Description
1914 Star, entitled to clasp, British War & Victory Medal, 2089 Private E. Johnson, 3rd King’s Own Hussars, later Military Mounted Police. Served in France, Balkans and Egypt.
1914 Star officially impressed: “2089 Pte E. Johnson. 3/Hrs”
BWM & Victory officially impressed: “2089 Pte E. Johnson. 3-Hrs”
Confirmed on the medal rolls, his MIC noting that his “Clasp and Roses” were issued to him on 21st December 1920.
He was later a Lance Corporal by the end of the war in the MMP.
Private E. Johnson of the 3rd King’s Own Hussars was one of the first British troops landed in France to fight in the war, arriving there on 15th August 1914.
He saw service in 3 different theatres of war seeing service in the following postings:
France, 15th August 1914 – 2nd February 1915, with 3rd Hussars.
During this time wounded in action circa 21st Nov 1914, the date of the War Office Casualty List which recorded his wound.
France, 22nd June 1916 – 16th December 1916, with MMP.
Balkans (2b Theatre), 17th December 1916 – 2nd July 1917
Egypt (3 Theatre) From 3rd July 1917.
During the war, he was transferred from the 3rd Hussars over to the Military Mounted Police, who were always keen to recruit promising cavalry men where he held the service number “P4675”.
The QRH Museum writes the following brief description of their services since their arrival in August 1914:
“The Regiment arrived in Rouen on 17 August 1914, and by 21 August was actively opposing the German cavalry at Mons. For a fortnight the so-called Great Retreat saw the Regiment pushed back through Le Cateau over 200 miles until on 5 September the British and French armies turned, inflicting defeats on the Germans at the Marne and the Aisne. The struggle for Flanders began in October at Ypres with the cavalry fighting as infantry holding the line at Messines under intense pressure. On one day the Regiment lost fifty per cent in casualties. The war now deployed into trench warfare with The 3rd Hussars employed around Ypres, St Julien and Bellewaerde lake until put into reserve in June 1915”
As the 3rd Hussars were only present in France during the war, Pte Johnson looks to have returned back home in February 1915, having likely been invalided home following his earlier wounding in later 1914, and returned in June 1916 now a member of the Military Mounted Police.
He was then posted over to the Balkans and then Egypt, seeing much broader service than if he had remained in the 3rd Hussars for the rest of the war.
