MILITARY and spoRting awards

The Tom Hall Award

The Tom Hall Award was instituted in 1984 by Col Tom Hall OBE, Colonel of The Royal Hussars (PWO) to mark his retirement. The Award is made each year to the soldier demonstrating the best overall performance during the Junior NCO Cadre. The Award usually results in immediate promotion to Lance-Corporal for the recipient, and each winner’s name is inscribed on the Tom Hall Award Shield, which is displayed in RHQ.

The Bengough Shield

The Bengough Shield was presented to The Royal Hussars (PWO) upon retirement of the Colonel of the Regiment, Sir Piers Bengough KVCO OBE, in 1989.  Officially known as The Bengough Trophy for Military Skills Competition, it is presented annually to the winners of Regimental Troop tests.

The Old Comrades’ Cup

The Old Comrades’ Cup was a gift to 10th Royal Hussars for presentation to the winning Squadron in the Old Comrades’ Sports competition held annually in the Regiment. The Cup was very keenly fought-over during a hectic period of sporting competition, which included Rugby, Swimming, Football, Cricket, Athletics, Hockey and Cross Country. Following the amalgamation of 10th Hussars (PWO) and 11th Hussars (PAO) in 1969, the Cup took pride of place in the Regimental life of The Royal Hussars (PWO).

Within The King’s Royal Hussars, the Old Comrades’ Cup continues to be the focus of the winter sporting life of the Regiment, being presented to the best Squadron at Winter Sports. These sports comprise Football, Hockey, Rugby and Cross-Country.  This magnificent piece of silver, hallmarked in Sheffield in 1907, is inscribed as follows:

 

The D’Arcy Hall Cup

Capt W D’Arcy Hall (known as Capt Hall) was commissioned into the 20th Hussars just before the Great War.  During that War, he was awarded the Military Cross and Bar, and the Croix de Guerre. Perhaps his most gallant action occurred on the 1st April 1918 when, with 138 men of 20th Hussars, he formed a dismounted company in support of the 4th Dismounted Battalion, leading them in a counter-attack against Rifle Wood near Damart-Sur-Luce. The Wood was well defended, and the 20th suffered heavy casualties in the action. Nonetheless, Hall and his men captured the Wood, and held it until relieved by the Infantry. For this and other dismounted actions by members of the 2nd Cavalry Division, the Division was warmly praised by the Commander of 4th Army, General Sir Henry Rawlinson.

Capt Hall presented the D’Arcy Hall cup in 1919 to the 20th Hussars. The Cup was to be presented to the winning Squadron of the Annual Inter-Squadron Sports Competition. On amalgamation with the 14th (King’s) Hussars in October 1922, the Cup continued to be competed for annually.

Together with the Old Comrades’ Cup, the D’Arcy Hall Cup continues to be a premier sporting trophy in The King’s Royal Hussars, and is presented to the Squadron that performs best in the summer sports of Athletics, Cricket and Swimming.

This splendid Cup, hallmarked in London in 1903, is inscribed:

 

Captain D’Arcy Hall was an uncle of Colonel Tom Hall, see above, thus establishing a connection between the 20th Hussars and The Royal Hussars (PWO).

The Brocklehurst Trophy

The Brocklehurst Trophy is presented to winners of the Annual Inter-Squadron Boxing Competition.

Captain Henry Courtney Brocklehurst was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on probation in The 10th, The Prince of Wales’ Own, Royal Hussars on the 8th January 1908.  On the 18th March 1908, he joined the Regiment in Rawalpindi, and was posted to B Squadron. He took an active interest in boxing, and represented the Regiment at the annual tournament in Simla in October 1908, but apparently failed to win his bout!  After this there is no further mention of his actually competing, but he was involved, either as a judge or president, in Regimental tournaments, which were held on average three times each year until July 1914.

The last entry in the Army List for the first part of his service shows him being on the Voluntary Reserve from September 1919 until early 1921, when it is assumed that he retired. It was during this period that he presented the Regiment with the Brocklehurst Inter-Squadron Boxing Trophy.

Capt Brocklehurst was subsequently granted an emergency commission (Regular Army) in 10th Royal Hussars (PWO) on the 1st September 1940. He spent the period 1941-1945 in the Middle East and Burma, rising to the rank of Lt CoI.  He is presumed to have died in Burma on the 24th April 1945.

The Chaytor Trophy

The Chaytor Trophy was presented to The 14th/20th King’s Hussars in memory of Captain JDG Chaytor, who was killed whilst playing polo in India on the 4th March 1937.

The trophy is presented annually to the Officer who makes the greatest contribution to any form of equitation within the Regiment. Officers who qualify for this award must be bona-fide members of The King’s Royal Hussars, and not above the rank of Captain. The fact that an officer may be serving at ERE does not disqualify him for eligibility for the award; however, officers may only be awarded the Trophy once.

The Tilney Bowl

The Tilney Bowl was presented to The 14th/20th King’s Hussars by Lt Col HAR (Freckles) Tilney OBE, Commanding Officer from February 1943 to May 1945, to commemorate the great value of sport in regimental life during the war years. It is presented each year to the Individual demonstrating the best overall sporting ability and achievement for The King’s Royal Hussars.

A committee consisting of the Commanding Officer, the Sports Officer and three Field Officers at Regimental Duty decides upon the award of the Tilney Bowl.