Lamb, Captain G R 1902 May 16th Bulford
The District Coroner (Mr R A Wilson) held an inquest on Wednesday in one of the officer’s rooms on the body of Capt G R Lamb, who died after falling from his horse on Monday.
Lieut.-Colonel Fletcher, of the Royal Field Artillery, deposed that the deceased was a captain in the Royal Garrison Artillery, and was commandant of a native mountain battery in India. He was at Bulford on a 10 days’ visit to attend a course of instruction in firing. On Monday he went out to watch the firing, mounted on a horse belonging to witness, which the latter had ridden frequently. Witness saw deceased at about 4 o’clock walking the horse over the down not far from Stonehenge Inn. Deceased, who was a good horseman, said he would walk home as the horse had been restive during the afternoon. About ten minutes or a quarter of an hour afterwards deceased’s horse galloped past him, riderless. Witness went back and found Capt Lamb lying on his back in the roadway at the west end of the bridge over the Avon, bleeding furiously from the head and ear, and unconscious. He was removed on a stretcher to the Camp, and was attended by a medical officer. He, however, died on Tuesday evening.
By a Juryman: The stirrup two or three hours before was broken and witness got another, but he did know that the reins were broken. He did not think they were.
Edwin Arthur Parsons, of Countess Farm, farmer, said he saw the horse galloping down the hill. The rider appeared to have no control over it, and was bending over the pommel of the saddle with his head hanging down on the right side of the horse, near its neck. His hands were hanging loose. As he passed he called out “Stop him if you can.” Witness, who was riding, turned his horse, but before he reached him deceased fell to the ground. He was not thrown, but rather rolled off, on his head. Witness rode up to deceased, and was joined by some officers who attended to the sufferer.
By a Juryman: He did not know how deceased fell, but he saw that his feet were out of the stirrups.
Timothy N O’Driscoll, Civil Surgeon, of Bulford Camp, who saw deceased immediately after the accident, found him lying on his back on the road, and bleeding from the right ear. There was effusion of blood around the left eye, and the greater part of the scalp showed signs of contusion. Deceased was unconscious, and appeared to be suffering from concussion of the brain and compound fracture of the base of the skull. He was removed to the Camp in an unconscious condition, and witness gave no hope of recovery.
The jury returned a verdict of :”Accidental Death.”
Wiltshire Coroner's Inquests 1801-1920 