100 YEARS AGO TODAY CAVALRYMAN FIRES FIRST BRITISH BULLET At 06.30 on the 22nd August 1914 a troop of British cavalry became the first British soldiers to fight in Europe since the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. They encountered a troop of enemy horsemen a mile or two north of Mons, drew their sabres and charged. This engagement resulted in two firsts. Trooper Edward Thomas fired the first British bullet of the war (wounding a German cavalryman); and Captain Hornby recorded the first kill. Hornby was so delighted at his achievement that it was only with great reluctance that he cleaned the blood from his sword. Images: British cavalry near Mons, August 1914: and the junction where the first British shots of the war were fired. Ironically (on 11th November 1918) the last shots were fired a few yards away - close to the large building on the right.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:00:00 +0000
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