Description
5th Dragoon Guards (Princess Charlotte of Wales’s) Helmet with an extremely poignant story.
The helmet is stamped under the rim to 5DG 3548. This soldier was Portsmouth born Robert Henry Wilkinson.
Wilkinson, who entered France 15th August 1914, was killed 13th May 1915 as a result of intense bombardment as recorded in the Regimental War Diary. Wilkinson would have been entitled to the 1914 Star medal trio and his Memorial Plaque.
Son of Annie Wilkinson and the late Robert Henry Wilkinson of Portsmouth and he is remembered with Honour at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
The helmet is in need of restoration as will be seen by the numerous images included. In and of itself this is a highly attractive and highly poignant reminder of the soldier behind the Pomp and Ceremony of the Cavalry Guardsman.
Please do not hesitate to contact me for further information or photographs, see contact details below.
Please contact us to agree postal options – ttandm4h@outlook.com or call me on 0044 7765 595662 (ask for Jonathan)
As a further matter of interest the late father of Wilkinson was also named Robert Henry Wilkinson. He was a Portsmouth Dockyard worker who had been on the crew of The Earl of Dunraven’s yacht – Dunraven being noted for his entries into the Americas Cup races over a number of years (notably the Valkyrie series of yachts). Robert Wilkinson snr was lost at sea in 1905. He had travelled to Newhaven, Sussex to sail the yacht NYMPH back to Portsmouth. Wreckage of the yacht was later found off Beachy Headas reported in the Westminster Gazette, Monday 3rd April 1905.
