The regiment was trained and equipped as lancers. It was raised almost single handedly by Arthur
Owen Vaughan, who aspired to be its Commander. However, the command was given to Lord
Kensington a well-known Pembrokeshire landowner.
On 24th September 1914, the regiment boarded RMS Olympic and sailed the next day. They
arrived at Mudros on lst October and on 10th October landed at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli. After the
evacuation from Gallipoli, they moved to Egypt in December 1915 and served as part of the Suez
Canal Defences from 14th to 26th July. It then joined the Western Frontier Force and by the end of
the year it was back on the Suez.
The battalion took part in the invasion of Palestine in 1917 and 1918. Shortly after joining the
division it took part in the Second Battle of Gaza in April 1917. Then in the autumn it fought the
Third Battle of Gaza (27th October -7th November) and shortly afterwards was involved in the
Capture of Jesusalem (8-9th December)
John would have seen action in the Second Battle of Gaza from 17th April 1917. In the weeks
following the First Battle of Gaza, to protect the area from an expected Egyptian attack, the
Ottoman-Turkish Fourth Army considerably strengthened its’ defensive positions in and around
Gaza. The attack was launched on 17th April with three Infantry Divisions – 52nd, 53rd and 54th
Divisions - supported by Anzac Mounted Division and the Imperial Mounted Division, advancing
on the heavily entrenched defenders, suffering almost 6,500 casualties for minimal gains.
In March 1917 the Division began its part of the advance into Palestine, and by November had
helped capture Jesusalem.
John was killed near Jerusalem on 30th November 1917. He was 23 years old and is buried at
Jesusalem War Cemetery