KING'S OWN ROYAL REGIMENT MUSEUM - Key Persons

Colonel Dykes took command of the 1st Battalion, King's Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, in 1913 and it was he who led them to France on 23rd August 1914 - he was killed at Le Cateau three days later as the German army advanced into France. "What the 1st Battalion saw on the morning of 26th August 1914. Wambaix Station in the background. Taken from the actual spot where Lieutenant Colonel Dykes was killed."

Colonel Dykes was born in 1874, and was the son of the late Mr William Ashton Dykes, of The Orchard, Hamilton, NB, an of Mrs Dykes who is still alive. He was educated at Glenalmond, and in 1894 received his commission in the King's Own, passing in through the militia. He received the highest number of marks of any of his competitors. In his early twenties, as a subaltern, he became adjutant of the regiment, serving in that capacity in South Africa, rejoining his regiment after having done duty for a short time as embarkation officer. He was dangerously wounded at Spion Kop, in the vicinity of the Boer Trenches, and an endeavour to locate their exact position. He was invalided home, but in a few months he returned to the seat of war, where he was employed on convoy duty. He distinguished himself in the defence of Vryheid, successfully repulsing an attack by Louis Botha in greatly superior numbers. He was twice mentioned in despatches, and was offered the choice of DSO or a brevet majority. He chose the latter, being then but 27 years of age. He received the Queen's medal with four clasps, and the King's medal with two clasps. He was staff captain at the War Office between 1904-08. He had also passed through the staff college, and for a short time he was in command of a company of gentlemen cadets at Sandhurst. On the death of Colonel Marker in August last year he was appointed to the command of the 1st Battalion of the regiment. He was then but 39 years of age, and was the youngest lieutenant colonel in the line. To his fine soldierly qualities were added an extreme personal charm, and inexhaustible fund of humour. He was beloved by both officers and men in all the positions he occupied. On the 21st April this year he was married in London to Rosamund Ann, daughter of the late Mr Frederic Willis Farrer, and of Mrs Farrer, of 26 Palace Court.

A story told by a sergeant of the King's Own gives some brief intimation of how Colonel Dykes and two of his officers met their death. Here is the story, told with laconic bluntness - a soldier's description, in fact, of an engagement which a war correspondent would have been able to present in thrilling fashion: The King's Own with the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Middlesex Regiment were ordered to cover the retreat of the allied forces from Mons. On Tuesday 25th August, they left the position in which they had been entrenched to take new ground, and were marching through the night, finding themselves at day break between Cambrai and Le Cateau. Several French regiments and a Highland regiment had passed their lines, when as the King's Own were taking breakfast, the German artillery boomed forth. Several shells fell in the vicinity of the trenches without doing much harm, but the enemy's artillery was much superior in numbers to that of the allies, and they poured in a raking shrapnel fire before the English guns began to speak. There was no doubt either about the enemy's range finding, under cover of the guns the enemy came on in the proportion of six to one. Men were mowed down like ninepins by the bursting shrapnel, and it seemed as though the King's Own had been singled out for the special fury of the onslaught. Colonel Dykes fell at an early stage of the engagement while shouting encouragement to his men. Fighting continued furiously from 4.30 until 9.30. Then there was a lull, and the enemy, seemingly reinforced, made good their advance, and another five hours' desperate conflict ensued. The allies fought the advance inch by inch, fighting becoming so close that the King's Own got home with several dashing bayonet charges. One of the most brilliant of these bayonet charges was led by Captain Clutterbuck, who, with a handful of men, routed four times the number of men under this command. He paid the price of his gallantry with his life, but the casualties to his men were singularly light. The sergeant said, "It was just like Clutterbuck." "Then," continued the sergeant, "there was Lieutenant Steele-Perkins, who died one of the grandest deaths a British officer could wish for. He was lifted out of the trenches wounded four times, but, protesting, crawled back again till he was mortally wounded. The first man knocked over was one of the most popular of the Rugby footballers in the Dover garrison. He was shot through the mouth. Lieutenant Woodgate distinguished himself in bravery, and Major Parker was coolness personified. "A German aeroplane," proceeded the sergeant "which came over our position on the day preceding the battle was accounted for; assailed by a shower of bullets from more than one regiment, its reconnoitring career had a sudden stop. The enemy swooped down on us so quickly at the finish that we were unable to remove all our dead and wounded. Stretcher bearers were shot down, and I, who had been wounded with a shrapnel bullet in the muscle of the left arm, was taking a message for the doctor from the field hospital (a school) when a shell came and demolished the roof. All the King's Own dead are buried in France, a few miles from the frontier. We saw many burning villages, and our artillery helped along many old women and children who were fleeing before the enemy."

Mrs Evans, wife of Private William Evans, was one of only three wives of the regiment in the Crimea and is the only women to have received a regimental funeral. Mrs Elizabeth Evans with Chelsea Pensioners of the King's Own Royal Regiment, including veterans of the Crimea, Indian Mutiny and Abyssinian and Zulu Campaigns, circa 1912. She married into the Regiment in 1852 and accompanied her husband to the Crimea, one of only 17 women to do so. Of the 17, only three, Mrs Evans, Mrs Rebecca Box and Mrs Chilton went to the front. Mrs Evans remained with her husband until she fell ill with fever in late 1854 and was evacuated. After her husband's death she was given permission to wear his medals. She died on 30th January 1914 and was buried with full military honours, the only woman in the Regiment's history to be so honoured. Back row: Private W Mahoney, Private W Manderville (who died on 31st May 1912), Private E Evans (no relation), Private W Gosling and Private A A Knight. Front row: Private D Hearsum, (seated) (who died on 2nd February 1913; Mrs Evans and Private A Smith (seated).

Job Titles:

• Curator / King 's Own Royal Regiment Museum