Vachell R T Captain Northumberland Fusiliers Attd Royal Flying Corps
CAPTAIN R. T. VACHELL Northumberland Fusiliers
Aged 25 September 1st, 1915
ONLY Son of Horace Annesley Vachell (O.H.), Novelist and Dramatist, of Beechwood House, Bartley, Southampton, and of Mrs. Vachell, née Phillips, of San Luis Obispo, California.
Football XI, 1907. Rugby XV, 1906-7.
He had considerable literary gifts, especially for the Short Story and the Drama, and contributed several articles to the St. George’s Gazette. At one time he intended to go on the stage, but, on leaving Harrow, finally made up his mind to adopt the Army as a profession and went to Sandhurst.
Captain Vachell was gazetted to the Northumberland Fusiliers in 1910, and joined the Ist Battalion, at Gharial in the Murree Hills, the same year. Except for a short period in 1912, when he acted as A.D.C. to Lord Sydenham, the then Governor of Bombay, he served continuously with the 1st Battalion till the outbreak of the War. He left for France with his Regiment in August, 1914. He was all through the Retreat from Mons, but was wounded on October 20th, 1914, and invalided home. For his services at that time he was mentioned in Despatches. He was then seconded for service with the Flying Corps as Observation Officer, and took many remarkable photographs of the enemy’s lines. Later he qualified as a Pilot and again went to France in July, 1915. On the 31st of August, as he was returning from a reconnaissance, he broke his propeller on landing; by some mischance the machine caught fire, and he and his Observer fell to earth from a height of about ten feet. They both extricated themselves without difficulty, but Vachell was badly burnt, and died next day from shock.
From the St. George’s Gazette:-
“All who knew Dick Vachell will realize the loss the Regiment has suffered by his death. A sportsman through and through, keen as mustard, and the cheeriest of comrades, he made friends wherever he went. His peculiar power of making friends was never more apparent than among the French and Belgian Officers, with whom he mixed freely, when he was with the Flying Corps in Belgium.”
Source : Harrow Memorials Of The Great War 1914-1918 Vol 2
Vachell R T Captain 1st Northumberland Fusiliers Attd Royal Flying Corps
VACHELL, RICHARD TANFIELD, Capt., 1st Battn. Northumberland Fusiliers and Royal Flying Corps, only s. of Horace Annesley Vachell, of Beechwood, Bartley, Southampton, Author and Dramatist, by his wife, Lydia, dau, of Chauncy Hatch Phillips, of San Luis Obispo, California; b. San Luis aforesaid, 29 June, 1890; educ. Harrow and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the 1st Battn. Northumberland Fusiliers, 13 June, 1910; promoted Lieut. 27 Nov. 1913, and Capt. in July, 1915; joined the 1st Battn. at Gharial in the Murree Hills in 1910, and served with it continuously, except for a short period in 1912, when he acted as A.D.C. to Lord Sydenham, the then Governor of Bombay, until the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, when he proceeded with it to France. He took part in the retreat from Mons, but was wounded in Oct. and invalided home. Shortly after returning to the Front he joined the Flying Corps as an observer, again returning to England in April to train for his pilot’s certificate, which he obtained in June, 1915. He returned to France at the end of July, and died at Choques, 1 Aug. 1915, of wounds received on 31 July, being buried in the military cemetery there; unm.
Capt. Vachell was a good all-round sportsman. While at Harrow he was a member of the football eleven and fifteen; was an ardent Skihari, and represented the regt. at polo in the Jubbulpore Tournament in 1912. He contributed several articles to the St. George’s Gazette under the nom de plume of “The Sprouter,” notably “With the American Section at the Delhi Durbar,” which exhibited his strong sense of humour. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. [London Gazette, 17 Feb.] 1915.
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol