Ussher B Captain 1st Leinster Regiment
USSHER, BEVERLY, Capt., 1st Battn. Prince of Wales’s Leinster Regt. (Royal Canadians), 2nd s. of the Rev. Richard Ussher, Vicar of Westbury, Brackley; b. Catton Hall, Burton-on-Trent, 4 Aug. 1879; educ. St. Edward’s School, Oxford (1891-98), and Wadham College, Oxford (1898-1900); gazetted 2nd Lieut., Leinster Regt, 23 May, 1900, and promoted Lieut. 9 Aug. 1902, and Capt. 1 April, 1910; was Adjutant, 3 May, 1906, to 2 May, 1909, and officer, Coy. Gentlemen Cadets, and Instructor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, 21 Sept. 1912, to May, 1915; joined the 2nd Battn. at Barbados in Aug. 1900; served in Jamaica and St. Lucia; in the South African War, 1902; took part in the operations in the Orange River Colony, Feb. to March, and in the Transvaal, March to 31 May, 1902 (Queen’s medal with four clasps), and subsequently in India for two years and then at Devonport and in Ireland.
After the outbreak of the European War he was appointed Staff Officer on the Staff of General Doran; left for the Dardanelles in May as Staff Capt. to the 88th Brigade in the famous 29th Division; was acting Brigade-Major, and was killed there 19 June, 1915. An officer wrote: “On the night of 18-19 June, a battn. of the 42nd Division was attacked and lost two or three trenches. The Turks got in behind our line, and were firing into the backs of the Royal Scots, who were holding the right of the 88th Brigade position. The counter-attack of the 42nd Division hung fire; so about 2 a.m. we decided to make one ourselves. Capt. Ussher was sent to the support trench of the Worcestershire Regt. who were in rear of the Royal Scots. The situation was serious and involved. Communication by telephone with the Royal Scots was interrupted owing to the wire being cut. It was necessary to have clear reports sent back. The Worcestershire Regt. had lost all their regular senior officers, and were, on this night, commanded by a Ceylon Planter. Capt. Ussher was told to see that co-ordinated action was arranged between the Royal Scots and Worcestershire Regt. and to send reports on the situation; but on no account to lead any attempt which was not his work under the circumstances. He took his orderly with him who subsequently told me what occurred. The action to be taken was agreed upon. The Royal Scots charged from their trenches simultaneously with a coy. of the Worcestershire Regt., retook from the Turks the trenches they had seized, followed on and took and held a Turkish trench. There was a close fight with the bayonet which lasted 15 minutes. A German officer was killed. When the Worcestershire Regt. were in the act of jumping out of the trench preparatory to charging, Capt. Ussher was in the trench with Capt. Allen, D.A.A.Q.M.G. 142nd Division (Hampshire Regt.). I understand that he moved, still in the trench, to give room, and as he stood up he was struck in the head by a bullet, and died in a few minutes without becoming conscious. He was brought back to a spot near our Brigade Headquarters, and buried by the Chaplain. The grave is on the open upland from which can be seen the Dardanelles and Asia. A large cross had been made and marked and placed at the head. Wild flowers grow there,” and the Chaplain : The bearing is 310 from South Corner of White House to South Corner of the Cemetery. At St. Edward’s he was in the XI from 1895 to 1898, when he was capt., and in the XV from 1894 to 1897, when he was capt. He was one of the most brilliant of our cricketers. He headed the batting averages in 1897, and won the average ball twice in both cases with fine scores. Twice he scored for the school a century, and his record of cricket at St. Edward’s ends with the perfectly played 120 which he made against it in the Jubilee Match. He was a member of the S.E.S. Society. He also represented Wadham both at cricket and football. He m. at Jullundur, India, 26 March, 1906, Ethel, dau. of the Rev. Henry Martin, Vicar of Stockton-on-Tees, and Canon of Durham, and had three children: John Beverly, b. 6 Nov. 1913; Stephen Beverly, b. 17 Sept. 1915; and Kathleen Mary, b. 28 Feb. 1910. His brother, Capt. S. Ussher, was killed in France (see following notice).
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1