BROWN, FRANK, Private, No. 20612, 15th (Service) Battn. The Royal Warwickshire Regt.. s. of Edward Thomas Brown, of Lynedale, Cliffe Grange, Higher Broughton, Manchester, by his wife, Sarah Dewhurst, dau. of Mary (and Peter) Ridyard; b. Rochdale, co. Lancaster, 3 Nov. 1896; educ. Spotland School there was employed at the Bradford Dyers’ Association; enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regt. 4 Jan. 1916; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from the following Dec., taking part in the fighting at Vimy Ridge in April, 1917, and at Oppy Wood in the following month, when he was blown up, being rendered unconscious, and was taken prisoner, and employed for eighteen months behind the enemy’s lines, and died, a prisoner of war, in hospital, at Ohligs, Germany, 17 Oct. 1918, of Spanish influenza. Buried in the Civilian Cemetery, Ohligs; unm.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 5

Simpson A H Lt 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment

LIEUTENANT A. H. SIMPSON

1ST BATTALION THE ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT

ANTHONY HENRY SIMPSON was the younger son of James Herbert Simpson, M.D., of Rugby, and Charlotte his wife.

He entered the School in 1901, left in 1906 as School Exhibitioner, and Scholar of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and after taking a Natural Science Degree, went to Tonbridge School as a Master in 1911, where he joined the Officers’ Training Corps, and was promoted Captain in November, 1914.

On the outbreak of War he was attached to the Depot of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was eventually gazetted to the Special Reserve, in December, 1914.

He crossed to France on January 15th, 1915, in charge of a draft for the 1st Battalion, remained for a week at the base at Rouen, and on arriving at the Front was taken ill with acute bronchitis, of which he died at the base Hospital in Boulogne, on February 1st, 1915. Age 27. The following is taken from the College Magazine:-

“By nature extremely modest, and of unswerving loyalty to his friends, with a keen sense of duty and zeal in its fulfilment, he set us an example which it will be difficult to follow.”

Source : Memorials Of Rugbeians Who Fell In The Great War Vol 1

Simpson A H Lt 1st Royal Warwickshire Regiment

SIMPSON, ANTHONY HENRY, Lieut., 1st Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regt., yr. s. of James Herbert Simpson, of Rugby, M.L., by his wife, Charlotte Maria, dau. of Henry Wilson; b. Rugby, 28 Dec. 1887; educ. Hillbrow School, Rugby (1896-1901); Rugby School (1901-6), and Corpus Christi College, Oxford (1906-11, Scholar), and was afterwards an assistant master at Tonbridge School, where he was an officer in the O.T.C.; gazetted Lieut. to the Special Reserve of the Royal Warwick-shire Regt., 24 Dec. 1914; went to France, 19 Jan. 1915, and died at the Base Hospital, Boulogne, 1 Feb. following, from bronchitis contracted while on active service; unm. Buried in the Cemetery there.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

BENNETT, PHILIP DENNIS, Capt., 5th (Territorial) Battn. The Royal Warwickshire Regt., only s. of Archibald Somerville Bennett, of 52, Farquhar Road, Edgbaston, Solicitor, by his wife, Laura, eldest dau. of the late John Henry Chamberlain; b. Edgbaston, Birmingham, co. Warwick, 11 July, 1891; educ. West House School there; Streete Court, Westgate-on-Sea, and Rugby School, where he was a member of the O.T.C.; was an Architect, and in Jan. 1914, was awarded the Grissell Prize and Medal by the R.I.B.A.; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 5th Royal Warwickshire Regt. 15 Aug. 1910; promoted Lieut. Nov. 1914, and Capt. June, 1915; volunteered for foreign service on the declaration of war; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from March, 1915; was invalided home in Jan. 1916, and on recovery was attached to the 3rd Battn. He died at Edgbaston 24 Feb. 1919, of influenza, and was buried in St. Patrick’s Churchyard, Tanworth-in-Arden. In March, 1919, his name was brought to the notice of the Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered in connection with the war. He m. at St. Patrick’s, Tanworth-in-Arden, 17 Aug. 1915, Doris Mary, elder dau. of Arthur L. Lowe, C.B.E., Registrar, Birmingham County Court, and had two children: Dennis Labron, b. 21 Nov. 1917, and a dau., b. (posthumous) 22 Nov. 1919.

Bastable L Pte 2nd Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Bastable Leonard Pte 8870 11th Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Of Halesowen.

Source : The Vivid 27th Feb 1915

Born in 1893 in Halesowen. Parents Joshua and Caroline Bastable.

To France 31st July 1915

Killed In Action 16th Jul 1916

Commemorated on The Thiepval Memorial, Picardie, France.

Dawson W L 2nd Lt 6th Royal Warwickshire Regiment

SECOND LIEUTENANT WILFRED LEEDHAM DAWSON, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was born in 1882. He became a member of the Stock Exchange in 1913.

A partner in the firm of Bragg, Stockdale, Hall and Co., he joined the Artists’ Rifles and received his commission in the 7th Worcester Regiment in 1916.

Immediately on being gazetted, he went to France and was then attached to the 2/6th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, being transferred to that regiment in the following year.

He met his death in the operations following the repulse before Cambrai in November 1917, being killed in action while holding the line near La Vacquerie on 3 December.

Source : The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-1918

Cuthbertson E H Lt 9th Royal Warwickshire Regiment

L IEUTENANT EDWARD HEDLEY CUTHBERTSON, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was born in 1888, the son of Edward Hedley Cuthbertson, formerly a member of the Stock Exchange.

Educated at Malvern College and Clare College, Cambridge, he was given his Blue for Association football, and he also played cricket for his University several times.

He became a member of the Stock Exchange in 1911.

Enlisting in the Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in August 1914, he was eventually given his commission in the Warwickshire Regiment.

He went to France in March 1915 and was wounded at Ypres a few weeks later. Returning to France, he was invalided home again in July 1916.

After a period of convalescence in England he was sent to Mesopotamia and died in hospital at Amara on 24 July 1917.

Source : The Stock Exchange War Memorial 1914-1918

Christie W C Major 1st Royal Warwickshre Regiment

MAJOR W. C. CHRISTIE

1st BATTALION THE ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT

WILLIAM CHARLES CHRISTIE was the elder son of John Robert Christie, Shipowner, of Llandaff, and of Margaret, daughter of Nicholas Strong, of Greenock.

He entered the School in 1887, and won the “Crick” twice, in 1890 and 1891, and had his Football Cap in 1891. He passed into the R.M.C., Sandhurst, in 1891, and passed out with honours. He was promoted Captain in 1900, and Major in 1902.

He served in the Soudan Expedition of 1898, and was present at the Battles of the Atbara and Omdurman. He was mentioned in Despatches, and was awarded the Queen’s Medal, the Khedive’s Medal with two Clasps, and the Order of the Medjidieh, 4th Class.

He served in the South African War (1899-1902), and was present in the actions at Vet River, Zand River, Diamond Hill, and Belfast. He was again mentioned in Despatches, and was appointed Brevet-Major, being at that time the youngest Major in the Army, and was awarded the Queen’s Medal with five Clasps, and the King’s Medal with two Clasps. In 1912 he was appointed Adjutant to the Officers’ Training Corps of both Birmingham and Bristol Universities, and of the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, but rejoined his Regiment immediately on the out- break of War, and went to the Front with the 1st Army Corps, in August,1914.

He was in the Retreat from Mons, and the Battles of the Marne and of the Aisne, and was twice mentioned in Despatches. He was killed in action while leading an attack on the village of Meteren, near Bailleul, on October 13th, 1914. Age 41.

The Major commanding his Regiment wrote:-

“Charles Christie was the bravest soldier in the British Army, and his loss to us is simply irreparable. He died leading his men in one of the best achievements of the British Army.”

A brother Officer said :-

“A more gallant Officer and gentleman never breathed. My Company and his made our attack on a village up one side of a road, with another Company across the road. We were advanced guard to the Brigade. We got the position we wanted chiefly owing to Christie’s gallantry. He was as cheery as possible, always giving us the lead. I heard one of the men remark, ‘He’s a daring man. I hope we don’t lose him.””

Another Officer wrote:-

“He was a most gallant Officer, a man who had absolutely no sense of fear. Under fire he was exactly the same as he was in the ordinary routine of Regimental life. He stood out, in his brave way, as a model to Officers and men serving under him. He could never have done anything small or petty, and in his Regiment everyone loved him, and his influence was felt in all ranks.”

Another Officer wrote:-

“There is one thought which consoles me a great deal, and that is the sincere conviction that the influence which Charles Christie exerted insensibly on his fellow men, remains a living force in the world. His example of simple-minded Quixotism influenced all with whom he was brought into contact and that influence is immortal: it will leaven, in its own degree, all succeeding generations of Englishmen. This is my firm belief. There is not an Officer or man in his Regiment, there is not a Cadet in his Training Corps, who is not a better man for the direct influence that emanated from him. There are no two opinions about this. He was loved and admired by everyone who had the privilege of his acquaintance.”

A friend who had known Major Christie all his life tells the following

anecdote:-

“I was serving as a trooper in the South African War when I chanced to be engaged, with some Mounted Infantry under Major Christie’s command, in a little skirmish. Hearing one of the M.I. ‘Tommies” grumbling at having to hold an uncomfortable position, I asked the grumbler, a typical Birmingham lad, what he was ‘grousing’ about, and received the following reply: ‘It’s this Christie. We are always in the thick of it with him, and the worst of it is, there’s not one of us as wouldn’t go to ‘ell with him willingly.’ No soldier could ask for a more spontaneous or genuine tribute to his capabilities.”

He married in 1909, Florence Violet, daughter of William Vernon Biden, of Lillington Manor, Leamington, and left one infant son.

Source : Memorials Of Rugbeians Who Fell In The Great War Vol 1