Tyler J C 2nd Lt Royal Field Artillery
SEC-LIEUT JOHN COLLETT TYLER
ROYAL FIELD ARTILLERY
This Gallant young officer was killed in action at Hill 60 on April 18th 1915, at the age of twenty one years. Lieutenant Tyler was the youngest son of Colonel and Mrs Tyler of Cambridge Road Colchester and grandson of the late Captain Sir Henry E Tyler R.E. M.P. for Harwich and Great Yarmouth, also of the late general Sir A R Badcock K.C.B, C.S.I. of Taunton Somerset. His great grandfather was General Sir Charles Pasley K.C.B.,R.E. who was extra Aide-de-Camp to Sir John Moore at Corunna translating all his Spanish dispatches, he was besides, a personal and intimate friend of the great Generals. At Chatham he will ever be remembered as the founder of the school of military engineering.
Second Lieutenant John Collett Taylor was born at Koorkee in India on the 9th December 1893. He was educated as a Preparatory School at Hillbrow, Rugby, passing from there to Wellington College, where he joined the Volunteer Corps. thus showing at an early age that he had inherited the tastes of his distinguished ancestors.
A keen enthusiast over sport as well as over his work, he became Captain of the Football Team, and before he left, occupied the proud position of Head of the School. In due course he followed the family custom and entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. Although debarred from playing football himself, whilst at Woolwich, owing to an accident, he nevertheless became a member of the Harlequins.
In July, 1914, the Sword of Merit was presented to Gentleman Cadet Senior- Under Officer J. C. Tyler with very complimentary remarks from the Commandant and General Sir Charles Douglas, the inspecting Officer.
Mr. Tyler was granted his first Commission in the Royal Field Artillery on the 17th July, 1914, his name appearing in the Gazette on the 8th of August, 1914. On the following day be joined his Regiment at Woolwich, and two days later reported at Dundalk, in Ireland; within a week, about the 17th August, he embarked for France.
He served continuously through the Retreat from Mons and other fighting, with only two periods of a few days’ leave, until he met his death in April, 1915.
Both at school and during his brief Army career he gained friends in an extraordinary manner, and numerous letters bear testimony to the great affection he inspired amongst all with whom he was associated.
A friend was asked what was the secret reason of his great popularity, and the answer given was:
“I think one always felt sure he would never do anything but what ‘was right’.”
General Geddes, R.F.A., wrote of him:
“I cannot tell you what grief it was to us to lose dear John. I had already sent in his name for good service. His cheery, gallant example was worth everything at these times. You may take comfort that he died gloriously.”
From the Major commanding the Battery came the following sincere tribute:-
“I always think that the best judge of mankind is the British soldier. All the men loved John. It is pitiful to see his section now. I honestly think I never knew a nicer boy than John. He was always so cheery and willing. There is a big battle going on here now, which started on the 17th. John and I went forward that day to observe, I had to send him and a signaller on by night to the newly captured trench to let me know if the Germans were counter-attacking, and to observe by day. “This job he did in his usual gallant way. Three times he came back to me under heavy fire and great difficulties to mend the telephone wire. He was shot at dawn by a bullet clean through his forehead, death was instantaneous. He died as he lived, doing his duty gallantly and well. Had he lived, he would certainly have had the D.S.O. He was killed in the foremost trench captured from the Germans.”
Lieutenant Tyler’s elder brother, Second-Lieutenant Henry Alexander Tyler, R.F.A., was badly wounded at the battle of the Aisne. He, also, was one of the first to land in France, and he participated in all the fighting until he was wounded on the 15th September, 1914. Though Lieutenant Tyler’s family were recently connected with London and the Eastern Counties, he came of a West Country stock. As merchants of Bristol, his ancestors were weavers in the Cotswolds from the time of Henry VIII., and previously at Pembridge in Herefordshire.
Source : The British Roll Of Honour Vol 1
Tyler J C 2nd Lt Royal Field Artillery
TYLER, JOHN COLLETT, 2nd Lieut., 122nd Battery, Royal Field Artillery, yr. s. of Col. John Charles Tyler, of 8, Cambridge Road, Colchester, late Royal Engineers, by his wife, Florence Mary, only dau. of the late General Sir Alexander Robert Badcock, K.C.B., C.S.I., and gdson. of the late Sir Henry Whateley Tyler, M.P., and great-gdson. of General Sir Charles Pasley, K.C.B., R.E. (the he father of Lady Tyler), who founded the School of Military Engineering at Chatham, and who in early life was extra A.D.C. to Sir John Moore at the time of his death and burial at Corunna; b. Roorkee, India, 9 Dec. 1893; educ. Wellington College, where he was head of the school and captain of football, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, where he was senior under-officer and obtained the Sword of Honour, July, 1914, the Commandant in his report on that occasion, observing that he would specially mention Senior under-officer J. C. Tyler, who had shown in his present responsible position that he possessed in a high degree those qualities which were looked for in the best type of officer; gazetted 2nd Lieut. R.F.A. 17 July, 1914, and joined at Woolwich, 9 Aug. 1914, left for Dundalk, Ireland, on the 10th, and embarked for France on the 17th, and was killed in action at Hill 60, 18 April, 1915; unm.
The Major Commanding his battery wrote on 21 April: “There is a big battle going on here now which started at 7 p.m. on the 17th, John and I went forward that day to observe. I had to send John and a signaller on by night, to the newly captured trench to let me know if the Germans were counter-attacking and to observe by day. This job he did in his usual gallant way. Three times he came back to me under heavy fire and great difficulties to mend the telephone wires. He was shot at dawn, a rifle bullet clean through the forehead. He died as he lived, doing his duty gallantly and well. Had he lived he would have certainly had the D.S.O. He was killed in the foremost trench captured from the Germans. Just after he was killed the Germans retook the trench and held it for about 12 hours. We then took it back again.” And the General Officer Commanding wrote a few days later: “I had already sent in his name for good service. His cheery, gallant example was worth everything at these times.”
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1
