Military History

After surviving the Gallipoli Campaign Sidney was wounded during the Charge at Huj (Affair of the Huj) on 8th November 1917 and died of those wounds on 29th November 1917 at one of the Military Hospitals in Cairo, Eygpt.

The Charge at Huj (also known by the British as the Affair of Huj), was an engagement between forces of the British Empire' Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) and the Ottoman Turkish Empire's, Yildirim Army Group during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. It took place during the Pursuit phase of the Southern Palestine Offensive which eventually captured Jerusalem a month later.

The charge was carried out by units of the 5th Mounted Brigade, against a rearguard position of German, Austrian and Turkish artillery and infantry armed with machine guns. 

The only mounted troops in the area were 170 yeomanry - two full squadrons and two half squadrons from the Worcestershire and Warwickshire Yeomanry - part of the British 5th Mounted Brigade in the Australian Mounted Division. The squadrons manoeuvred under cover to a forming up point 1,000 yd (910 m) on the British right. Advancing under cover of the terrain they got to within 300 yd (270 m) of the position, drew their swords and charged. The Warwickshire Yeomanry squadron attacked the main force of Turkish infantry, then turned and attacked the gun line. The regiment's other half squadron and the Worcestershire Yeomanry squadron attacked the guns from the front, while the remaining troops attacked an infantry position located at the rear behind the main force.

The German and Austrian artillerymen carried on firing until the horsemen were around 20 yd (18 m) away then some took cover underneath their guns. Those who remained standing were mostly stabbed by the swords of the attacking British, while others running away from the guns escaped injury by lying on the ground.

The only officer of the Worcestershire Yeomanry to escape uninjured Lieutenant Mercer described the charge; Machine guns and rifles opened up on us the moment we topped the rise behind which we had formed up. I remember thinking that the sound of crackling bullets was just like hailstorm on a iron-roofed building, so you may guess what the fusillade was....A whole heap of men and horses went down twenty or thirty yards from the muzzles of the guns. The squadron broke into a few scattered horsemen at the guns and seemed to melt away completely. For a time I, at any rate, had the impression that I was the only man left alive. I was amazed to discover we were the victors.

All three charges were successful and the British captured the position, seventy prisoners, eleven pieces of artillery and four machine guns after the main force of infantry withdrew leaving the guns undefended apart from their crews. However British casualties were heavy; of the 170 men taking part, twenty-six were killed, including three squadron commanding officers, forty wounded and 100 horses were killed

The charge is claimed to be one of the last British cavalry charges and was immortalised in the above watercolour painting by the noted British artist Lady Butler.