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Auction: 8016 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 279

A Great War D.S.O. Group of Eight to Lieutenant-Colonel G. Gould, 2nd Lancers (Gardner´s Horse), Late East Surrey Regiment, Who Led "The Charge of the 2nd Lancers", Storming Through the Turk Machine Guns 26.9.1918 a) Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar, reverse of top bar engraved in medium serif capitals ´Major G. Gould´, reverse of suspension bar engraved in small serif capitals ´2nd Bengal Lancers 3.6.16´ b) Queen´s South Africa, four clasps, Cape Colony, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (Lieut: G. Gould. E. Surrey Regt) c) 1914-15 Star (Capt. G. Gould, 2/Lncrs.) d) British War Medal (Maj. G. Gould.) e) Victory Medal, M.I.D. Oakleaves (Major G. Gould.) f) Defence and War Medals g) Jubilee 1935, unnamed as issued, good very fine, or better, mounted as originally worn (8) Estimate £ 1,400-1,600 D.S.O. London Gazette 3.6.1918 Maj. George Gould, Ind. Cav Lieutenant-Colonel George Gould, D.S.O., born 1882; Commissioned Lieutenant, East Surrey Regiment 8.5.1901; transferred to Indian Army 3.10.1906; served with 2nd Lancer´´s (Gardner´´s Horse) on the Western Front during the Great War (M.I.D. London Gazette 20.5.1918); served in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force from 12.9.1918, at the time of the 4th Cavalry Division´´s pursuit of the Turkish Army through Syria. On the 23rd September 1918 Major G. Gould, in light of Lieutenant Colonel G. Knowles illness, stepped in to take command of the 10th Cavalry Brigade. Three days later the 10th Cavalry Brigade (including Gould´´s 2nd Lancers) marched at 8am with orders to reach Irbid and find touch with the Arabs by midnight, however, the state of the roads delayed this, Gould, fearing that darkness would descend with Irbid still in the enemy´´s hands and the brigade without water for the night, determined the attack at once. He ordered one squadron to move to the village of Bariha (already seized by a troop of the regiment), a mile north-west of Irbid. A second squadron was to follow and attack mounted from the north, and a third to attack simultaneously from the south. The attack by the Berks Battery R.H.A. was delayed by the heavy machine gun fire of the enemy, which left the 2nd Lancers unassisted, charging pointlessly down the hill; Gould´´s position was a difficult one indeed. With the wisdom which comes after the event it can be seen that he would have done better to have awaited the arrival of the Central India Horse and of the battery, but it is comprehensible that at the moment any delay should have seemed to him to risk the loss of a golden opportunity. The casualties of the brigade were only 46, the great bulk being in Captain Vaughan´´s squadron of the 2nd Lancers; but a considerable number of horses were killed. And for this light loss it undoubtedly had above all to thanks the very bad marksmanship of the Turks; Gould was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel April 1927 and latterly attached to the 16th Light Cavalry Regiment.

Sold for
£1,800