My Grandfather's brother, Alfred Langley was in the 19th Hussars and by 1909 was ranked Sergeant. He was born in 1883, so he may have joined the Hussars at the age of 17 or 18... ie about 1900, so making sergeant in 9 years was I suppose a sign of a good Hussar. He was a champion horseman and won first and second prize for riding and jumping at the British Military Tournament (two different horses) in 1909-10-11, as well as a special gold medal for "tent-pegging". By 1916 he was ranked Regimental Sergeant Major and transferred into the Wiltshire Regiment as a commissioned officer. He was a Captain, killed in action on 20th September 1917 at Hollebecke, Belgium taking a machine gun nest which was pinning down his men. (I have this from the Regimental war diary of the Wiltshires).
I have not been able to find out a thing about his record with the 19th Hussars, except a reference to being at Canterbury from one of the Census listings. I have no idea about where he was with the Hussars or when, and have had no luck (searching from Canada) in finding a written history or where I can access the written history of the 19th Hussars from about 1900 to 1916.
I have his Hussars cap badge and his Wiltshires cap badge (that is an amazing story unto itself!) and I have his BMT medals from 1909-10-11 and I have his Memorial Disk for those KIA, one photo of him riding (jumping actually) and one of him in uniform as a Wiltshire's Lt. I have visited the wall at Zonnebeke, Belgium, where his name is, though he has no known grave, and I have been able to tie down to within perhaps 30m where he was killed by cross referencing the Wiltshire's Regimental Diary to field maps made in the few days before his death and using Google Earth, which I am told is actually quite remarkable to have achieved.
However the 19th Hussars side of his life, 16 good years roughly, remains a mystery to me, except these small momentos. If anyone knows where I may be able to find out about his movements and his military record, I would really appreciate knowing about it. Thanks