machine gun of the regiment. About a
troop and a half, accompanied by the Commanding Officer,
Lieutenant-Colonel D. Campbell and Major Beale-Browne, moved up on the
left of the village. Shortly afterwards two squadrons of the 1st Garde
Dragoner charged the village and drove out the troop of the 9th
Lancers after a little street fighting. A third Dragoner squadron then
came up to the village from the north in support. The troop and a half
of the 9th Lancers, led by the Commanding Officer and 2nd in Command,
attacked this squadron in perfect order, charged the left
half of the German squadron and pierced it with loss, both sides
facing the charge; the Germans at a 15-mile rate and the 9th Lancers
at speed.
Swinging round after the charge, the 9th Lancers gained the village
and rallied on the south of it. At the same time, the 18th Hussars,
who had been sent up in support, drove off the Germans by fire from
the wood on the left of the village. In this charge by the 9th Lancers
Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell was wounded in the arm by a lance and in
the leg by a bullet, both wounds, however, being slight. The adjutant,
Captain G. F. Reynolds, was severely wounded in the shoulder by a
lance. Lieutenant Alfrey, the machine-gun officer, who must have gone
to his assistance from the village, was killed whilst extracting the
lance from Captain Reynolds. Our casualties were slight--one officer
(Lieutenant Alfrey) killed, two men killed; two officers
(Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell and Captain Reynolds) wounded and five
men wounded. The number of Germans left on the ground was
considerable.
Shortly afterwards, "I" Battery, R.H.A., was moved to the north of the
village, and the 18th Hussars were sent to Faujus and to a line of
trees to the south of that village.
"B" Squadron, 18th Hussars, under Major Leveson, took up a position by
this line of trees, dismounting in the corn stooks, and was
immediately charged by a German squadron in perfect order, in line at
close order. The 18th Hussars squadron met the charge with
well-directed fire at close range, and the German squadron was almost
annihilated. A few passed through the firing line and were shot by the
horse holders. Thirty-two dead and wounded Germans were counted on the
ground in front of the squadron, and of the 60 or 70 which charged not
more than a dozen escaped. A second charge was attempted
shortly afterwards, but did not approach closer than 400 yards.
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