Page 114 - QDG 2023

112 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
The QDG Heritage Trust Oral History Project
Recent highlights of the QDG Heritage Trust include the purchase of some fantastic artefacts, including an oil painting of Patrick Moir-Byres, who was a Major in the King’s Dragoon Guards in the early 1900s. The portrait itself is unique for its depiction of the KDG frock coat, whilst the name ‘Moir-Byres’ perhaps provides an interesting link to the 1685 formation of the Regiments, the ‘Moirs’ and ‘Byres’ both having a Jacobite connection. In other news, via a National Manuscript Conservation Trust grant awarded to Firing Line Museum, one-of-a- kind KDG Recruitment Instructions, dating from 1787, received some serious restoration at the hands of Emily O’Reilly, a Cardiff-based Icon accredited paper conservator. Great headway has similarly been made on the watercolour and silver resto- ration projects thanks, particularly, to the tireless efforts of Richard Dennis and Robert Mansel. Finally, the oral history project has taken off in a big way, with a number of wonderful connections made (or re-made) and stories recorded - let me show you a few highlights.
Our first participant was Major John Hamilton, recently departed and late of the KDG; at the time of interviewing, he was one of the last survivors of Dunkirk. John served in the Second World War with the 56th City of London Heavy Anti-Aircraft
Regiment before commissioning into the KDG a short while later:
‘Harold Castles, we became friends together, and he said, “why don’t you if you’re waiting for commissions join us? KDGs.” So, I had an interview with the Colonel of the Regiment... and became a KDG and joined the regiment in North Africa.’
John’s story continued through his experiences in Benghazi, Hamburg, an extra-regimental post to the Arab Legion and, moving on from the KDG before the amalgamation, to his time
Recently acquired: an oil painting of Patrick Moir-Byres, unique for its depiction of the KDG frock coat.
‘And a big part of this was the final mounted parade of the Queen’s Bays... Our colonel in chief, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, took the salute and it was a lovely autumn day on the Tidworth polo ground. And we drove past in our Saladin armoured cars and Dingo scout cars. And obviously the standard party was mounted on horses. And then we had a usual lunch and reception afterwards and a ball... we had Tommy Kinsman’s band, which was one of the most renowned bands in London.’
Major General Robert Ward on the last mounted parade of The Queen’s Bays
as a Staff Officer. Overlapping John’s time in the KDG are interviewees Lieutenant General Sir Maurice Johnston KCB CVO OBE and Major General Robert Ward CV MBE DL, both of whom served with the Bays, through the 1959 amalgamation, ultimately becoming Commanding Officers and Colonels of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards; Major General Ward also served as Chairman of the Regimental Trust. At the time of the amalgamation Lieutenant General Johnston was Adjutant of the Bays:
‘We had a cable saying the Queen’s Bays and the King’s Dragoon Guards are going to amalgamate. And I took it down to the Commanding Officer who almost burst into tears until I said, “Look, they want us to be a vulgar fraction like the 1926 cavalry amalgamations, 15th/19th, 16th/5th, etcetera. 1st/2nd Dragoon Guards,” and I said, “we’ll become known as a half a Dragoon!” So, we chose a name instead, ‘The Queen’s Dragoon Guards.’’
As of the time of writing, eight people have been interviewed and their stories have taken us worldwide: from the U.K. to Germany, Ireland, the Middle East, Beirut and even the Falklands. They have been told by
both soldiers and their partners (and the great thing is that everyone has a unique perspective to tell) and have covered operations and exercises, conflict and peace:
‘[In Hohne] I was what they called Op UNION SQMS for two years... which was looking after the quarters for the married families. You moved them in, allocated them a quarter and liaised with the garrison quarter people... They were joining families together.’
– Anthony ‘Jumbo’ Harrison, Queen’s Bays and Queen’s Dragoon Guards
But there is space for many more!
The purpose of this project is to capture memories and preserve stories, create a dynamic and inter- esting history based on personal accounts and experiences, and promote engagement with the regiment and its deeds. We are delighted to have recently been awarded a grant from the Grocers’ Charity in furtherance of this endeavour, so please do get in touch to take part.
HS
‘We were told to take up five positions on the beach, near the beach, because the German Luftwaffe had started bombing. They had already shelled the town (the Germans were about eight miles inland), they shelled the town, they destroyed the harbour, the number of troops who got onto the beach was increasing (and I don’t know how many hundred there were) but there were two points of evacuation. One was the mole – the mole was this mile long breakwater. The second evac- uation point – not a good one – was the beach.’
John Hamilton on Dunkirk