Page 40 - Last Chargers example

1st Garde Dragoner shoulder board
to collect the remaining wounded. These included soldiers from the Greys, one 20th Hussar and some German Dragoons. In this grisly task, Corporal Whelan found one of his friends128 from his home town lying on the battle eld shot through the head and still holding his lance with a dead German still impaled on it. The casualties were to be taken to the farm in woods (where an advance party of medical orderlies was already waiting) and joined Captain Forrest RAMC and two wagons129. Corporal Whelan and Private Grey led the ambulances into Moÿ de l’Aisne by the light of their cigarette ends, although during the move Sergeant Major Tomkins and Private Coote died, the latter giving Corporal Whelan his knife and asking that he pass it on to his friend Corporal Webb. The well-travelled knife was restored to Coote’s family some months later in a Dublin hospital 130.
128 Believed to be Private Nolan 129 5 Fd Amb
130 Whelan p20
German graves of 1st Garde Dragoner at Origny-St. Benoîte
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