Benjamin Clouting 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards

Ben Clouting joined the Army under-age at 15 in 1913.  A year later, as a fully traiined cavalryman, he was in the first action of the British Expeditionary Force near Mons.  He also took part in one of the last cavalry charges in history when his regiment was ordered to protect the infantry retiring from Mons.  Interviewed more than two years before his death in 1990, his memories were lucid and dramatic.

"Swords drawn, we began to gallop, fanning out into the opens fields.  It was a proper melee', with shell, machine gun and rifle fire.  Each troop was packed closely together and dense volumes of dust were kicked up, making it impossible to see beyond the man in front.  We were galloping into carnage, for nobody knew what we were supposed to be doing nd there was uter confusion.  All around me, horses and men were brought hurtling to the ground amidst fountains of earth, or plummetted forwards as a machine gunner caught them with a burst of fire.

Ahead, the leading troops were brought up by barbed wire strung across the line of advance.  I tried to turn, but with a crash, my mount went down too.  I hit the ground at full tilt with my sword still firmly attached by a lanyard to my hand.  I was lucky not to impale myself.

Dazed, I struggled to my feet.  A riderless horse came careering in my direction, so I raised my hand and shouted 'Halt' at the top of my voice.  It was a 9th Lancers' horse and wonderfully trained for, despite the pandemonium, it stopped on a sixpence, I mounted and rode away to safety"