D.H.Y First Marathon July 1918

[Sydney Clive Edwards]

My father Edward George Edwards, known as George, got a  little shield shaped 'medal' for the 2/1 Denbighshire Hussars Yeomanry marathon of July 1918, which I have. It has his initials GE on one side and the details on the other. Later he was moved to a bicycle regiment near Lowestoft. The war finished before he was sent to the front. It was very dangerous delivering messages on a bike with a war around you, although I used to laugh with him about being in such a regiment. I do not know where the marathon took place, forgot to ask him that.

He was born on 23rd September 1900 in Rockferry, Wirral, Cheshire and died 10 February 1980 in Clatterbridge Hospital, Wirral.

[kenf48]

On 05/04/2024 at 18:03, Sydney Clive Edwards said:

I do not know where the marathon took place, forgot to ask him that.

Welcome to the GWF

As you say, born in 1900 he may have volunteered for home service age seventeen but the war ended before he was eligible for overseas service aged nineteen.  

By this time the Denbighshire Yeomanry was already dismounted,  see https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-yeomanry-regiments-of-1914-1918/denbighshire-yeomanry-hussars/

I can't find an account of their Sports Day for 1918 but these are the results of the June 1915 event as reported in the Downham Market Gazette (and other local newspapers) - you will note the marathon was five miles.

Image from BNA on FMP

A bit more digging in the Norfolk/Suffolk newspapers may yield an account of the 1918 event.

Though in common with other 'intelligence which may have been useful to the enemy' by 1918 unit details were not published quite so freely by 1918.