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Auction: 19002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 242

Three: Warrant Officer Class 2, late Squadron Sergeant-Major G. W. Cox, 1/1st North Somerset Yeomanry

1914 Star (165020 Sq: S. Mjr. G. W. Cox. 1/1 N. Som: Yeo.); British War and Victory Medals (313 W. O. Cl. 2. G. W. Cox. N. Som. Yeo.), V.M. impressed in unusual but official style, otherwise good very fine (3)

George W. Cox served in France from 2 November 1914 with the 1/1st North Somerset Yeomanry. They soon found themselves heavily engaged. Alongside the 3rd Dragoon Guards, they defended their trenches on the Zillebeke-Klein Road against German infantry attacks in November. Sergeant C. Gibbs's account was published in The Western Gazette on 18 December 1914:

'Alf, my best pal, was shot through the neck. He and I were shooting down the Germans for all we were worth. It was for us either to shoot them down or have the cold steel. Alf and I fired round after round. I gave my brave young brother and Trooper Gay orders to hand us up the rounds as we wanted them and they could not clear the sand off them quickly enough for us, so you can tell how we were firing.

When we saw the Germans coming up on our right, I have four bullets through my cap and the fifth grazed my head, and Alf said, “Mind Charlie, let me have a go at them on the right,” and no sooner had he turned round than he went down like a log. A German on our front had shot him through the neck. He bled freely and I bandaged him up as best I could. Personally I never thought I should get through it. I was waiting for my time to come, for it seemed most certain. I dragged him out on one side because he was getting trodden on and the shells were knocking down the trenches. As the Germans came running through so they were shot dead. My troop suffered very badly. We were with B Squadron. I saw my officer (Mr Bailward) shot down. I never had to time to see to him as we had to keep shooting them down or they would have been on top of us.'

On 13 May 1915 the Regiment again suffered heavy losses in defending a German attack near Bellewaarde (Ypres). By April 1918 the unit was broken up for reorganisation, with one squadron going to each of the regiments of 6th Cavalry Brigade (1st Dragoons, 3rd Dragoon Guards and 10th Hussars).

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£160