Hoare W J G Captain DSO 11th Royal Fusiliers

CAPTAIN WALTER JOHN GERALD HOARE, D.S.O., Royal Fusiliers as the only son of the late Rev John Hoare, Vicar of St. John’s, Keswick. He was educated privately.

He joined his uncle’s firm, Hichens, Harrison and Co., and became a member of the Stock Exchange in 1912.

Soon after the outbreak of war he obtained a commission in the Royal Fusiliers, and went to the front in July 1915 as a Captain.

Captain Hoare had a distinguished military record. He was three times mentioned in despatches, and was awarded the D.S.O. for conspicuous gallantry when “with two sergeants, one of whom was wounded by the intense shell-fire, he dug out a buried sergeant and rescued him alive. He has done fine work throughout the operations.”

He was killed on 25 October 1916.

A brother officer wrote: “There never could be a man more respected and loved in the Regiment. He was the soul of kindness to the subalterns; we should never want to be under anyone else.”

Captain Hoare married in 1915 Alix, daughter of Maurice Ruffer, by whom he had one son.

Source : The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-1918

Swan G Pte 15479 1st Royal Fusiliers

SWAN, GEORGE, Private, No. 15479, 1st Battn. Royal Fusiliers, s. of David Swan, of 21, Sloan Street, Leith, by his wife, Helen, dau, of Robert Fairweather; b. Bathgate, co. Linlithgow, 25 Aug. 1878; educ. Bathgate Academy; enlisted in the 2nd Battn. Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders, 5 Nov. 1899; served in the South African War, 1899-1902, with the 1st Battn. (Queen’s medal with five clasps); transferred to the 1st Battn. Royal Fusiliers in 1913; went to France, 9 Sept. 1914, and was killed in action at Chapelle d’Armentières, 18 Oct. 1914; unm. Buried there. His brother, Pioneer James Blair Swan, was killed in action at the same place (see following notice).

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

Friedberger W S Captain 5th Attd 3rd Royal Fusiliers

CAPTAIN WILLIAM SIGISMUND FRIEDBERGER, Royal Fusiliers, was a partner in his father’s firm, J. Friedberger and Co. He commanded a battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in the Boer War, and was mentioned in despatches.

He retired with the rank of Major. On the outbreak of the European War he rejoined his old regiment with the rank of Captain..

He was killed in action at Hooge on 25 May 1915, in the second Battle of Ypres, while serving with the 3rd Battalion.

His Adjutant wrote to his widow: “He was deeply respected and loved by his company and brother officers. I never met a man who was better fitted to command men, in fact a born soldier.”

Another brother officer wrote: “He did quite enough for his country during the South African War without risking his life again… He was a keen officer and good comrade; his kindness to me in South Africa and at home I can never forget.”

A Colonel under whom he served wrote: “We soldiered in South Africa together and I knew what a good soldier he was… He was most popular with all ranks, both officers and men, and I feel I have lost a friend whom it is impossible to replace.”

Source : The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-1918

Forsyth G A 2nd Lt 8th Royal Fusiliers

SECOND LIEUT. GORDON AMHURST FORSYTH, Royal Fusiliers was the son of David Cadenham  Forsyth of the Stock Exchange and was born in London in December 1887. From Crump’s Private School at Woodford Green he eventually proceeded to Königsfeld in Baden and Nyon in Switzerland to complete his education. He became a member of the Stock Exchange in 1911.

Enlisting as a private on the outbreak of war in the 12th Royal Fusiliers, he rose to the rank of Sergeant and after twelve months training at Shoreham Camp embarked with his regiment on 1 September 1915 for France. He took part in the battle of Loos, and was in action almost continuously in different parts of France and Belgium until June 1916, when, having been recommended for a commission, he joined the 8th Royal Fusiliers as Second Lieutenant, taking part in July and August in the battle of the Somme.

On 21 August 1916 he was killed in the trenches by a mortar bomb and is buried in the Military Cemetery at Agny near Arras. During the few weeks he held his commission he endeared himself to his brother officers by his cheerful and happy manner.

He married his cousin Edith Mary Allshorn Forsyth, daughter of W. S. A. Forsyth of the Stock Exchange, but left no issue.

Source : The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-1918

FORSYTH GORDON AMHURST, 2nd Lieut., 8th Battn. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.), s. of David Cadenhead Forsyth, of Holyrood, St. An- drew’s Drive, Skegness, and Stamford Hill, London, N., formerly a member of the Stock Exchange, London, by his wife, Thomasina, dau. of Thomas Adam- son; and brother to Private Douglas Chester Forsyth (q.v.); b. Amhurst Park, London, N., 29 Dec. 1887; educ. Crump’s School, Woodford Green, co. Essex, finishing at Konigsfeld, Black Forest, Germany, and Nyon, near Lausanne, Switzerland; was a member of the London Stock Exchange; enlisted in Aug. 1914; served with the Expeditionary Force in France from 1 Sept. 1915, as a Sergt. in the 12th Royal Fusiliers; took part in the Battle of Loos on the 25th of that month, and the subsequent actions until Aug. 1916, when he was killed in action in the trenches near Agny by Arras, by a trench-mortar bomb. Buried in the Military Cemetery at Agny. Lieut. Royle (since killed) wrote: “I do not know if your son mentioned that we had not only met but were in the same company here; however, perhaps you will recall my staying at your house at Woodford Green some years ago. . . . Don was very popular the short time he was with us, and we all very much mourn his loss. It was exceptionally hard luck, as during the six days we were in the trenches at this quiet spot we only had three casualties, and they were all caused by the same trench mortar.” Unm.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5

Blackwell W G Lt 8th Royal Fusiliers

L IEUTENANT WILLIAM GORDON BLACKWELL (“Don”), Royal Fusiliers, was the seventh son of Samuel John Blackwell, J.P., and of Elizabeth, his wife, and was born in 1885.

Educated at Mr. Herbert Bowden-Smith’s Preparatory School at Bengeo and privately, he joined his brother Robert in the firm of Blackwell Brothers, and became a member of the Stock Exchange in 1908.

On the declaration of war he enlisted straightway in the Honourable Artillery Company and was sent to the French front in September 1914, obtaining a commission in the 4th Royal Fusiliers in 1915.

He fell at Flers, in the battle of the Somme, on 6 October 1916, being then attached to the 8th Royal Fusiliers.

One of his Commanding Officers wrote of him: “I saw a great deal of him and he naturally endeared himself to me by his kind nature and manliness of character. I deplore his loss; the nation has lost a gallant soldier and a great gentleman.”

His Major wrote: “He was a grand soldier; he could get the utmost out of men and did so, but they all worshipped him.”

Lieutenant Blackwell married in 1910 Nina Mary, daughter of the late Middleton Moore O’Malley and Mrs. O’Malley of West- port, co. Mayo, and leaves a widow and one son.

Source : The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-1918

Blackwell W G Captain 8th Royal Fusiliers

Source : The Sphere 13th Jan 1917

Sanderson R Pte PS/4224 21st Royal Fusiliers

PRIVATE ROBERT SANDERSON.

Entered the Company’s service at Manchester in October, 1907, and was a Clerk in the Fire Department. He enlisted in November, 1914, in the Public School Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, and went out to France where he died of wounds received in action at Bethune on the 31st January, 1916. Age 24.

Source : The War Record Of The Northern Assurance Company 1914-1918

Captain R Pearce-Gould 21st Royal Fusiliers On Horseback In Ashtead Park, Surrey.

Source : WW1 Photos Collection

Captain Russell Pearce-Gould.

Appointed Captain 21st Royal Fusiliers 26th Oct 1914

Transferred to Army Cyclist Corps

To France 17th Nov 1915.

Corporal NATHANIEL CLARK NEILSON,

21st Royal Fusiliers, was the son of W. B. Neilson, Esq., Rowland’s Gill, and was born in 1885. He entered the Second Master’s House from Bow School, Durham, in September, 1899, and was in the XI. and XV. in 1902. He left at Easter, 1903, to become a Mining Engineer. He did much to foster the Rugby game in Durham County, and played in the Durham XV. from 1904 to 1909. He was also Captain of the Sunderland Rugby Football Club.

When war was declared, Corporal Neilson was manager at Chopwell Colliery, and he enlisted in the 21st (Public Schools’ Battalion) Royal Fusiliers in the early days of the War. He served with the Royal Fusiliers for a long period in France and Flanders, and was killed in action near Bethune on the 5th February, 1916.

Source : The War Record Of Old Dunelmians 1914-1919

Madgett W S L/Cpl 7090 21st Royal Fusiliers

MADGETT, WILLIAM STEPHEN, L/Corpl., No. 7090, 21st (Service) Battn. The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regt.), eldest s. of Stephen Madgett, of Clifton House, 51, Old Palace Road, Norwich, by his wife, Susan Elizabeth G., dau. of James William C. Johnson; b. Norwich, co. Norfolk, 29 Aug. 1893; educ. Presbyterian Endowed School there; was on the staff of the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Co.; enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers 15 May, 1915; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the following Nov., and was killed in action south-west of Ypres 18 April, 1918. Buried at Dranautre ; unm.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 4

Source : The Graphic 13th July 1915