Capt. Nevill Maskelyne Smyth

 The Khartoum Expedition- (Omdurman)
Captain Nevill Maskelyne Smyth
On September 2, 1898, at the battle of Khartoum, an Arab " ran amok " among the camp followers. Captain Smyth, seeing that some of them must be killed if he were not promptly stopped, rode up, met the Arab's charge and killed him, receiving a spear-wound in the arm. This gallant action saved at least one of the camp followers from death.
 
Trumpeter Thomas Monaghan

 Trumpeter Thomas Monaghan 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)

Associated with Corporal Charles Anderson in saving the life of Lieut.-Colonel Seymour, C.B. (in command of their regiment), on October 8, 1858. Soon after the action fought at Sundeela, in Oude, a sudden attack was made upon our men in a dense jungle of sugar-canes, from which an attempt had been made to dislodge a body of thirty or forty mutineers.
Our party was fired upon at a few yards range and then attacked by the enemy with drawn swords. Colonel Seymour shot one man, fired his pistol into the oncoming mass of Sepoys, and was then cut down by two blows from a sword.
Monaghan, with Anderson, at once rushed to his help, the former shooting one of the enemy who was about to cut at him, and by the exertions of these two men, who made a terrific onslaught upon them, they were kept at bay until the colonel could rise, when every one of the enemy was killed.
Monaghan's Victoria Cross was sold in London on November 5, 1903, for £43.
Pte. Charles Anderson.

 Private Charles Anderson, 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)

At Sundeela, October 8, 1858, Private Anderson behaved with great gallantry when his party was attacked by Sepoys in the jungle, on which occasion he saved his colonel's life. Further details of his brave conduct are given in the record of Trumpeter Monaghan (V.C.). His Victoria Cross is now in the United Service Institute, London.
Lt. Robert Blair.

Lieutenant Robert Blair,  2nd Dragoon Guards.

Major-General Sir James Hope Grant , K.C.B., brought this officer's gallant conduct forward in his despatch of January 10, 1858.
He states that at Boolundshuhur, on September 28, 1857, Lieutenant Blair was ordered to take a sergeant and twelve men to bring in a deserted ammunition wagon. On his nearing the wagon, about sixty of the enemy's horsemen, who had been unobserved up to that time, swooped down upon them, but Lieutenant Blair, taking no thought of the heavy odds he had to face, led his little party against the oncoming troop and fought his way through them, killing four of them with his own hand. Not one of his men was killed, and all were by his skilful leadership safely brought back to camp, although he himself was most severely wounded by a native officer, whom he had run through with his sword. The native turned and slashed at Lieutenant Blair, the blow nearly severing the joint of his shoulder.
 

Medals of the Regiments:
 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)

 
 
   
 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) Cap Badge
King's Crown Brass Cap Badge Gold Anodised Aluminium Queen's Crown Collar Badges.

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   2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays)
1685 - 1959
 
 
 

Some titles

Period
Earl of Peterborough's Horse  1685-1715
2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays) 1767-1921
The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) 1921-1959
 
Earliest recognised formation; 1685 when they were raised as the Earl of Peterborough's Horse. 
Motto: Pro rege et patria = For King and country.
Regimental Journal: 'Regimental Journal of the Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards)'
WWI:   Battle Honours; 28.   Victoria Crosses; nil.   Died; 205
WWII:   Battle Honours; 27    Victoria Crosses; nil.     Died; ????
Amalgamated: 1959 with the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards to form 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
 
Two officers of the  2nd DG are on the Staff officer's list with Peninsula War MGS medals, but the regiment as a whole had no qualifying service.
 

India Mutiny 1857

India Mutiny Medal. 1857 -59

clasp: ....none....

Delhi

Lucknow
total medals
numbers: 1911 469 661
 

Battle Honour: Lucknow

VCs: 3;   Blair,   Anderson,   Monaghan

 
 
 

The Nile Expedition 1884-5 A detachment of the 2nd Dragoon Guards formed a component of the Heavy Camel Regiment

Egypt and Sudan Medal 1882-89

 
Clasp:
The Nile 1884 -85

Abu Klea
Number: 45* 40**
   

* 2 officers and 43 other ranks served in the Heavy Camel Regiment.

** four men killed at Abu Klea:   2386 Pte. W. Beckwith; 1098 Pte. H. Cooper; 2308 Pte. W. Powell; 2537 Pte. F. Stenning.

 

Recipients also entitled to a Khedive's Star dated 1884-6

 

 
 
 

Black Mountain Expedition 1891.  odd men

India General Service Medal 1854

Clasp:

Hazara 1891
Numbers: 6

 

 
Captain Nevill Maskelyne Smyth of the 2nd DG (serving as an Intelligence officer to Major General Sir Archibald Hunter) received a VC  during the Khartoum Expedition 1898. Smyth rejoined the Bays in time for the South African campaign 1902  - Smyth had a most interesting military career including commanding the 1st Australian Infantry Brigade at the battle of Lone Pine, Gallipoli WWI .
 

South African War 1899 - 1902 or "Boer War"  Dec 1901- end of war *

Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902

 

 
clasp:

Cape Colony

Orange Free State

Transvaal

South Africa 1901

South Africa 1902
total names on roll
numbers: 610 588 588     614
 

Casualties:

Officers NCOs and Men
KIA & DOW Wounded Death from disease KIA & DOW Death from disease Wounded Missing / POW
 
3 5 1 23 18 51 0
 
 

* generally too late  for the King's South Africa

 

Battle Honour: South Africa 1901-02

 
 
 

The Great War 1914 - 1919

 1914 Star or 1914-15 Star,  British War Medal & Victory Medal

 

Regiment landed France and Flanders 14th August 1914 as a component of the 1st Cavalry Brigade. Remained in France and Flanders for the duration of the war. Moved to Palestine July 1919 and on to India December 1920

dead: 205.

 

Battle Honours: Mons; Retreat from Mons; Le Cateau; Marne 1914; Messines 1914; Ypres 1914, Aisne 1914; Armentières 1914; Frezenberg; Bellewaarde;1915;  Flers-Courcelette; Somme 1916, 1918; Scarpe 1917: Cambrai 1917, 1918; Amiens; Arras 1917; St Quentin; Bapaume 1918; Rosières; Albert 1918; Hindenburg Line; Pursuit to Mons; St Quentin Canal; Beaurevoir; France and Flanders 1914-18.

 
 

Moplah Rebellion, Malabar 1921-22.

India General Service Medal 1908

clasp:

Malabar 1921-22
numbers:?*

 * one squadron present

 
 
 

WW2 1939 - 1945 (Royal Armoured Corps)

 
campaigns: France and Belgium 1940.
(Dunkirk )		 North Africa & Middle East Italy
WW2 campaign stars:    Africa  Italy
clasps  

8th Army
-
 

Most also entitled to the 39-45 Star & 1939-45 War Medal - some individuals possibly the Defence Medal

 
 
 

2nd DG served with 2nd Armoured Brigade 3/9/39-26/6/42 and 2/8/42-31/8/45:—

 

Brigade Theatres:—

 United Kingdom 3. 9.39 - 19. 5.40; France 20. 5.40 - 16. 6.40; United Kingdom 17. 6.40 - 5.10.41; At Sea 5.10.41 - 29.11.41; Egypt 29.11.41 - 20.12.41; Libya 20.12.41 - 16. 6.42; Egypt 16. 6.42 - 14.11.42; Libya 14.11.42 - 12. 3.43; N Africa 12. 3.43 - 28. 5.43; Libya 28. 5.43 - 1. 8.43; N Africa 1. 8.43 - 25. 5.44; At Sea 25. 5.44 - 27. 5.44; Italy 27. 5.44 - 31. 8.45

 

Brigade Battles:—

1942 26 May - 21 June Gazala; 1 July - 27 July Defence of Alamein Line; 23 October - 4 November El Alamein*; 1943 21 March - 30 March Tebaga Gap; 6 April - 7 April Akarit; 22 April - 26 April El Kourzia; 5 May - 12 May Tunis; 1944 3 September - 15 September Coriano; 1945 13 April - 21 April Argenta Gap.

 

2nd DG Battle Honours:—

Somme 1940; . Withdrawal to Seine;  North-West Europe 1940;Gazala; El Alamein; El Hamma;  Tunis; North Africa 1941-3; Coriano; Lamone Crossing; Rimini Line;  Msus; Bir el Aslagh; Cauldron; Knightsbridge; Via Balbia; Mersa Matruh; Tebaga Gap; El Kourzia; Djebel Kournine; Creteville Pass; Carpineta; Lamone Bridgehead; Ceriano Ridge; Cesena; Argenta Gap; Italy 1944-45.

 
 

*equipped with 92 Shermans and 1 Grant at El Alamein.

 
 
 
 

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Selected Links

Museum Website

 
 

Selected Bibliography,

 
Author Title Publisher
(Cannon's Historical Records Series). Historical Record of the Second, or Queen's Regiment of Dragoon Guards. (Queen's Bays): containing an Account of the Formation of the Regiment in 1685, and of its subsequent Services to 1837. 100 pp., London: William Clowes and Sons, 1837. 
Frederic Whyte and A. Hilliard Atteridge from Material collected by Major H. W. Hall A History of The Queen's Bays (The 2nd Dragoon Guards), 1685-1929. With a Foreword by Field-Marshal Viscount Allenby. 525 pp.  London: Jonathan Cape, 1930.
Major Gen. W. R. Beddington, with a Foreword by Gen. Sir R. L. McCreery.  A History of The Queen's Bays (The 2nd Dragoon Guards), 1929-1945.  271 pp. Winchester: Warren & Son Ltd., 1954.
Anon? A Short History of The Queen's Bays from the Outbreak of the Second World War, 3rd September, 1939, to the Capitulation of the German Armies in Italy, 2nd May, 1945. In three parts: I, France. II. North Africa. Ill. Italy. . 49 pp., Aldershot: Gale & Polden Ltd. 1947

 

Additional Bibliography for this Page.

 
Author/Compiler Title Publisher
Officers of the Regiment. Unpublished rolls in the care of the National Archives; WO 100/ etc. -
     
  Additional bibliography same as Northumberland Fusiliers page  
     
 

 

 

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