Description: A Cavalry Chaplain by Henry C. Day (S.J., M.C., Order of the White Eagle of Serbia) With an Introduction by Lieut.-Gen. Sir W. E. Peyton, K.C.B., K.C.V.O., C.B., D.S.O. This is the October 1922 Second Impression, published the month after the First Edition Front cover and spine Further images of this book are shown below Publisher and place of publication Dimensions in inches (to the nearest quarter-inch) London: Heath Cranton Limited, 5½ inches wide x 8¾ inches tall Edition Length October 1922 [Second Impression.; first published September 1922] 188 pages Condition of covers Internal condition Original tan cloth gilt. The covers are scuffed and rubbed, somewhat dull and with fading around the edges., There is a small but prominent stain on the front cover and noticeable variation in colour throughout. The spine has faded slightly and with a blotchy appearance. The spine ends and corners are bumped and slightly frayed, with minor splits to the cloth at the head and tail. There are some indentations along the edges of the boards and there is a marked forward spine lean. There is a Library label on the front pastedown ("Ex. Bibliotheca Congr. SS. Redempt. Domus ad S. Joseph, Dundalk"), and an oval Library stamp on the browned and very discoloured Half-Title page. Both the label and stamp have been partially defaced with a small white circular sticker, marked "18/c". There is also a defaced reference ("40D") on the pastedown. The front free end-paper has been roughly removed, leaving some residue. All this can be seen in the final image below. There is some scattered foxing and a few pages have grubby marks though the text remains generally quite clean throughout on tanned paper. A few pages have a short shallow groove in the margin, extending into the text and some corners are creased. The inner hinges are cracked and there is some separation between the inner gatherings. The edge of the text block is dust-stained and lightly foxed. Dust-jacket present? Other comments No Now scarce in any 1922 Edition, this example, notwithstanding the stain on the front cover and some discolouration, is in quite reasonable covers and, once past the markings on the front end-papers, is clean internally. Illustrations, maps, etc Contents Please see below for details (but note that the illustrations are all sketches) Please see below for details Post & shipping information Payment options The packed weight is approximately 600 grams. Full shipping/postage information is provided in a panel at the end of this listing. Payment options : UK buyers: cheque (in GBP), debit card, credit card (Visa, MasterCard but not Amex), PayPal International buyers: credit card (Visa, MasterCard but not Amex), PayPal Full payment information is provided in a panel at the end of this listing. A Cavalry Chaplain Contents Introduction I. Posted to the Yeomanry II Sent to the East Coast III. With the H. A. C. At Mundesley IV. On Board the "Karoa" V. At the Base in Egypt VI. In Barracks at Cairo VII. Life in the Desert VIII. A Nice Quiet Horse for a Padre IX. Off to Gallipoli X. The Last Fight at Suvla XI. The Story of the Battle XII. Chocolate Hill XIII. In the Trenches XIV. L'Envoy Index List of Illustrations 1. A Cavalry Chaplain " .... frontispiece 2. A Bolshevist 3. Stables 4. The Street Vendor 5# A Nice Quiet Horse for a Padre 6. Disembarking from the "Old Doris" (Suvla Bay) 7. 2nd Mounted Division after Landing at Suvla Bay 8. The Advance Across Salt Lake 9. Suvla Bay 10. By Piccadilly Circus in Asmac Dere 11. A Turkish Well A Cavalry Chaplain Introduction by Lieut.-Gen. Sir W. E. Peyton The Reverend Father Day having asked me to write "a foreword " to his book, and in that it deals so much with the stirring and gallant deeds of the original 2nd Mounted Division, and the other yeomanry regiments which subsequently joined us, I feel that my doing so will not be inappropriate; for I saw our early days, and all the training that was eventually to produce such brilliant results, though it was not my good fortune to share the greater portion of their glorious record. One word about " the Author," most gallant amongst that gallant body of men " the padres " of all denominations, who in all theatres of war shared the dangers, and hardships of the trenches, and the open field; and ministered with such sympathy to both the spiritual and bodily wants of all ranks : Father Day stood out for his simplicity, bravery, and breadth of vision, and his experiences and the impressions he received thereby must be of great interest to all those who served with him, and also to their friends. The 2nd Mounted Division as originally formed, was comprised of material both in officers and men who were bound from their breeding and instincts to fling themselves into the breach at the call of their King and Country. Soldiering as I have been for thirty-seven years, and commanding as I have troops of all arms and descriptions, I can honestly say that in looking back, there is no command in which I have had more pride, or no body of men so instinct with sympathy and readiness to meet every wish I had, before even those wishes framed themselves into "orders." Many friends I made, and many staunch friends I have retained, and alas many whose loss I mourn, and in whose sacrifice I glory. The 2nd Mounted Division met its baptism of fire on the 21st August, 1915. The words of General Sir Ian Hamilton best describe how they met the ordeal: "Whilst this fighting was in progress the 2nd Mounted Division moved out from Lala Baba in open formation to take up a position of readiness behind Yilghin Burnu. During this march they came under a remarkably steady and accurate artillery fire. The advance of these English Yeomen was a sight calculated to send a thrill of pride through anyone with a drop of English blood running in their veins. Such superb martial spectacles are rare in modern war. " Despite the critical events in other parts of the field, I could hardly take my glasses from the Yeomen; they moved like men marching on parade. Here and there a shell would take toll of a cluster; there they lay; there was no straggling; the others moved steadily on; not a man was there who hung back or hurried." Weary months in the trenches sitting under point blank range of the Turkish guns, ravaged by disease, their indomitable spirit never forsook the troops; and when the evacuation of the Peninsula took place, the Division once more sought their horses, and in a few weeks were again in the Field, some on the Eastern, and some on the Western frontiers of Egypt. The operations of the latter frontier were rendered classical and historic by the charge of the Dorset Yeomanry. I believe I am right in saying that they were the first cavalry regiment to givea practical demonstration of the possibility of a successful charge on machine guns in action. Subsequently, all units of the Division took part either mounted or dismounted in Allenby's brilliant operation culminating with the capture of Jerusalem and the flight and annihilation of the Turco-German forces. Not yet, however, were the services of those gallant yeomen to be dispensed with; as machine gunners and as infantry they were hastened to France, there to withstand the onslaught of the German Offensive, and finally to take part in the glorious enterprise which finished the greatest War the world has ever known. That the Yeomen of the Midland Counties, the men from Dorset, Nottingham, and Derby, the best of the youth of London and the Scotsmen of Tullibardine and Lovat may find their reward, by the emulation of future generations, to keep alight the flame of patriotism, and combativeness against wrung, which they so brilliantly set burning, is my most ardent and sincere wish. W. E. PEYTON, Lieut.-General, (late Commander 2nd Mounted Division.) May, 1922. A Cavalry Chaplain Excerpt: XI. The Story of the Battle Arrived on Chocolate Hill I was dumbfounded to observe its changed and forlorn appearance. The densely crowded hill of the previous evening was this Sunday morning but sparsely occupied by a handful of war-worn men. They were engaged in selecting sites, and digging in. My first impression was that this was all that was left of our splendid Division. A line of forgotten verse revived in my memory : " One moment in annihilation's waste." But no, it was not complete annihilation. The men I saw were the remnants of a single Brigade, the Bucks, Berks, and Dorsets. Most of the Division had retired to the sea during the late hours of the night, or the early hours of the morning. These troops were expected to rejoin us in the front line by evening. The only other information I could immediately glean was that the 2nd Brigade with whom I now found myself had started the attack on the left and managed to push forward a considerable distance, before they were eventually forced to retire, after sustaining terrible casualties. My favourite regiment, the Dorsets, had suffered most. This unit was reduced to the barest skeleton formation—no officers except the Commanding-Officer left, few N.C.O.'s, and only one hundred and fifty men. I had not the heart to search for my friends. The sight of Colonel Troyte-Bullock giving directions to the little groups of survivors was touching. I approached him, and expressed in a few words my sympathy. The Brigade had also lost its gallant chief. Brigadier-General Lord Longford fell leading his men. To give the reader a clearer insight into the part taken by our Division, I venture to insert an extract from Sir Ian Hamilton's Despatch dealing with the battle of 21st-22nd August as a whole : " At three p.m. an advance was begun by the Infantry on the right of the line. The 34th Brigade of the 11th Division rushed the Turkish trenches between Hetman Chair and Aire Kavak, practically without loss, but the 32nd Brigade, directed against Hetman Chair and the communication trench connecting that point with the south-west corner of the Ismail Oglu Tepe Spur, failed to make good the point. The Brigade had lost direction in the first instance, moving north-east instead of east, and though it attempted to carry the communication trench from the north-east with great bravery and great disregard of life, it never succeeded in rectifying the original mistake. The 33rd Brigade, sent up in haste with orders to capture this communication trench at all costs, fell into precisely the same error, part of it marching north-east and part south to Susuk Kayu. " Meanwhile the 29th Division, whose attack had been planned for three-thirty p.m., had attacked Scimitar Hill (Hill 70) with great dash. The 87th Brigade, on the left, carried the trenches on Scimitar Hill, but the 86th Brigade were checked and upset by a raging forest fire across their front. " Eventually pressing on, they found themselves unable to advance up the valley between the two spurs owing to the failure of the 32nd Brigade of the 11th Division on their right. The Brigade then tried to attack eastwards, but were decimated by a cross fire of shell and musketry from the north and south-east. The leading troops were simply swept off the top of the spur, and had to fall back to a ledge south-west of Scimitar Hill, where they found a little cover. . . . " Now that the 11th Division had made their effort and failed, the 2nd South Midland Brigade (commanded by Brigadier-General Earl of Longford) was sent forward from its position in readiness behind Yilghin Burnu, in the hope that they might yet restore the fortunes of the day. This Brigade, in action for the first time, encountered both bush fire and musketry without flinching, but the advance had in places to be made almost by inches, and the actual close attack of the Yeomen did not take place until night was fast falling. On the left they reached the foremost line of the 29th Division, and on the right also they got so far as the leading battalions. But, as soon as it was dark, one regiment pushed up the valley between Scimitar Hill and Hill 100 (on Ismail Oglu Tepe) and carried the trenches on a small knob near the centre of this horse-shoe. . . . " As the men were too done, and had lost too heavily to admit of a second immediate assault, and as the knoll actually held would have been swept by fire at daybreak, there was nothing for it but to fall back under cover of darkness to our original line." Thus owing to one Brigade mistaking its direction and another" being held up by a bush-fire, the Division on left and right could not get through. The reserves called into action later succeeded no better. The result was that the attack on Hill 70 (Scimitar Hill) and Ismail Oglu Tepe, though fiercely maintained for several hours, completely failed. General Sir Ian Hamilton, who watched the fighting till dark, has suggested different causes. The preliminary bombardment was nearly futile. This was not the fault of the gunners. It was due on the one hand to an unexpected mist which interfered with the aiming of the guns, and, on the other, to shortage of ammunition which prevented the inaccuracy of the shooting being compensated by quantity. Then the bush-fire came along and put an impassable barrier between the heroic 29th and the Turks. The " fine edge " of the 11th Division had also been blunted. It was said, moreover, that the 9th Division had been shouldered off the true line of attack by the 11th Division, driven in by fire, and that the 11th Division had been barged into by the Yeomen and thrown off their line. But the root cause of all the trouble seems to have been the afternoon mist. This was wholly unexpected, and has been described by the Commander-in-Chief as " sheer bad luck." He had reckoned " on the enemy's gunners being blocked by the declining sun, and upon the Turkish trenches being shown up by the evening light with singular clearness. This would have been the case in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. But actually we could hardly see the Turk's lines this afternoon; whereas to the westwards our troops stood out in strong relief against the luminous mist, and offered excellent targets to the enemy." The ensuing account of the doings of the Mounted Division is made up from scraps of information gathered at different times from various sources: On the day of the battle Major-General Peyton left us to assume command of the 9th Corps, in order to leave General de Lisle free to conduct operations. The command thus vacated by General Peyton was given to General Kenna. Colonel Sir John Milbanke took over the 3rd Brigade. These temporary changes provoked some criticism at the time, on account of the prevalent belief that the officers in question were without previous experience in handling the larger formations with which they were suddenly entrusted. A further disconcerting fact was the lack of local knowledge on the part of regimental commanders. No reconnaissance had been made. General Kenna, alone of our officers, visited the front line beforehand. Consequently, when the attack, which started at a late hour, took place, officers had to push their troops forward, through an unexplored, heavily entrenched country (the enemy had been concentrating for days) with only the haziest knowledge of their objectives. General Kenna established his battle Headquarters and assembled all the machine guns of the Division at Chocolate Hill, on the night of the 20th. Events proved that these guns would have been of infinitely greater use with their units. At five-thirty in the afternoon of the 21st, the 2nd and 4th Brigades were ordered into action. Their instructions were of the vaguest description. They were to seize " W " Hill on the east slope of the Anafarta ridge, and then move forward indefinitely. The 2nd Brigade wheeled round the left foot of Chocolate Hill, while the 4th started from the other side and attacked on the right. The fighting on the left has been already described. Jt was the most successful part of that night's operations. The Bucks, Berks, and Dorsets, alone of our Yeomanry, got in bayonet touch with the Turks. The events on the right are vividly described by Captain Wedgwood Benn: " During the next advance (from Chocolate Hill) we had no shell fire to meet, only rifle and machine gun. We ran across the front field and jumped into a line of trenches—supports of our own, then out again and formed into the next trench, leaping in on top of the men of the Division ahead of us. . . . From here we got into a communication trench filled with men of the Irish Division, whose gallant attempt earlier in the day had failed. We had to stand aside to let pass a pitiable, ghastly procession of maimed, most of whom had been half-stripped to have their wounds bound by their friends. The horror of that scene will bear no description. Fearing the effect on the moral of our men, we decided to leave this trench and run across the field in front to a small hill a little ahead of us. As far as we could see it provided good cover, for there appeared to be a number of reserves lying there in perfect quiet and safety. Out we sprang with a shout, and ran forward to the selected spot, only to find that it was under brisk machine-gun fire. The reserves were quiet, indeed —for they were dead. We saw nothing for it now but to get up and shift our position. For one thing the bushes in front of us were alight, and the fire was already advancing on to the corpses at our side. It was from this incident that the bill became known as 'Burnt Hill' Having made up our minds, we rose, leaped over a low communication trench, across another field, and tumbled into the advance support trench. We were now behind the spot which came to be known later as ' Yeomen's Knoll.' " By the time we reached the ' Yeomen's Knoll ' it was getting dark, and we began to arrange our forces on the left and right to make up the line in order to hold it for the night. Orders were received that our Colonel was to take command of the whole of this portion of the front. We were all in a state of the greatest uncertainty, not knowing who was who, or where the enemy was to be found. The Rough Riders were on our left, and we were in touch with them. The Sharpshooters were on our right. " Having consolidated the position, we sat for the next few hours in the trench, deepening it and improving it in various ways. Once, about half-past twelve, we feared an attack, and fixed bayonets ready to leap out and meet the oncoming Turks. This definite offensive act of picking up a rifle and fixing a bayonet conveyed a feeling of real relief after hours of helpless, defensive waiting. However, no Turks came, and we settled down again, re-filling our water-bottles from a spring, and doing other useful jobs. . . . " About half-past one, in reply to several requests that we might be permitted to go on, the order came that the Brigade was to retire at once . . . Please note: to avoid opening the book out, with the risk of damaging the spine, some of the pages were slightly raised on the inner edge when being scanned, which has resulted in some blurring to the text and a shadow on the inside edge of the final images. Colour reproduction is shown as accurately as possible but please be aware that some colours are difficult to scan and may result in a slight variation from the colour shown below to the actual colour. In line with eBay guidelines on picture sizes, some of the illustrations may be shown enlarged for greater detail and clarity. There is a Library label on the front pastedown ("Ex. Bibliotheca Congr. SS. Redempt. Domus ad S. Joseph, Dundalk"), and an oval Library stamp on the browned and very discoloured Half-Title page. Both the label and stamp have been partially defaced with a small white circular sticker, marked "18/c". There is also a defaced reference ("40D") on the pastedown. The front free end-paper has been roughly removed, leaving some residue. U.K. buyers: To estimate the “packed weight” each book is first weighed and then an additional amount of 150 grams is added to allow for the packaging material (all books are securely wrapped and posted in a cardboard book-mailer). The weight of the book and packaging is then rounded up to the nearest hundred grams to arrive at the postage figure. I make no charge for packaging materials and do not seek to profit from postage and packaging. Postage can be combined for multiple purchases. Packed weight of this item : approximately 600 grams Postage and payment options to U.K. addresses: Details of the various postage options can be obtained by selecting the “Postage and payments” option at the head of this listing (above). Payment can be made by: debit card, credit card (Visa or MasterCard, but not Amex), cheque (payable to "G Miller", please), or PayPal. Please contact me with name, address and payment details within seven days of the end of the listing; otherwise I reserve the right to cancel the sale and re-list the item. Finally, this should be an enjoyable experience for both the buyer and seller and I hope you will find me very easy to deal with. If you have a question or query about any aspect (postage, payment, delivery options and so on), please do not hesitate to contact me. International buyers: To estimate the “packed weight” each book is first weighed and then an additional amount of 150 grams is added to allow for the packaging material (all books are securely wrapped and posted in a cardboard book-mailer). The weight of the book and packaging is then rounded up to the nearest hundred grams to arrive at the shipping figure. I make no charge for packaging materials and do not seek to profit from shipping and handling. Shipping can usually be combined for multiple purchases (to a maximum of 5 kilograms in any one parcel with the exception of Canada, where the limit is 2 kilograms). Packed weight of this item : approximately 600 grams International Shipping options: Details of the postage options to various countries (via Air Mail) can be obtained by selecting the “Postage and payments” option at the head of this listing (above) and then selecting your country of residence from the drop-down list. For destinations not shown or other requirements, please contact me before buying. Due to the extreme length of time now taken for deliveries, surface mail is no longer a viable option and I am unable to offer it even in the case of heavy items. I am afraid that I cannot make any exceptions to this rule. Payment options for international buyers: Payment can be made by: credit card (Visa or MasterCard, but not Amex) or PayPal. I can also accept a cheque in GBP [British Pounds Sterling] but only if drawn on a major British bank. Regretfully, due to extremely high conversion charges, I CANNOT accept foreign currency : all payments must be made in GBP [British Pounds Sterling]. This can be accomplished easily using a credit card, which I am able to accept as I have a separate, well-established business, or PayPal. Please contact me with your name and address and payment details within seven days of the end of the listing; otherwise I reserve the right to cancel the sale and re-list the item. Finally, this should be an enjoyable experience for both the buyer and seller and I hope you will find me very easy to deal with. If you have a question or query about any aspect (shipping, payment, delivery options and so on), please do not hesitate to contact me. Prospective international buyers should ensure that they are able to provide credit card details or pay by PayPal within 7 days from the end of the listing (or inform me that they will be sending a cheque in GBP drawn on a major British bank). Thank you. (please note that the book shown is for illustrative purposes only and forms no part of this listing) Book dimensions are given in inches, to the nearest quarter-inch, in the format width x height. Please note that, to differentiate them from soft-covers and paperbacks, modern hardbacks are still invariably described as being ‘cloth’ when they are, in fact, predominantly bound in paper-covered boards pressed to resemble cloth. Fine Books for Fine Minds I value your custom (and my feedback rating) but I am also a bibliophile : I want books to arrive in the same condition in which they were dispatched. For this reason, all books are securely wrapped in tissue and a protective covering and are then posted in a cardboard container. If any book is significantly not as described, I will offer a full refund. Unless the size of the book precludes this, hardback books with a dust-jacket are usually provided with a clear film protective cover, while hardback books without a dust-jacket are usually provided with a rigid clear cover. The Royal Mail, in my experience, offers an excellent service, but things can occasionally go wrong. However, I believe it is my responsibility to guarantee delivery. If any book is lost or damaged in transit, I will offer a full refund. Thank you for looking. Please also view my other listings for a range of interesting books and feel free to contact me if you require any additional information Design and content © Geoffrey Miller
Price: 95 GBP
Location: Flamborough, Bridlington
End Time: 2023-12-20T09:40:38.000Z
Shipping Cost: 26.29 GBP
Product Images
Item Specifics
Return postage will be paid by: Buyer
Returns Accepted: Returns Accepted
After receiving the item, your buyer should cancel the purchase within: 30 days
Return policy details: If any book is significantly not as described, I will offer a full refund, including return postage. All books are securely wrapped and posted in a cardboard container.
Non-Fiction Subject: History & Military
Year Printed: 1922
Binding: Hardback
Author: Henry C. Day (S.J., M.C., Order of the White Eagle
Language: English
Publisher: Heath Cranton Limited
Place of Publication: London
Special Attributes: Illustrated
