Australian Cavalry. The NSW Lancer Regiment and First Australian Horse

Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1901. First Edition. Hardcover. Fair. Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1901. Quarto, [x], 64 pages with an illustration plus 8 plates (but lacking the colour frontispiece called for by Dornbusch). Modern binder's cloth, with the front panel of the original green wrapper (printed in red) mounted on the front board; text block tide-marked near the head of the spine (with the plates a little stained); some discolouration and foxing (heavy in places); minor signs of age and use; a decent copy of an absolute rarity. This history of these two cavalry units, from their foundation through to the end of the Boer War, is 'undoubtedly a regimental record, but it is something more - it is an attempt to explain, and to some extent combat, the unreasoning prejudice which has grown up as a result of the South African campaign against the cavalry arm of the service. On this point Mr. Wilkinson says:- "It is my purpose to show not only that cavalry regiments like the New South Wales Lancers have done equal yeoman service to the Empire in the South African struggle with their comrades in the other branches of the service, but that they have done infinitely more as the pioneers of the cavalry movement in Australia to enhance the value of our defence force, and to shew the world of what fighting stuff our men are made"' (from a review in the 'Daily Telegraph', 12 October 1901). The last 18 pages contain numerous appendices, including nominal and casualty rolls.

Dornbusch 126; Fielding and O'Neill, page 126.