AN ENIGMATIC & INTERESTING 1914 Star & Bar
"Vanished Casualty" Trio.

To:
8514 L/Cpl, R.A. HEAD. 6th DRAGOON GUARDS.
(Missing / Declared P.O.W. or DEAD 31st October 1914)

[BIOGRAPHY]
Robert Arthur Head was born in Wateringbury, near Maidstone in Kent in 1890 and prior to enlistment into the Corps of Hussars at Maidstone on February 20th 1911 at age 20 and 10 months he had been a groom. He then transferred into the 11th Hussars but clearly didn't enjoy this move as he purchased his release from the army on 4th February 1913 for a figure of £18.

(A very substantial sum in 1913)

He again re-enlisted eleven months later into the 6th Dragoon Guards at Stratford on 26th November 1913 and just before the start of WW1 was promoted Lance Corporal on 18th July 1914.

Being a member of one of the most important cavalry units he landed in France with the 6th Dragoon Guards on 16th August 1914.

[A MYSTERIOUS LOSS]
He then suddenly went "Missing" from the front line on the night of 31st November -1st December 1914. There was a subsequent Court of Enquiry on 14th December 1914 into the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and after hearing from two witnesses that he had been asked by his officer to go to another trench position to see if it was still intact...he apparently went off in the direction of the other position ....and then vanished.

Having complied with his officer's request he was sadly never seen again. It was found by the court of enquiry that he had either been killed or taken prisoner by the Germans.

His death was subsequently and again re-confirmed on legal papers filed on 26th November 1919 after the war by his widowed mother (then known as Bertha Crayford). This was an application for a dependent's pension, and in it Robert Head is recorded as being "Killed-in-Action" on 31st October 1914.

Having no known grave, Robert is commemorated with eternal honour on the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.

However, in error, his M.I.C. states K.I.A. March 1915. (NOTE: there was at least one other man with the surname 'Head' who was killed in March 1915 so this was clearly a clerical error by the medal card clerks at the records office.)

His mother clearly received his 1914 Aug-Nov clasp as the original receipt survives in his records having been signed for on 22nd October 1919.

This is a fascinating insight into the day to day operational procedures surrounding a missing soldier.

An excellent, highly unusual and greatly sought after early cavalry trio.



Comes complete with the two sets of copy attestation papers and the full, two page, court of enquiry record etc.

The medals are EF+ with original clasp & mint ribbons.

£595