Heywood G G Pte 1218 1st Honourable Artillery Company

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Heywood G G Pte 1st Honourable Artillery Company

PRIVATE G. G. HEYWOOD

1ST BATTALION HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY

GERALD GARNETT HEYWOOD was the second son of James Garnett and Alice M. de Quincey Heywood, of Chislehurst. He entered the School in 1906, and left in 1910 for Hertford College,

Oxford, taking a Second Class in the Modern History School, in June, 1914. He joined the H.A.C. on August 8th, 1914, and was sent to the Front in September.

While in the front trenches near Ypres he was wounded by shrapnel in the head, on February 15th, 1915. He was sent back to England on March 5th, and died in Derby Infirmary, on March 12th. Age 23.

His Lieutenant wrote of him:-

“Gerald has been perfect over here. Always cheerful and willing to do anything, he has borne the hardships as well as the toughest. He has never missed going up to the firing line, and has been the heart and soul of the section under most trying conditions.”

The Chaplain of the Hospital at Bailleul wrote:-

“We all feel his loss keenly, because we were filled with admiration for one who showed us a glorious example of the patience and courage of a British soldier and gentleman.”

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

Herbert-Stepney H A Major Irish Guards

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Herbert-Stepney H A Major Irish Guards

MAJOR H. A. HERBERT-STEPΝΕΥ

IRISH GUARDS

HERBERT ARTHUR HERBERT-STEPNEY was the eldest son of George Herbert-Stepney, of Alberta House, Templeogue, County Dublin.

He entered the School in 1893, and passed on to the R.M.C., Sandhurst, in 1897. He was gazetted to the Coldstream Guards in 1898, and served in the South African War, 1900-01, when he was slightly wounded. For his services he received the Queen’s Medal with Three Clasps and the King’s Medal. He was recalled and transferred to the Irish Guards in 1901, of which he was Adjutant in 1902. He was promoted Major in 1912.

He went to France in August, 1914, with the First Expeditionary Force, and was in command of the Regiment during the Retreat from Mons, in the Battles of the Marne and of the Aisne, and afterwards at Ypres.

He was killed in action at Klein Zillebeke, near Ypres, in Flanders, on November 7th, 1914. Age 35.

He was mentioned in Despatches of January 14th, 1915.

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

 

Herbert-Stepney H A Major Irish Guards

Source : The Illustrated London News 26th Dec 1914

Herbert M C N Lt 1st Gloucestershire Regiment

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Herbert M C N Lt 1st Gloucestershire Regiment

LIEUTENANT M. C. N. HERBERT

IST BATTALION THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE REGIMENT

MALCOM CAVAGNARI NORTON HERBERT was the only son of Brigadier-General Lionel Norton Herbert and Ida Louisa his wife, of Hove, Sussex,

He entered the School in 1909 and left in 1910.

He passed into the R.M.C., Sandhurst, in February, 1914, and was gazetted to the 1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment in the following August. He was promoted Lieutenant and went to the Front in November, 1914.

He was mortally wounded in the advance trenches at Festubert whilst in command of a platoon, on December 22nd, and died in No. 4 Clearing Hospital, Lilliers, France, on January 2nd, 1915. Age 20.

The Officer Commanding the Regiment wrote:-

“He always was so keen and energetic, so promising, and much liked by his men.”

And a friend wrote:-

“He was very keen to do something for the honour of his old School, and his dying message home was, ‘Tell my people that I tried to do my duty.”

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

Henderson N W A Lt 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers

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Henderson N W A Lt 1st Royal Sots Fusiliers

LIEUTENANT N. W. A. HENDERSON

IST BATTALION THE ROYAL SCOTS FUSILIERS

NORMAN WILLIAM ARTHUR HENDERSON was the eldest son of Arthur Henderson and Gareth his wife, eldest daughter of James O’Shaughnessy, of County Limerick, Ireland.

He entered the School in 1906. He left in 1907, went to the R.M.C., Sandhurst, in January, 1911, and served with his Regiment in South Africa from 1912 to February, 1914, when they returned to England.

He went to the Front in August of the same year and was present at the Retreat from Mons and in the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne.

In the first Battle at Ypres, during the attack by the Prussian Guards, some of our trenches were taken, and in the counter attack to retake these Lieutenant Henderson was killed, in the wood round Heventhage Château, four miles east of Ypres, on November 10th, 1914. Age 23. He was buried near the Château with nine other officers of the Regiment. The few who survived bore testimony to his splendid, soldierly qualities.

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

Henderson N W A Lt Royal Scots Fusiliers

Source : The Illustrated London News 26th Dec 1918

Hancock R E Lt DSO 1st Devonshire Regiment

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Hancock R E Lt DSO 1st Devonshire Regiment

LIEUTENANT R. E. HANCOCK, D.S.O.

1ST BATTALION THE DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT

RALPH ESCOTT HANCOCK was the only son of Frank Hancock, of Ford, Wiveliscombe, Somerset.

He came to the School in 1902, and won his Cap in 1905, and was in the XI in 1905 and 1906. He passed into the R.M.C., Sandhurst, in 1906, and was gazetted to

the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment in 1908. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1911, and served with the 2nd Devons in Crete, Malta, and Alexandria from 1909 to 1912. He was a well-known sportsman, playing in both the Cricket and Football teams of the County of Somerset. At Malta he played in the Polo team that won the Regimental Cup, and captained the Army Polo team v. the Navy. He was a well-known follower of the West Somerset and East Devon Foxhounds, and in 1913 won the Heavy-weight Point-to-Point Race of the East Devon Hunt. He won several prizes for rifle shooting. In August, 1914, he was sent to France with reinforcements to the Ist Battalion of the Devons, and was killed in action at Festubert on October 29th, 1914. Age 26.

He was mentioned in Despatches of January 14th, 1915, and awarded the D.S.O. The Official record for this is as follows:-

Lieut. Ralph Escott Hancock, 1st Bn. Devonshire Regt. “On October 23rd displayed conspicuous gallantry in leaving his trench under very heavy fire, and going back some 60 yards over absolutely bare ground to pick up Corporal Warwick, who had fallen whilst coming up with a party of reinforcements.

“Lieut. Hancock conveyed this Non-Commissioned Officer to the cover of a haystack, and then returned to his trench. (Since killed in action.)”

In 1913 he married Mary Hamilton, the younger daughter of the Rev. P. P. Broadmead, Olands, Milverton, and left one son.

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

 

Hancock R E Lt Devonshire Regiment

Source : The Sphere 5th Dec 1914

 

Hancock R E Lt DSO 1st Devonshire Regiment

HANCOCK, RALPH ESCOTT, D.S.O., Lieut., 1st Battn. Devonshire Regt., only s. of Francis Escott. Hancock, of Ford, Wiveliscombe, Somerset, by his wife, Guita, dau. of Patrick Vans Agnew Reid; b. Llandaff, co. Glamorgan, 20 Dec. 1887; educ. Rugby; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 2nd Battn. Devonshire Regt. 29 Jan. 1908, and promoted Lieut. 1 Feb. 1911; served with his regt. at Crete, Malta, and Alexandria, returning to the depôt at Exeter in 1912; went to France, 30 Aug. 1914, and was killed in action at Festubert, 29 Oct. 1914, whilst endeavouring to reinforce another company who were in difficulties. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915, and was awarded the D.S.O., having “on 23 Oct. displayed conspicuous gallantry, in leaving his trench under very heavy fire, and going back some 60 yards over absolutely bare ground to pick up Corpl. Warwick, who had fallen whilst coming up with a party of reinforcements. Lieut. Hancock carried this non-commissioned officer to the corner of a haystack, and then returned to his trench.”

At Rugby he played for two seasons in the first XI, and at Malta played in the polo team that won the Regimental Cup, and also captained the Army Polo Team v. the Navy at Malta. He won several prizes for rifle shooting, and played cricket and football for the County of Somerset. He was a well-known follower of the West Somerset and East Devon Foxhounds, and won the East Devon Heavyweight Point-to-Point in 1913 and 1914, on horses taught and trained by himself. He m. at Milverton, 17 Sept. 1913, Mary Hamilton, dau. of the Rev. Philip Palfrey Broadmead, of Olands, Milverton, Somerset, and left a son, Patrick Frank, b. 20 June, 1914.

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

 

Grundy G S Pte 1362 1st Honourable Artillery Company

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Grundy G S Pte 1362 1st Honourable Artillery Company

PRIVATE G. S. GRUNDY

1ST BATTALION HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY

GEOFFREY STEWART GRUNDY was the only son of Gordon Graham Stewart Grundy, of Headingley, Leeds.

He entered the School in 1900. After leaving School he served his Articles as a Solicitor in Leeds, and eventually joined the firm of Messrs. Spyer and Sons, Austin Friars House, London.

He joined the H.A.C. on August 6th, 1914, and sailed for France in September, landing at St. Nazaire. After being employed in guarding lines of communication, and important stations, and on a short spell of military police duty in Paris, he was moved up to the Front in November, and was killed in action near St. Eloi, on the night of April 14th, 1915. He was buried in the grounds of Château Elzenwalle by Voormezeele. Age 28.

A comrade wrote:

“On the night of the action in which he was killed he was engaged in watching the German trenches, which necessitated the exposure of the head from time to time over the parapet of the trench. Owing to the accuracy of the German shooting this is one of the most dangerous duties involved in trench work.”

Another wrote:-

“He was a great favourite in the Regiment there was no crouching below the parapet when on guard: he stood up square and kept his watch conscientiously, in spite of the bullets.”

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

GRUNDY, GEOFFREY STEWART, Private, No. 1362, No. 1 Coy. Honourable Artillery Coy., onlys. of George Graham Stewart Grundy, of Whernside, Headingley, Leeds, Iron and Steel Merchant, by his wife, Joanna, only dau. of George Taylor, of Leeds and Ripon, and grandson of the late Edmund Grundy, of Bridge Hall, Bury; b. Leeds, co. York, 1 Dec. 1886; educ. Rugby, and on leaving there was articled to Messrs. Barr, Nelson & Co., Solicitors, of Leeds. He was admitted a Solicitor in Jan. 1911, and at the time war broke out was with Messrs. Spyer & Sons, Austin Friars, E.C. Ηe immediately volunteered and joined the H.A.C., 6 Aug. 1914; went to France, 19 Sept. 1914, and was killed in action near Ypres, 14 April, 1915; unm.

He was buried in the grounds of the Château Elzenwalle, Voormezeele. His Platoon Commander, Capt. M. M. Schiff, wrote: “He was a great favourite, as he was always so cheerful and bright, under the worst conditions. He was on guard at the time, in the trench, that is, standing with his head above the parapet, keeping a look-out against the Germans. Unfortunately, a shot caught him, and his death was practically instantaneous. He suffered no pain at all. He was taken down by the stretcher bearers, and was buried next evening in the grounds of a chateau, some distance behind the line”; and a comrade (Private M. Phillips, who was killed exactly one month later, 14 May): “We had a most terrible time on the above-mentioned night, the Huns mined a trench on our left, and that started it, rifles, machine guns, artillery, trench mortars and a few other atrocities, and for about three-quarters of an hour we were very lively. It died down after a bit ; but, unfortunately, during that time poor old Grundy went under (my special chum, of whom I was very fond, and I have mentioned him many times to you in my letters); he was on the ‘look-out’ and took a bullet straight through the head, dying instantaneously; it was perfectly awful, as he was next to me in the trench, and was joking and laughing up to the very minute. He was such a topping good fellow.”

Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1

 

Grubb L E P 2nd Lt 2nd King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

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Grubb L E P 2nd Lt 2nd Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry

SECOND LIEUTENANT L. E. P. GRUBB

2ND BATTALION THE KING’S OWN (YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY)

LAWRENCE ERNEST PELHAM GRUBB was the only son of Ernest Pelham and Emily Mary Grubb, of Rugby, and grandson of Augustus Grubb, of Cahir Abbey, Ireland.

He entered the School in 1906, and passed on to Brasenose College, Oxford, where he held an Exhibition in 1911. He took a Third Class in the History School in 1914, and rowed for his College at Henley. He was an enthusiastic member of the staff of the School Club in Birmingham.

He enlisted at the outbreak of War and went out with the First Expeditionary Force as Corporal and Despatch Rider, R.E., to the 1st Signal Squadron, Ist Cavalry Division. He took part in the retreat from Mons, and during the operations “rode through” three motor cycles. Then, for a short time, he was attached to the Cavalry. He received his Commission in November, and a fortnight later was killed while leading his Platoon in a night attack on a house full of snipers, a few miles east of Ypres, on November 15th, 1914. Age 22.

The “Oxford Magazine” of January 22nd, 1915, spoke of him in the following terms:-

“The death of L. E. P. Grubb has robbed both Brasenose and the world of a very vivid and effective personality. During his three years at Oxford he developed as few men do, and became a striking force in the life around him. His special love was the river, and it is difficult to say how much B.N.C. rowing has owed to his enthusiasm. One likes to remember that last summer he enjoyed Henley as a member of a B.N.C. four. His host at Henley writes of him, ‘He struck both myself and my wife as the most lovable boy we had ever met.’ Nothing but the best ever contented him, either in himself or in others.”

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