The Wonderful Polo Record of the Tenth Royal Hussars
From The Tenth Royal Hussars Gazette April 1911
This Regiment is not only remarkable for an unprecedented record of victories, but also for the interesting history of the game, which is afforded to anyone who will study the records of it during the last thirty years.
In 1869 Polo was introduced to England by some members of the Tenth, who framed rules and made plans for the playing of the game. (The originals of these are in the possession of the Tenth to this day.)
The Original Rules of Polo in England as Drawn up by the Tenth Royal Hussars Captain Hartopp
In 1871 The 9th Lancers challenged the Tenth, and in a very exciting contest, the Tenth won by three goals to two.
In 1874 Saw both these famous regiments in India. Conjointly they organised a committee to discuss the polo question, and in the year
1875 A regular committee was appointed with Captain St Quintin of the Tenth as President –the outcome of their work was the inauguration of the
Indian Regimental Tournament,
1877 The two rival regiments met in the Inter-Regimental Tournament, when the 9th Lancers defeated the Tenth, and again in 1878. After this Polo was stopped on account of the Afghan War.
But upon their return to India the Tenth won the Tournament in 1881 and 1882.
1883 Saw the departure of the Tenth from India, but they laid the root of polo well grafted in India, for the Officers presented a cup to the Native Cavalry of Bengal for an annual contest, and at the same time presented a second cup to the British Infantry of India.
These two trophies developed the polo in India in a remarkable manner.
1885 saw the Tenth again on the polo fields of London, but it was not until 1888 that they won the Inter-regimental at Hurlingham – Mr E W D Baird, Lord Alwyne Compton, Mr (Major) Arthur Hughes-Onslow and the Earl of Airlie were a formidable team – but they had their old rival, the Ninth, to compete with.
1893 saw these old rivals contesting the final of the Inter-regimental , and the Tenth again won the match, their representatives being Lord George Scott, Captain (now General) C. T. Kavanagh, the late Lord William Bentinck and the Hon. W. T. Brand now Lord Hampton.It was shortly after this that the Tenth went over to Ireland.
Directly the South Africa War was at an end, the Tenth came to India, their station being Mhow. They purchased, at once, thirteen ponies of the Poona Horse, and with these ponies they all but won the Indian Inter-regimental of 1904, when they were just defeated by the Fifteenth Hussars by one goal in the final.
1905 recorded the success of the Tenth in both the Poona Open Tournament and the Poona Junior Tournament, but it was not until the year
1907 that the Inter-Regimental was won by the Tenth.
The Panjab Polo Cup was also won this year, their team being:
Captain Hon. A Annesley … … No. 1
Mr E. W. E. Palmes … … No. 2
Major J. Vaughan … … No. 3
Mr W. L. Palmer … … Back
The Subaltern Polo Tournament was also won by the Tenth in 1907.
The Subaltern Polo Tournament was, curiously enough, inaugurated by a Tenth Hussar as well; for in 1904, Mr Cyril Potter presented a cup and thereby initiated this sporting Tournament.
Winning Team Inter-Regimental Polo Tournament 1907-1908
1908 records the Tenth again victorious in the Inter-Regimental. It is worthy of note that, even though two members of the team were Captains, yet the average age of the team was 23 years, — quite unprecedented and highly creditable to the Tenth, for their great trainer and mainstay was absent in England (viz., Major John Vaughan).
The team was –
Captain Hon A. Annesley
Mr W. O. Gibbs
Mr E. W. E. Palmes
Mr W. L. Palmer
In 1909 the Tenth again won the Inter-Regimental, and in
1910 we see the same team in the field again as had won the tournament in 1907; and it is well to note that nine of the ponies played by the Tenth in 1910 had played in 1907, and may we add that we hope to see these ponies again in 1911.
Appended is a list of tournaments won by the Tenth Royal Hussars during their present tour of service in India:-
1905 — Poona Open Tournament. Poona Junior Tournament.
1906 — Tradesmens’ Cup, Rawalpindi. Punjab Polo Tournament, Lahore.
Murree Brewery Cup, Rawalpindi.
1907 — Inter-Regimental Tournament. Subaltern Polo Tournament.
Punjab Polo Tournament. Tradesmens’ Cup, Rawalpindi. Murree Brewery Cup.
Winning Team , Inter-Regimental Polo.
1908 — Inter-Regimental Tournament. Punjab Polo Tournament, Lahore.
Murree Brewery Cup. Quetta Open Tournament (3 Plus the Late General Clements).
1909 — Inter-Regimental Tournament. Punjab Polo Tournament.
Tradesmens’ Cup, Rawalpindi. Murree Brewery Cup, Rawalpindi.
1910 – Inter-Regimental Polo. Subaltern Polo Cup.
Tradesmens’ Cup, Rawalpindi. Murree Brewery Cup.
All-India Tournament at Allahabad. I.P.A. Championship at Calcutta.
It will also surely find a place in the history of the Regiment that a Tenth Hussars has been selected to proceed to America to represent his country, and play in the international contest which is to be held in America in a couple of months.
With all the Empire, we shall watch with acute interest the progress of the games, and very naturally, in our ardent wishes for the success of our team, feel conscious of a subsidiary wish that Mr Palmes will prominently contribute to the victory upon which all our desires are now centred.
Writing an article on “Polo in 1910, and the America Cup” in the Polo Monthly, Ranger says: – “A list of players who have been invited to assist in the attempt to recover the Cup has been published. It is very gratifying to find that six out of the eight names are those of soldiers, who, since the Tenth started the game in England, have ever been the mainstay of polo.
From The Tenth Royal Hussars Gazette April 1912
On the occasion of winning our sixth Inter-Regimental Polo Tournament in succession, His Majesty, our Colonel-in-Chief, sent us the following gracious message:-
“I heartily congratulate the Regiment upon winning the Inter-Regimental Polo, and thus continuing their long record of success.”
GEORGE R. I. Colonel-in-Chief
Other messages of congratulations were received from—
Captain Reid, 6th Australian Light Horse. Lord Shaftesbury
A Tenth Hussar, Calcutta.
Captain Kennard, 13th Hussars. Captain Rose
Lieutenant Gosling. General Brabazon.
5th Fusiliers. Major S. L. Barry.
General Turner. Captain Meade.
General Sir B. Mahon. Major McAndrew.
Lord Hampton.
The Wonderful Polo Record of the Tenth Royal Hussars From The Tenth Royal Hussars Gazette April 1911
This Regiment is not only remarkable for an unprecedented record of victories, but also for the interesting history of the game, which is afforded to anyone who will study the records of it during the last thirty years.In 1869 Polo was introduced to England by some members of the Tenth, who framed rules and made plans for the playing of the game. (The originals of these are in the possession of the Tenth to this day.)
The Original Rules of Polo in England as Drawn up by the Tenth Royal Hussars Captain Hartopp
1893 saw these old rivals contesting the final of the Inter-regimental , and the Tenth again won the match, their representatives being Lord George Scott, Captain (now General) C. T. Kavanagh, the late Lord William Bentinck and the Hon. W. T. Brand now Lord Hampton.It was shortly after this that the Tenth went over to Ireland.
Directly the South Africa War was at an end, the Tenth came to India, their station being Mhow. They purchased, at once, thirteen ponies of the Poona Horse, and with these ponies they all but won the Indian Inter-regimental of 1904, when they were just defeated by the Fifteenth Hussars by one goal in the final.
1905 recorded the success of the Tenth in both the Poona Open Tournament and the Poona Junior Tournament, but it was not until the year
1907 that the Inter-Regimental was won by the Tenth.
The Panjab Polo Cup was also won this year, their team being:
Captain Hon. A Annesley … … No. 1
Mr E. W. E. Palmes … … No. 2
Major J. Vaughan … … No. 3
Mr W. L. Palmer … … Back
The Subaltern Polo Tournament was also won by the Tenth in 1907.
The Subaltern Polo Tournament was, curiously enough, inaugurated by a Tenth Hussar as well; for in 1904, Mr Cyril Potter presented a cup and thereby initiated this sporting Tournament.
Winning Team Inter-Regimental Polo Tournament 1907-1908
Winning Team , Inter-Regimental Polo.
With all the Empire, we shall watch with acute interest the progress of the games, and very naturally, in our ardent wishes for the success of our team, feel conscious of a subsidiary wish that Mr Palmes will prominently contribute to the victory upon which all our desires are now centred.
Writing an article on “Polo in 1910, and the America Cup” in the Polo Monthly, Ranger says: – “A list of players who have been invited to assist in the attempt to recover the Cup has been published. It is very gratifying to find that six out of the eight names are those of soldiers, who, since the Tenth started the game in England, have ever been the mainstay of polo.
From The Tenth Royal Hussars Gazette April 1912
On the occasion of winning our sixth Inter-Regimental Polo Tournament in succession, His Majesty, our Colonel-in-Chief, sent us the following gracious message:-
“I heartily congratulate the Regiment upon winning the Inter-Regimental Polo, and thus continuing their long record of success.”
GEORGE R. I. Colonel-in-Chief
Other messages of congratulations were received from—
Captain Reid, 6th Australian Light Horse. Lord Shaftesbury
A Tenth Hussar, Calcutta.
Captain Kennard, 13th Hussars. Captain Rose
Lieutenant Gosling. General Brabazon.
5th Fusiliers. Major S. L. Barry.
General Turner. Captain Meade.
General Sir B. Mahon. Major McAndrew.
Lord Hampton.
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The Secretary of the Admiralty states that information has been received from the Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope, dated December 3rd, reporting that the transport Ismore struck on the rocks off Columbine Point, near St Helen’s Bay, distant about 75 miles north of Table Bay, in calm, thick weather. The troops had been landed, also a quantity of baggage, most of the guns, swords, carbines and some ammunition. The men were reported to be comfortable and plenty of food available. The Admiralty was sending HM ships Niobe and Doris, also the transport Columbine, with lighters to assist.
A copy of a telegram has been received from the principal transport officer at Cape Town, dated the 4th inst., reporting that the transport Ismore (no 52.)broke up on Sunday night. Her stern is out of water and her bows gone. All hands and 20 horses were saved and will probably entrain to Malmesbury. The Ismore, which went ashore in Helen’s Bay on Sunday morning is the second transport that has come to grief on the voyage to the Cape the Persia having been disabled in a storm at St Vincent while conveying the C Squadron of Dragoons and some men of the Inniskillings on November 8th. In the latter case all the troops and horses were successfully transferred to the transport Goth, but in the case of the Ismore a large number of the horses were lost. She had on board the 63rd Field Battery, Royal Artillery from Bristol, “A” Squadron of the Tenth Hussars and a troop of “B” Squadron of the Tenth Hussars from Aldershot, and No. 9 Company (Bearer) Royal Army Medical Corp from Colchester. The military details would necessarily have with them a considerable number of horses, for the mounted troops on board number 460. As only 20 horses were reported saved, it is feared that the loss of animals is serious, inasmuch as they would not be3 of the chartered class, but selected trained chargers and gun-teams. The value placed upon such animals by military authorities is very considerable, and the loss will be much keenly felt by reason by the dearth of suitable and reliable mounts and gun-teams at the front.
It is too be hoped that the troops will be able to save the six field pieces, if not the wagons and other pieces of the Field 63rd Battery, but nothing is said as to this being effected.
The presence of warships at the scene of the wreck may have been valuable in this respect, assuming that the position of the wreck and weather permitted the sufficiently near approach of the working parties who would have the advantage of the necessary appliances for transferring the guns. The time at the disposal of those on the spot between the hours of the vessel sinking and breaking up to save much other than themselves would seem to have been very limited, and therefore it cannot be hoped that any considerable proportion of the vessel’s war stores can have been saved. It is known that with the troops were landed some guns, swords, carbines etc. and ammunition; but the bulk of Ismore’s cargo cannot have been landed in the time available. It will be remembered that the Ismore endeavoured to leave England in a gale, and after futile attempts took shelter in Moelfre Bay on the Anglesey coast until November 8th, when she put to sea four days late.
The Ismore had on board 400 rank and file of various sections. The 63rd Field Battery consisted of six officers, 170 men and 140 horses, with six 15 pounder guns 11 four-wheeled military vehicles, ambulance wagons, and stores. The Bearer Company of the Royal Army Medical Corps on board consisted of one officer and 52 men, with ambulance wagons and fittings. The A squadron and troop of B squadron of the Tenth Hussars on board numbered about 180 officers and men. There were altogether about 250 horses shipped, together with numerous wagons and vehicles. Major W Paget is the officer commanding the Field battery , and Major Alexander the Hussars.
The Press Association added that 230 valuable horses have been lost to the British cavalry and artillery proceeding to the front by the wreck of the Ismore. It is scarcely possible that the numerous ambulance wagons and other vehicles referred to in the above telegram can have been saved owing to the difficulties of transfer, and consequently one of the most important non-combative branches of the military service has lost probably their conveyance and medical equipment and supplies.
From the Glasgow Herald 3rd December 1889
By kind Permission of the British Library Board.