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Royal Canadian Dragoons


Terry

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I just received a dandy trio today, to 15182 A.Sjt.R.E.Stawell,Royal Canadian Dragoons. Certainly one of the more hard to find CEF units. Stawell was an original with the 6th Battalion (Fort Garry Horse) who joined the RCD's on 9 June,1915 in France.

His file indicates that he was wounded on 12 August,1916 (GSW back), and again on 23 March,1918. Now the second wound obviously came during the big German offensive, when the Canadian Cavalry Brigade was one of the few Canadian units engaged, but can anyone who has some knowledge of the unit, or the Western front, hazard a guess as to where he was when he was wounded in 1916?

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Hi Terry:

I'm sure you're going to order his service record. When you get it, would you please post some of Sjt. Stawell's history. I'm green with envy; Fort Garry Horse/Royal Canadian Dragoons, what great calvary linage!

Garth

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Thanks for your comments fellows. I have his file (it came with the trio) which tells where he was wounded in 1918 (St.Quentin) but not 1916. I will indeed check out the diary.

As for cavalry medals, I also have a pair to the Fort Garry Horse and a trio to the Lord Strathcona's Horse. The LSH group is especially nice as the guy was commissioned. transferred to the RAF, and was wounded by German AA fire while serving as an observer with 35 Sqn on 21 Sept.,1918. Oddly enough his trio came with a MID device. He is not listed in Wigney's book as a recipient of a MID, but in his service documents is the notation: France Mentioned in Despatches London Gazette 27/2/17. If I can verify this, a Mention to a Strathcona will be a bonus!

Still looking for a medals to the Canadian Light Horse, Canadian Cavalry Brigade, and the Divisional cavalry squadrons.

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Hello Terry. Nice trio. The regimental history, Dragoon, (Greenhous, 1983.), indicates that the RCD were brigaded with the FGH and the LDSH in the Canadian Cavalry Brigade. The brigade was held in reserve during the Somme offensive, with the expectation of exploiting the break through that was to be opened by the infantry. As the Somme offensive bogged down the RCD waited in reserve over the summer of 1916. While in reserve they provided numerous maitenance, support and digging parties. Perhaps there is a clue here to Stawell's 1916 wound.

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