Soon after the arrival of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in Belgium, C Squadron 4th Dragoon Guards was tasked with scouting north of Mons in order to make contact with the advancing Germans.
At around 06.00 hrs on 22nd August, the squadron moved northeast along the Mons-Brussels road. While watering their horses, the dragoons spotted a German patrol from 4th Cuirassier Regiment approaching down the road. The advanced scouts from the patrol spotted the British preparing an ambush and turned back towards the town of Casteau.
Here we see the cuirassiers, armed with the Stahlrohrlanze (‘steel-tube lance’), withdrawing while being pursued by two troops from C Squadron under Captain Charles Hornby.
The Mons-Brussels road was lined with poplar trees and paved with large flagstones, creating a smooth surface that was slippery for the horses. The 30 ft (9m) width across the road allowed the British cavalry to adopt a squadron-column formation, with the two troops in line one behind the other.
After a 1-mile chase, Hornby’s troops overtook the German patrol, capturing four cuirassiers. During the pursuit, Hornby charged straight into a platoon from 13th Uhlan Regiment which was on outpost duty at Casteau. The fierce hand-to-hand struggle forced the Germans to retreat from the town, while Hornby and the rest of C Sqn returned fire at bicycle-mounted troops from the 9th Cavalry Division. During the skirmish, Corporal Thomas fired at a German officer at 400 yards’ (366m) range – the first British shot of the First World War.
Eventually, C Sqn withdrew with few losses, rejoining the rest of the 4th Dragoon Guards at Harmignies.
By Ibrahim Zamir
Empire of History 