While in Lucknow, the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards Regiment receive the order on 31st August to mobilise for action in support of the British war effort in Europe.
The South West Africa Campaign of 15th September 1914 to 9th July 1915 was a campaign against the German occupation of the territory known as German South West Africa (now a large part of Namibia).
General Louis Botha was asked by the British Government whether he could mount a force to invade German South West Africa to which he replied that he could.
Botha gathered together a force along the border between the two countries in September 1914 but the resulting invasion faltered when Lt.Col. “Manie” Maritz staged a revolt against the British and its occupation of South Africa and sided with the Germans. This first invasion came to an end with the South African defeat at the Battle of Sandfontein.
They sail from Bombay on 16th October.
Major R.S. Hunt was listed as being present on 23 Oct 1914 at mobilisation. The 1st King’s Dragoon Guards Regiment consisted of –
- 16 officers (Commanding Officer Lt.Col. J.A. Bell-Smyth)
- 532 men
- 512 horses
The regiment formed part of the 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade in the 1st Indian Cavalry Division of Indian Expeditionary Force A
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