95:
25:
385:
fired the first rifle shot of the
British Army of WW1 and that Hornby's sword, "reputed to be the sword used in the very first encounter of WW1." Authors Desmond and Jean Bowen note that the historian of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards says that Thomas "undoubtedly fired the first British shot of the war
367:
which was about to advance on Mons. Sensing danger, the German cavalrymen retreated and were pursued by Hornby's two reserve troops, the 1st Troop leading with swords drawn and the 4th Troop following. The
Germans retreated towards a larger force of German lancers, which Hornby charged with his men.
380:
writes that he inflicted "the first casualty on the enemy by a soldier from the BEF." While author
Douglas d'Enno was "the first British soldier to kill a German soldier." On the centenary of this action, in 2014, The Yorkshire Regiment museum wrote that Trooper
820:
800:
785:
404:, gazetted in February 1915, but he was seriously wounded a few weeks after the engagement. He was promoted to major in March 1916, with effect from August 1915, and served in the
352:
825:
795:
830:
790:
637:
759:
810:
94:
805:
815:
697:
348:
325:
413:
228:
720:
368:
Hornby is said to have been the first to kill one of the German cavalrymen, fighting on horseback with sword against lance, reputedly using a
394:
382:
369:
356:
46:
680:
651:
623:
68:
301:
258:
191:
436:
401:
242:
219:
39:
33:
351:). Two troops were dismounted in ambush, and two in reserve commanded by Hornby. Four patrolling German lancers—
50:
364:
416:
in 1917. He went on half-pay due to illness caused by wounds in July 1917, and retired from the army in 1922.
409:
223:
701:
693:
672:
427:
Hornby married
Dorothy Henderson in 1914. They had four daughters. He survived the war, and served as a
100:
99:
Captain
Charles Hornby and his squadron charging against German cavalrymen at Casteau. Illustration by
397:
is reputed to have fired the first shot of the war for the
British Army, hitting a German cavalryman.
780:
775:
440:
428:
249:
728:
643:
615:
390:
389:
After further pursuit, the
Germans turned to shoot at the British cavalry, supported by a force of
360:
582:
578:
565:
537:
525:
521:
724:
716:
373:
286:
328:(BEF), as second-in-command of C Squadron of the 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards, under Major
753:
676:
647:
619:
551:
209:
566:"Page 8088 | Supplement 30221, 7 August 1917 | London Gazette | the Gazette"
538:"Page 2450 | Supplement 29498, 3 March 1916 | London Gazette | the Gazette"
321:
305:
262:
205:
201:
552:"Page 11731 | Issue 29844, 1 December 1916 | London Gazette | the Gazette"
261:, he is reputed to have become the first British soldier to kill a German soldier in the
664:
377:
359:—were reconnoitring the route around 6am on 22 August, as the advance guard of General
304:
in 1901. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1903, and captain in 1909. He served in the
769:
333:
297:
293:
282:
124:
393:. The 4th Troop dismounted to provide covering fire for the 1st Troop, and Drummer
254:
181:
161:
332:. His squadron became the first unit of the BEF to engage the German army outside
285:, on 7 February 1883. His father, Colonel John Frederick Hornby, served with the
329:
405:
278:
120:
340:
309:
344:
266:
447:
432:
140:
419:
A monument to the action was unveiled in
Belgium on 22 August 1939.
639:
Brighton in the Great War: Your Towns & Cities in the Great War
265:, at around 6:30 am on 22 August 1914, near the Belgian village of
431:
from 1924, becoming vice-chairman of the bench of magistrates in
669:
Challenge of Battle: The Real Story of the
British Army in 1914
583:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35997/supplement/1947
579:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35202/supplement/3655
526:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29111/supplement/2940
522:
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29074/supplement/1688
18:
347:
to the north-east of Mons (later to become the location of
750:
Obituary, "Major C. B. Hornby." The Times, 12 January 1949
469:
467:
443:
the Second World War, from
February 1941 to April 1943.
593:
821:
Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France)
754:
Riding the Retreat: Mons to the Marne 1914 Revisited
386:... Hornby was the first man to kill a German."
408:in England as GSO Grade 3 in 1916 and 1917. He was
215:
197:
187:
177:
167:
155:
147:
130:
107:
85:
497:
450:in Northumberland, with an obituary published in
400:For his efforts, Captain Hornby was awarded the
339:The squadron was guarding the road from Mons to
801:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
786:British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
8:
612:Heroic Option: The Irish in the British Army
435:. He served in the rank of captain with the
324:in 1914, Hornby was sent to France with the
509:
485:
253:(7 February 1883 – 10 January 1949) was a
93:
82:
349:Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
69:Learn how and when to remove this message
32:This article includes a list of general
826:4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards officers
473:
463:
796:British Army personnel of World War II
831:4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards officers
791:British Army personnel of World War I
7:
610:Bowen, Desmond; Bowen, Jean (2005).
257:. While serving as a captain in the
811:Military personnel of British India
312:from January 1911 to January 1914.
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
806:Military personnel from Bangalore
756:, Richard Holmes, p. 113–114
816:People educated at Harrow School
302:4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards
259:4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards
192:4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards
23:
412:twice, and awarded the French
372:now held by the museum of the
320:Following the outbreak of the
1:
698:"Captain Charles Beck Hornby"
336:, Belgium on 22 August 1914.
437:4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards
370:1908 pattern trooper's sword
594:University of Limerick 2014
402:Distinguished Service Order
326:British Expeditionary Force
296:and was commissioned as an
220:Distinguished Service Order
847:
92:
760:The VC and DSO Volume II
636:d'Enno, Douglas (2016).
498:Yorkshire Regiment 2014
410:mentioned in despatches
308:and was the regiment's
292:Hornby was educated at
224:Mentioned in Despatches
53:more precise citations.
702:University of Limerick
694:University of Limerick
510:Bowen & Bowen 2005
343:, near the village of
721:"Capt Hornby's Sword"
673:Bloomsbury Publishing
273:Early life and career
168:Years of service
101:Charles Mills Sheldon
441:Royal Armoured Corps
429:Justice of the Peace
357:9th Cavalry Division
659:- Total pages: 176
631:- Total pages: 331
361:Alexander von Kluck
277:Hornby was born in
238:Charles Beck Hornby
87:Charles Beck Hornby
725:Yorkshire Regiment
717:Yorkshire Regiment
688:- Total pages: 312
374:Yorkshire Regiment
287:12th Royal Lancers
255:British cavalryman
16:British cavalryman
689:
660:
632:
476:, pp. 16–17.
235:
234:
79:
78:
71:
838:
740:
738:
736:
731:on 9 August 2014
727:. Archived from
712:
710:
708:
696:(24 July 2014).
687:
686:
658:
657:
630:
629:
597:
591:
585:
576:
570:
569:
562:
556:
555:
548:
542:
541:
534:
528:
519:
513:
507:
501:
495:
489:
483:
477:
471:
252:
247:
210:Second World War
157:
137:
117:
115:
97:
83:
74:
67:
63:
60:
54:
49:this article by
40:inline citations
27:
26:
19:
846:
845:
841:
840:
839:
837:
836:
835:
766:
765:
747:
745:Further reading
734:
732:
715:
706:
704:
692:
683:
665:Gilbert, Adrian
663:
654:
635:
626:
609:
606:
601:
600:
592:
588:
577:
573:
564:
563:
559:
550:
549:
545:
536:
535:
531:
520:
516:
508:
504:
496:
492:
484:
480:
472:
465:
460:
446:Hornby died in
425:
414:Croix de Guerre
353:4th Cuirassiers
322:First World War
318:
316:First World War
306:Second Boer War
275:
263:First World War
245:
241:
229:Croix de Guerre
227:
222:
208:
206:First World War
204:
202:Second Boer War
172:
139:
135:
134:10 January 1949
119:
118:7 February 1883
113:
111:
103:
88:
75:
64:
58:
55:
45:Please help to
44:
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
844:
842:
834:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
778:
768:
767:
764:
763:
757:
751:
746:
743:
742:
741:
713:
690:
681:
661:
652:
633:
624:
605:
602:
599:
598:
586:
571:
557:
543:
529:
514:
512:, p. 203.
502:
490:
478:
462:
461:
459:
456:
424:
421:
378:Adrian Gilbert
317:
314:
274:
271:
233:
232:
217:
213:
212:
199:
195:
194:
189:
185:
184:
179:
175:
174:
169:
165:
164:
159:
153:
152:
151:United Kingdom
149:
145:
144:
138:(aged 65)
132:
128:
127:
109:
105:
104:
98:
90:
89:
86:
77:
76:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
843:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
773:
771:
762:, p. 361
761:
758:
755:
752:
749:
748:
744:
730:
726:
722:
718:
714:
703:
699:
695:
691:
684:
682:9781472808141
678:
674:
670:
666:
662:
655:
653:9781473865860
649:
645:
644:Pen and Sword
641:
640:
634:
627:
625:9781844151523
621:
617:
616:Pen and Sword
613:
608:
607:
603:
595:
590:
587:
584:
580:
575:
572:
567:
561:
558:
553:
547:
544:
539:
533:
530:
527:
523:
518:
515:
511:
506:
503:
499:
494:
491:
488:, p. 31.
487:
482:
479:
475:
470:
468:
464:
457:
455:
453:
449:
444:
442:
438:
434:
430:
422:
420:
417:
415:
411:
407:
403:
398:
396:
395:Edward Thomas
392:
387:
384:
383:Edward Thomas
379:
375:
371:
366:
362:
358:
354:
350:
346:
342:
337:
335:
331:
327:
323:
315:
313:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
294:Harrow School
290:
288:
284:
283:British India
280:
272:
270:
268:
264:
260:
256:
251:
244:
239:
230:
225:
221:
218:
214:
211:
207:
203:
200:
196:
193:
190:
186:
183:
180:
176:
170:
166:
163:
160:
154:
150:
146:
142:
133:
129:
126:
125:British India
122:
110:
106:
102:
96:
91:
84:
81:
73:
70:
62:
52:
48:
42:
41:
35:
30:
21:
20:
733:. Retrieved
729:the original
705:. Retrieved
668:
638:
611:
589:
574:
560:
546:
532:
517:
505:
493:
481:
474:Gilbert 2014
451:
445:
426:
418:
399:
388:
376:. Historian
338:
319:
291:
276:
237:
236:
198:Battles/wars
162:British Army
136:(1949-01-10)
80:
65:
59:October 2019
56:
37:
781:1949 deaths
776:1883 births
486:d'Enno 2016
330:Tom Bridges
51:introducing
770:Categories
604:References
423:Later life
406:War Office
148:Allegiance
114:1883-02-07
34:references
735:22 August
707:22 August
452:The Times
279:Bangalore
173:1941–1943
171:1901–1922
143:, England
121:Bangalore
719:(2014).
667:(2014).
365:1st Army
341:Soignies
310:adjutant
231:(France)
156:Service/
439:in the
355:of the
345:Casteau
300:in the
267:Casteau
47:improve
679:
650:
622:
448:Hexham
433:Hexham
391:jägers
298:ensign
216:Awards
158:branch
141:Hexham
36:, but
458:Notes
248:
246:,
182:Major
737:2022
709:2022
677:ISBN
648:ISBN
620:ISBN
334:Mons
188:Unit
178:Rank
131:Died
108:Born
363:’s
269:.
243:DSO
226:(2)
772::
723:.
700:.
675:.
671:.
646:.
642:.
618:.
614:.
581:,
524:,
466:^
454:.
289:.
281:,
250:JP
240:,
123:,
739:.
711:.
685:.
656:.
628:.
596:.
568:.
554:.
540:.
500:.
116:)
112:(
72:)
66:(
61:)
57:(
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
