Anderson J V C Captain Indian Army

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Anderson J V C Captain Indian Army

CAPT. JOHN VICTOR CORTLANDT ANDERSON,

QUEEN VICTORIA’S OWN CORPS OF GUIDES (F.F.), INDIAN ARMY.

KILLED IN ACTION AT EL JELIL, NEAR JAFFA, JUNE 8TH, 1918. AGED 30.

At the School 1901-4 (School House).

Capt. J. V. C. Anderson was the younger son of the late John Philip Cortlandt Anderson, M.I.C.E., and of Mrs. Anderson, of 30, Midvale Road, St. Helier’s, Jersey. His elder brother, Temporary Major H. E. C. Anderson, Leicestershire Regiment, is an old Fettesian, and had been wounded.

Entering the School from Hillside, Godalming, in September, 1901, Victor Anderson left from the Army Class at Christmas, 1904, when he was only a few months over seventeen. He had become a 2nd Corporal in the Cadet Corps, as it was then, and had obtained his 1st XV. colours in his last Term, as a useful 12 st. forward. At the R.M.C.. Sandhurst, also, he was in the XV., and was promoted Sergeant. He was gazetted to the Dorset. Regiment May 4th, 1907, but after about a year transferred, in 1908, to the Indian Army, being posted to the 1st Battn. of Queen Victoria’s Own Corps of Guides (F.F.) (Lumsden’s), and by his fine soldierly qualities proved himself worthy of the best traditions of that famous Corps. He was promoted Lieutenant August 4th, 1909, Temporary Captain September 1st, 1915, and Captain May 4th, 1916, this being subsequently antedated to the date on which he became Temporary Captain. He did very well indeed in the frontier fighting in India in the early days of the War and took part in the operations against the Bunerwals in 1915, and against the Mohmands in 1916. From March to December, 1917, he served in Mesopo- tamia with his Regiment and took part in the Tigris Operations, including the fighting at Tikrit in November.

Early in January, 1918, the Guides were transferred to Palestine, and when on June 8th they were selected and specially brought up to attack, in co-operation with the Black Watch, a very strong Turkish position on a height called the “Two Sisters,” near the coast, about seven miles north of Jaffa, the honour of leading them was conferred on Captain Anderson. In spite of a very heavy enemy barrage and terrible losses, he fearlessly led his men absolutely “plumb straight” to their objective. The Regiment captured the position, but while they were consolidating a shrapnel burst right in front of him and he fell mortally wounded with bullets through the head and heart. He was buried, with two other Guides officers, in the neighbouring cemetery of El Jelil, but after the War was re-interred in the Military Cemetery at Ramleh.

Letters from the second in command, who had been in the Regiment for nearly fourteen years, contained the following:-

“Every one liked him, and ever since I’ve known him I never heard a word against him from any one either in or out of the Regiment. He was the life and soul of our Mess – always cheery and merry and bright, and you know what a lot that means on service. As a regimental soldier he was absolutely unsurpassable.

“I’ve always had a great admiration for him. He was a real soldier if ever there was one, and without exception the best Company Commander I’ve ever met anywhere. He had a wonderful hold over his men and they would have followed him anywhere. He was such a fine fellow and so straight-one of the whitest’ men I’ve ever met. I never knew a fellow who commanded more respect than J. V. did. I know of no one who had consistently done more for the Regiment. He has left his mark all right and his good work will have its effect for many a long day to come.”

The C.O. also described him as the best Company Commander in the Regiment,” and added, “You can’t think what a loss it has been to us. He was such a favourite, one of the best officers I have ever met, and a grand soldier “; and in his recommendation of Captain Anderson for a Mention in Despatches, the only honour except the V.C. for which an officer who has been killed may be recommended, he wrote:-

“I specially chose this officer to lead the advance, as I knew the success of the operations must depend to a great extent on the direction maintained and the dash with which the advance was carried out through the enemy’s barrage. Nothing could have gone better; and it was only when the final objective was reached that he fell mortally wounded. His utter disregard for his own personal safety and his devotion to duty were the chief cause of the success of the whole operations.”

Source : Tonbridge School And The Great War Of 1914-1919

Ambler E S Lt 2nd Scots Guards

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Ambler E S Lt 2nd Scots Guards

LIEUT. EDWARD SHARP AMBLER,

SCOTS GUARDS (S.R.), ATTD. 2ND BATTN.

ACCIDENTALLY KILLED ON NIGHT PATROL NEAR WARLINCOURT, MAY 8TH, 1918.

AGED 20.

At the School 1912-15 (Ferox Hall).

Lieut. E. S. Ambler was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Ambler, of Hoyle Court, Baildon, Yorks. Entering the School in September, 1912, from Horton School, Biggleswade, he coxed the School Four in 1914 and 1915 and had become a Lance-Corporal in the O.T.C. On leaving School at Christmas, 1915, he went to Jeremiah Ambler & Sons, Ltd., Midland Mills, Bradford, to learn the business. In September, 1916, as soon as he was old enough, he joined an Officer Cadet Battalion at Trinity College, Cambridge, in which he did very well, and also distinguished himself by winning the five-mile cross-country race by 1 minutes out of a field of 200. He received his commission in the Scots Guards (S.R.) December 19th, 1916, and joined his Battalion at Wellington Barracks. Going out to France on June 9th, 1917, he saw much fighting in Bourlon Wood and elsewhere in the course of the next eleven months. The Quartermaster of the Battalion tells how he seemed to bear a charmed life, and had indeed, “pointing to his shell-torn clothes,” exclaimed, “You see, they cannot hurt me!” Nor did the enemy succeed in doing so, for he eventually fell a victim, on the night of May 8th, 1918, to one of those tragic accidents which no precautions can render impossible. The officer who was in command of the Battalion at the time wrote:-

“He was going the rounds at night of our forward posts, missed his way, and came upon the post from the direction in which they expected the Germans. His party did not hear the challenge, and the sentries, who had been warned to use the utmost vigilance, fired. The nights have been terribly dark, the line is very difficult and tricky. I really cannot blame anybody. He had done a first-rate bit of scouting work the night before. . . . He was one of our most promising future Company Commanders. I have been nigh three years continuously with this Battalion in France, so I have seen. many young officers. I have never seen one more cool-headed in action or more dependable. . . . His men all knew and recognised him as a right good officer.”

The Chaplain wrote:-

“We older men feel that we have lost a younger brother of whom we were both proud and very fond,” and told how on the previous night, the night on which he had been out scouting, Lieut. Ambler had narrowly escaped a similar accident. He had been fired on by a Lewis gun post and ran in and ” asked in his bright way if they were the people who had tried to shoot him,” and then told them that they had done quite right. It was, he said, the unanimous opinion of the men that Lieut. Ambler fell a victim to his own keen regard for their safety, for he had impressed upon them that they were to take no risks but to shoot at once if any one approached from the enemy side in the dark. He was buried in the British cemetery at Warlincourt Halte on the Doulens-Arras Road. His Company Commander wrote :-

“I was very fond of him; he was such a nice. boy and such a good officer, too, quite the best subaltern I had. He was doing splendidly too;” and, after alluding to his smallness, tells how the big guardsmen used to call him The Nipper ” a sure sign of their affection for him. His servant, after testifying to his popularity, described him as a grand soldier who had no fear of anything.” The C.O. of the Battalion, who was not in the lines at the time, wrote:-

“Your son was one of the best boys in my Battalion and was liked by all. He was a great soldier and always gave me confidence, while his keenness in work and play was an example to all.” The Colonel of the Regiment wrote:- “I have had nothing but the most excellent reports of your boy. He was much liked by all ranks and did his work so splendidly. He will be much missed both as an excellent and most promising officer and also as a cheery and bright companion and brother officer.”

Source : Tonbridge School And The Great War Of 1914-1919

 

Alston A E Lt Col 10th Duke Of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

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Alston E A B Lt Col Northants Regiment Attd Duke Of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

 

Alston A E Lt Col Northamptonshire Regiment Attd 10th Duke Of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

LIEUT.-COL. ERNEST ALFRED BROOKE ALSTON

MAJOR, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGT

O.C. 10TH BATTN. DUKE OF CORNWALL’S LIGHT INFANTRY.

KILLED IN ACTION NEAR DUNKIRK, AUGUST 11TH, 1917. AGED 39.

At the School 1893-94 (Parkside).

Lieut.-Col. E. A. B. Alston was the fourth son of the late Surg.-Major William Evelyn Alston and of Mrs. Alston, of East Cliffe House, Sandgate, Kent, and husband of Eileen Alston, formerly of 25, Iverna Court, Kensington, W., and now Mrs. Trevor Finnis, of 9, Kensington Crescent, W.

Entering the School in May, 1893, E. A. B. Alston left at the age of sixteen at Easter, 1894, and entered the Militia in the following year. At the outbreak of the South African War he was gazetted to a commission in the Northamptonshire Regiment, with which he served in South Africa, 1899-1900, being present at the Battles of Belmont, Graspan, and Modder River, and receiving the Queen’s Medal with three clasps.

He was promoted to his Captaincy in July, 1908, and soon after the outbreak of war was gazetted as Temporary Major, October 29th, 1914, to the 5th Battn. (Pioneers) of his own Regiment, and went to the Front with this Battalion in May, 1915. He was promoted to substantive rank as Major, September 1st, 1915, took part in the Actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt in October, 1915, subsequent to the Battle of Loos, and was mentioned in Despatches for services in France in 1915.

On May 1st, 1916, he was appointed as Temporary Lieut.-Colonel to the command of the 10th (Service) Battn. of the Duke of Cornwall’s L.I. With the exception of six weeks in England after he took over this command, whilst his new Battalion were completing their training, he was on continuous active service abroad from May, 1915, till the day of his death. He commanded this Battalion in the Battles of the Somme, 1916, and in the Battles of Arras in April and May, 1917, and finally on the Belgian Coast, after being for a time in the neighbourhood of the Ypres Salient. He was again mentioned for distinguished services in Sir D. Haig’s Despatch dated November 11th, 1916, and published ou January 1st, 1917, and a third “mention ” appeared after his death, in the Despatch dated November 7th, 1917.

On August 11th, 1917, he and the Major, second in command, and the Adjutant, were asleep at the Battalion Headquarters, near Dunkirk, several miles behind the front line, when the hut was struck by two shells, and he and the Major were instantaneously killed, and the Adjutant mortally wounded. His last thought had been for the guard, whom he had ordered to take cover. He was buried in St. George’s Cemetery, Newport, Dunkirk. The Medical Officer wrote expressing the heartfelt sympathy of the whole Battalion and their great sense of loss, adding that he had been constantly with Col. Alston and had learned to know and to admire him as a true friend. Capt. H. L. Stanistreet, O.T. (P.H. 1914), who was one of his Company Commanders, after telling of their great loss, wrote:- “It is hardly necessary to add that the C.O. is a very sad loss to the Battalion as he was so popular amongst the officers and The C.O. of the 5th Northamptonshires, under whom he served for a year and a half-wrote:- “It seems incredible that one won’t see his genial, cheery face again. He was a gallant officer and nothing ever upset his natural cheerfulness. No one could possibly help liking him, and he was a general favourite with every one. When he was with us I have seen him in one or two pretty hot places, but he was always smiling and joking, and had a cheery word for every one a most gallant officer and a thorough gentleman.”

Source : Tonbridge School And The Great War Of 1914-1919