Ambler E S Lt 2nd Scots Guards
LIEUT. EDWARD SHARP AMBLER,
SCOTS GUARDS (S.R.), ATTD. 2ND BATTN.
ACCIDENTALLY KILLED ON NIGHT PATROL NEAR WARLINCOURT, MAY 8TH, 1918.
AGED 20.
At the School 1912-15 (Ferox Hall).
Lieut. E. S. Ambler was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Ambler, of Hoyle Court, Baildon, Yorks. Entering the School in September, 1912, from Horton School, Biggleswade, he coxed the School Four in 1914 and 1915 and had become a Lance-Corporal in the O.T.C. On leaving School at Christmas, 1915, he went to Jeremiah Ambler & Sons, Ltd., Midland Mills, Bradford, to learn the business. In September, 1916, as soon as he was old enough, he joined an Officer Cadet Battalion at Trinity College, Cambridge, in which he did very well, and also distinguished himself by winning the five-mile cross-country race by 1 minutes out of a field of 200. He received his commission in the Scots Guards (S.R.) December 19th, 1916, and joined his Battalion at Wellington Barracks. Going out to France on June 9th, 1917, he saw much fighting in Bourlon Wood and elsewhere in the course of the next eleven months. The Quartermaster of the Battalion tells how he seemed to bear a charmed life, and had indeed, “pointing to his shell-torn clothes,” exclaimed, “You see, they cannot hurt me!” Nor did the enemy succeed in doing so, for he eventually fell a victim, on the night of May 8th, 1918, to one of those tragic accidents which no precautions can render impossible. The officer who was in command of the Battalion at the time wrote:-
“He was going the rounds at night of our forward posts, missed his way, and came upon the post from the direction in which they expected the Germans. His party did not hear the challenge, and the sentries, who had been warned to use the utmost vigilance, fired. The nights have been terribly dark, the line is very difficult and tricky. I really cannot blame anybody. He had done a first-rate bit of scouting work the night before. . . . He was one of our most promising future Company Commanders. I have been nigh three years continuously with this Battalion in France, so I have seen. many young officers. I have never seen one more cool-headed in action or more dependable. . . . His men all knew and recognised him as a right good officer.”
The Chaplain wrote:-
“We older men feel that we have lost a younger brother of whom we were both proud and very fond,” and told how on the previous night, the night on which he had been out scouting, Lieut. Ambler had narrowly escaped a similar accident. He had been fired on by a Lewis gun post and ran in and ” asked in his bright way if they were the people who had tried to shoot him,” and then told them that they had done quite right. It was, he said, the unanimous opinion of the men that Lieut. Ambler fell a victim to his own keen regard for their safety, for he had impressed upon them that they were to take no risks but to shoot at once if any one approached from the enemy side in the dark. He was buried in the British cemetery at Warlincourt Halte on the Doulens-Arras Road. His Company Commander wrote :-
“I was very fond of him; he was such a nice. boy and such a good officer, too, quite the best subaltern I had. He was doing splendidly too;” and, after alluding to his smallness, tells how the big guardsmen used to call him The Nipper ” a sure sign of their affection for him. His servant, after testifying to his popularity, described him as a grand soldier who had no fear of anything.” The C.O. of the Battalion, who was not in the lines at the time, wrote:-
“Your son was one of the best boys in my Battalion and was liked by all. He was a great soldier and always gave me confidence, while his keenness in work and play was an example to all.” The Colonel of the Regiment wrote:- “I have had nothing but the most excellent reports of your boy. He was much liked by all ranks and did his work so splendidly. He will be much missed both as an excellent and most promising officer and also as a cheery and bright companion and brother officer.”
Source : Tonbridge School And The Great War Of 1914-1919