journal, The Black Horse Gazette. Not only does this account describe the mundane dealings of campaigning in the heart of Africa but, as demonstrated by the above excerpt, they also provide insight into Gage’s impressions of his experiences.

For his service in Uganda, Gage received the East and Central Africa Medal with clasp, UGANDA 1897-98. Various editions of the Army List state that Gage was mentioned in despatches although, paradoxically, no record of this was found in the London Gazette.

Gage had been ordered up the Nile for a reason. A party of French soldiers, under the command of Captain Jean-Baptiste Marchard had marched across western Africa and occupied a spot on the Nile at Fashoda, arriving their on July 10, 1898. General Herbert Kitchener had secret orders that he had been instructed not to open until Khartoum was taken. With the defeat of the forces under the Mahdi at the Battle of Omdurman on September 2, 1898, Kitchener opened these orders to discover that he was to advance further up the Nile to stop the French. Kitchener arrived at Fashoda on September 19, and the two opponents treated each other courteously despite their adversarial roles. Eventually the French government realized that their forces were badly outnumbered and withdrew Marchard on November 11, 1898. This became known as the “Fashoda Incident”.

While this was going on, a force under the command of Major (now Colonel) Martyr continued their advance down the Nile. In his account, Gage primarily writes about hunting, his experiences with the local population, and of difficulties encountered during the journey. Their progress was slow and it soon was apparent that they would not reach Fashoda in time. Instead, they were ordered to establish a base on the upper reaches of the Nile near Gondokoro and monitor the activities of other French contingents

Gondokoro is 750 miles up the Nile from Khartoum and even today it far from major metropolitan areas. When they finally established Fort Berkeley in January 1899 a further 10 miles up the river, it was an absolute desolate location with no signs of civilization for hundreds of miles. Accompanying Colonel Martyr and Lieut. Gage were Captain Tickell, 14th Hussars, and Lieut. Hale, R.A. When Colonel Martyr was ordered home on February 1, command of the small garrison devolved to Captain Tickell. When Lieut. Hale died of disease a few months later and Captain Tickell was forced home due to illness on June 27, 1899, Gage assumed command as the sole remaining British officer.

Monotony was the order of the day at Fort Berkeley and the garrison was delighted when it received any word from the outside world. With his term of engagement in the Foreign Office expired, Gage decided to leave the fort on September 9, 1899 and continue his journey down the Nile aboard the small Belgian steamer Karia. He was accompanied by Dr. Arthur Dawson Milne, who had arrived at Fort Berkeley a few weeks after the post had been established. Along the way, the two encountered a party of about 30 Senegalese commanded by French Lieutenant de Tonquédec at Gaba Shambe. This subordinate group had traveled separately from the main French force at Fashoda and arrived at Gaba Shambe on March 20, 1899. With the tensions of the previous year’s standoff at Fashoda over, Lieutenant Aymard de Quengo de Tonquédec was an extremely courteous host and Gage genuinely regretted departing on September 20.

Navigating the infamous Sudd proved as difficult as ever. Arriving at the southern edge on September 30, they left the steamer behind and proceeded through the Sudd by steal whaleboat. Living up to its reputation, finding a passage through the Sudd was a constant challenge and it was not until January 19, 1900 that the adventurers finally emerged. By February 16, Gage and Milne were in Cairo. The expedition down the Nile, and the navigation of the Sudd in particular, was considered a tour de force at the time and numerous contemporary books and journals commented on the journey. For example, in From the Cape to Cairo, Ewart Grogan, a celebrated adventurer in his day, writes:

I consider this successful attempt of Capt. Gage of the 7th Dragoon Guards, and Dr. Milne, as one of the most daring feats ever accomplished in the history of African travel.

After nearly two years in Uganda and the upper reaches of the Nile, Gage was looking forward to an extended stay in England. However, events were moving quickly while he was away. He was promoted to captain on September 19, 1899 and the 7th Dragoon Guards had departed for the Boer War. Consequently, Gage arrived in England on March 9, 1900 but departed from Southampton three days later aboard the Moor to rejoin his regiment, reaching them on April 1 at De Aar, South Africa. Gage assumed the appointment of second-in-command of ‘A’ Squadron.

The 7th Dragoon Guards had landed at Cape Town on March 3, 1900 and had not yet seen any notable service by the time of Gage’s arrival. The regiment was attached to the 4th Cavalry Brigade and ordered to patrol the veldt. The regiment received its first battle casualties on April 7 and participated in its first significant battle on April 27 when it tried to cut off the retreat of 1200 Boers. Like so many of the tactics employed by the British during the early stages of the war, the attempt failed and the cavalry brigade was forced to retreat when the Boers reoccupied their position.

On May 7, the 7th Dragoon Guards were part of the force under Field Marshal Frederick Roberts that started the 250-mile advance to Pretoria. The regiment held the distinction of being the first British unit to enter the Transvaal on May 20. On May 29, Gage was made aide-de-camp to Major General John Dickson, C.B., commanding the 4th Cavalry Brigade, an appointment Gage held until November 14. Dickson was an unpopular man, known by many as ‘the old beast’, and it must have been a difficult appointment for Gage.

Roberts surrounded Johannesburg, which surrendered on May 31. After a brief rest, the British continued their advance to Pretoria. Pretoria quickly followed suite, surrendering on June 5.

Although there were hopes for an early end to the conflict, peace terms could not be reached and Roberts continued the campaign on June 11-12 at a rocky knob called Diamond Hill. Probing the Boer position, the 4th Cavalry Brigade was forced to extend their line and dismount, remaining under the blazing sun for two days. The dismounted troops were unable to advance or retreat in daylight as the Boers put up a heavy and accurate fire at the slightest movement. Eventually, the Boers withdrew and the enemy’s position was captured. Even though the battle lasted two days, casualties on both sides were light. Diamond Hill was the last set-piece battle with the rest of the Boer War degenerating into guerilla warfare.

Gage served as assistant provost marshal to Major General James Babington from November 27, 1900 to May 19, 1901, before be appointed brigade major to his former brigade on May 20. The difficult and demanding General Dickson had retired two months before and this might have influenced Gage’s willingness to return to the 4th Cavalry Brigade’s staff. He remained brigade major until he returned to the 7th Dragoon Guards on September 29, 1901. The war was winding down but Gage would have at least one more chance for action.

The British system of blockhouses was proving effective at corralling the Boers and it was on December 8, 1901 that the regiment encountered an enemy force of about 1,000. Fixing bayonets to their rifles to be used as lances, Captain Gage led his squadron in a charge. Even though the charging British were severely outnumbered, the Boers abandoned their position without putting up much resistance. One soldier from the 7th Dragoon Guards was wounded.

For his Boer War service, Gage received the Queen’s South Africa medal with clasps for CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, JOHANNESBURG, DIAMOND HILL, and BELFAST, and the King's South Africa Medal with clasps for SOUTH AFRICA 1901 and SOUTH AFRICA 1902. Gage also was mentioned in despatches (London Gazette September 10, 1901).

On June 3, 1902 the 7th Dragoon Guards received orders to send one officer and ten other ranks to England to represent the regiment at the Coronation of Edward VII on August 9, 1902. Those selected were to have rendered “good and distinguished service in the Field”. Gage led the contingent, departing from Cape Town aboard the Bavarian on June 6. After two wars and one expedition, Gage was finally returning home.

Oddly enough, Gage did not stay in England for long. On October 8, 1902 he married Anne Massie Strong, the daughter of William and Alice Strong of New York. The wedding took place in New York City and was covered by the New York Times. Shortly after the wedding, Gage was ordered to rejoin his regiment, which still was stationed in South Africa. It must have been a whirlwind romance for Gage had only recently returned. They had two sons together with the oldest, Berkeley Everard Foley Gage, serving as British Ambassador to Thailand and Peru, and being Knighted K.C.M.G. in 1955.

No doubt anxious to be reunited with his bride, it was arranged for Gage to be appointed adjutant of the Dorest Yeomanry, an appointment he held from May 1, 1903 to September 1, 1906. Considering the hectic pace that he had kept so far, life within the yeomanry might have seemed slow. Gage kept himself busy by authoring the book, Records of the Dorest Imperial Yeomanry, 1894-1905.

After his stint with the Dorest Yeomanry, Gage returned to the 7th Dragoon Guards, stationed in Canterbury. While there he was promoted to major on March 18, 1907.

Gage was admitted to the Staff College in May 1908 and was still there when the 7th Dragoon Guards were ordered to Cairo in September 1908. Apparently not wishing to serve once again in Africa, Gage exchanged to the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales) Dragoon Guards on February 5, 1909. The 5th Dragoon Guards had recently completed an extended tour in India and South Africa and were highly unlikely to be sent overseas any time soon. His former regiment was going to miss Gage and the commanding officer penned a lengthy farewell letter that was printed in the May 1909 edition of the Black Horse Gazette. In addition to neatly summarizing his career, the letter included the following remark:

A keen soldier, a fine rider and a cheery companion, Moreton Gage will be much missed in the Regiment. […] Age and the burden of red tabs on his collar will however, we feel sure, never temper his zest for soldierly afterdinner sports, and with a prophetic eye we see him, greyhaired and ablaze with decorations, the crossed sword and baton on his shoulder, indulging in a hearty cockfight with his A.D.C.

Gage continued to hold various staff positions, being appointed brigade major of the 2nd South Midland (Territorial) Mounted Brigade on April 1, 1911 and brigade major of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade on May 24, 1911. From there Gage was appointed British military attaché to the United States on July 12, 1912 with the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel. He and his wife were frequently mentioned on the society pages of the Washington Post during the period, attending various diplomatic and social functions. Gage was still in Washington, D.C., when war broke out in Europe. He was ordered home on September 17, 1914.

Gage did not have to wait long to be sent to the Western Front. He was appointed the G.S.O.1 (General Staff Officer 1st Grade) of the 3rd Cavalry Division on October 3, 1914 and arrived in France on October 10.

The 3rd Cavalry Division saw action in the trenches at the 1st and 2nd Battles of Ypres although, as a cavalry division, this must have been disappointing. Gage remained G.S.O.1 for 19 months. During this period the division swapped G.O.C.’s (General Officer Commanding) several times, although Gage remained G.S.O.1 throughout. Brigadier General Sir Archibald Home KCVO, CB, CMG, DSO, served on the Western Front throughout World War I and his diary was published in 1985. The January 18, 1916 entry contains a revealing observation:

John Vaughan now commands with Moreton Gage as his GSO1. It is not a happy combination – the former is oversugared, the later a soured man.

With such a promising career and over twenty years of service, Gage must have been disappointed not to have his own command. Major General John Vaughan CB, CMG, DSO, late 7th Hussars, was less than two years older than Gage with similar field and staff experience, yet Vaughan was given command of a cavalry division while Gage was given no command at all. Vaughan’s career was helped by General Douglas Haig, himself a former officer of the 7th Hussars. In his autobiography, Vaughan wrote:

I found an old friend as G.S.O.I. in Moreton Gage of the 7th D.G. He was always cheery, if not jocose, and I think that all the units in the Division liked him.

In addition to being at odds with the description of Gage in Home’s diary, Vaughn makes scant mention of Gage in his autobiography. This seems strange for someone who was an “old friend”. One can’t help wonder if Vaughan’s book, written for publication, was scrubbed of negative references while Home’s diary, which was published years after both Gage’s and Home’s death, was not.

One bright spot in Gage’s life was his second marriage to Frances Lippitt. While serving in France, his first wife Anne died suddenly on April 12, 1915 of complications due to appendicitis in Lakewood, New Jersey, certainly contributing to his “soured” state. Frances was the daughter of Henry F. Lippitt, United States Senator from Rhode Island, and granddaughter of Henry Lippitt, former governor of Rhode Island. The two had met while Gage was stationed in Washington. Moreton and Frances must have carried on a long distance romance since they were wed in Paris on September 30, 1916, only three weeks after her arrival. It seems to have been a happy marriage for they had one son and one daughter together, remaining devoted to each other for the rest of their lives.

Gage finally was given his own command of the Lucknow Cavalry Brigade on May 13, 1916. It was the first time that he commanded a unit larger than a squadron. The brigade arrived in France in November 1914 and consisted of the 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards (later replaced by the Jodhpur Lancers), 36th Jacob’s Horse, and 29th Lancers (Deccan Horse). Like most cavalry units, they had seen limited action as dismounted troops but had not ridden into battle. Under Gage, the brigade frequently served in the trenches as dismounted troops but never had the opportunity to charge the Germans. Gage commanded the brigade until it departed for India on January 20, 1918.

For his World War I service, Gage was made a companion of the Distinguished Service Order (London Gazette January 14, 1916), mentioned in despatches three times (London Gazette February 17, 1915, January 1, 1916, and January 4, 1917), and brevetted lieutenant colonel (London Gazette January 1, 1916). He also received the French Order of Agricultural Merit, Commander (London Gazette October 7, 1919) and the 1914 Star trio with clasp. Gage was promoted lieutenant colonel on August 31, 1918 and retired on December 4, 1919. After his retirement, Gage promoted to colonel in the Reserve of Officers on March 1, 1922 and lived quietly with his second wife until his death on July 7, 1953.

The Order of Agricultural Merit was rarely awarded to British officers and the London Gazette records the appointment of 11 Commanders, 45 Officers, and 121 Knights during World War I. When combined with the East & Central Africa Medal and the DSO, Gage’s group of medals is almost certainly unique.

Picture courtesy of Dominic Winter

Described as:

Boer War. A military wooden box, circa 1900, the lid inscribed in white paint 'Prt J.E. Berry, 7th Dragoon Guards, the whole box painted in black, with carrying handles, 30 cm high x 71 cm wide x 41 cm deep, with copied service papers

(Quantity: 1)

John Edward Berry was born in Lambeth, London in 1874, he joined the 5th Dragoon Guards in 1892 and served during the Boer War from 1899-1900, he was discharged medically unfit and joined the reserve squadron (7th Dragoons) in 1903, he re-engaged for war service during WWI and is entitled to a WWI pair.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (5) Cape Colony, Orange Free State, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902, unofficial rivets between state and date clasps (5015 Pte. P. Day. 7th. Dragoon Gds:);
1914 Star, with clasp, the clasp loose (4980 Pte. P. Day. 5/D. Gds.);
British War and Victory Medals (5015 Pte. P. Day. 5-D. Gds.)

P. Day attested for the 5th Dragoon Guards before transferring to the 7th Dragoon Guards and served with them during the Boer War in South Africa. Reverting back to the 5th Dragoon Guards on 16 January 1903, he saw further service with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 15 August 1914, before transferring to the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) on 14 December 1916. He was killed in action on 29 November 1917, and is buried in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium.