Henry Mostyn Owen joined the army on 30 Jan 1878 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers). He served with the Carabiniers for 20 years. His first campaign was in Afghanistan in the war of 1879-80. He fought at Dakka and was in the expedition against the Wuziri Khugianis. He was promoted to lieutenant on 1 July 1881 and in 1883 he was employed as an interpreter. On 3 Feb 1886 he was appointed adjutant of the 6th DG, promoted to captain on 4 Dec 1886 and major on 1 July 1895. On 14 June 1898 he transferred to the King’s Dragoon Guards to command the regiment with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He had exacting standards when it came to uniform and appearance. In April 1900 he wrote to a young officer about to join the KDG:
‘As regards your kit on joining, I would like you to go to the Regimental tailors if you have not given your orders already. I will pass no article, whoever it is made by, if it is not absolutely correct and of the best quality and workmanship. S & I know this - one man I will not allow to make anything is [name left blank] , they turned out a disgraceful kit for a young officer recently.’
Mostyn Owen took the regiment to South Africa in January 1901. He was mentioned in Kitchener’s despatch. When chasing De Wet he and his men, after a three-hour chase, managed to capture a 15-pounder gun and a pom-pom. At the end of July he commanded a separate column with two guns in support to sweep west of the Kroonstad Railway. His operation was successful, capturing 65 wagons and 4,000 cattle. The regiment returned to England in 1903 but Lieutenant-Colonel Mostyn Owen had relinquished command on 14 June 1902. He was awarded the CB, gazetted 26 June 1902. The photo shows him in the undress uniform of the King's Dragoon Guards c1899.
