1st Battle of the Somme

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

The grave of John Mowbray at Peronne Road Cemetery. Photographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015

Today we remember …

Battle of the Somme

21st July 1915. John Mowbray, DSO. H & D Socials, 1889. Major, 41st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action.

At Radley, he rowed in the First VIII. After leaving school he trained as a civil engineer. He then changed career to become a soldier. He received a commission in the Royal Field Artillery in July, 1900, and joined a battery in India. He was afterwards transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery, with which he remained until entering the Staff College, Quetta, in 1907. On passing out he was appointed to the General Staff at Simla, where he remained until 1913. He went to France as staff captain in August, 1914, and became brigade major on a divisional staff three months later. He resigned in the spring of 1916 in order to take command of a field battery. He was promoted captain in August, 1911, and major in December, 1914. For his services in France he was twice Mentioned in Dispatches and received the DSO.

Aged 41

John Mowbray, Major, 41st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. kia Battle of the Somme

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

Today we remember …

Battle of the Somme

13th July 1916. Gilbert Whittet. C Social, 1910. 2nd Lt, 7th Bn, Royal West Surrey Regt. Killed in action at Trônes Wood.

At Radley he rowed for the First VIII and was a prefect. His best friend, James Freeman, was killed three months earlier. Gilbert’s parents celebrated the lives of both boys in a shared stained glass window in Chapel.

‘There is a place in the hearts of many of us for the quiet courteous unselfish boy who was killed in action on July 13th. When he left us, so short a time ago, he had risen to a position of authority in the School and had gained the affection of many, the respect of all. … the very true and very remarkable friendship which existed between him and Hutton Freeman, whom he followed so closely into the Land of Shadows. There are few of us, who knew them, who were not impressed by the lasting and unbroken sympathy between the two. Whittet and Freeman – it seems impossible to mention one name without thinking of the other. If they had done nothing else, they would have done something to show us what that most beautiful thing a ‘School-boy Friendship’ can mean in its best and truest sense.’

FROM THE COLONEL’S LETTER: I had got to know him even better than most of the Subalterns, as he was my signalling officer for some time. I personally feel his loss more than I can express in words. He always showed himself to possess all the qualities which only the very best can hope to attain, and was a most excellent officer besides being a most delightful companion. He fell gallantly leading his men in an assault across the open on a wood that is already notorious.

Aged 20

Gilbert Whittet, 2nd Lt, 7th Bn, Royal West Surrey Regt. kia Trones Wood, Battle of the Somme

Detail from the Whittet & Freeman memorial window, Radley College chapel

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

AH ‘Sam’ Hales, Captain, 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regt. kia First Battle of the Somme

Today we remember…

5th July 1916. Arthur Hoare ‘Sam’ Hales, MC. Schoolmaster. Captain, 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regt. Killed in action at Canal du Nord, Battle of the Somme.

‘Sam’ Hales was educated at Rugby and Corpus, Oxford, taking honours in moderations and in the final school of modern history. He was in the Rugby School XV of 1900, and afterwards played for the Harlequins and the Monkstown team of 1902. At Oxford he was a rowing ‘Blue’ and rowed in the 1904 and 1905 Boat Race crews. He was an extremely popular teacher at Radley where he was one of the group of young Dons who encouraged the growth of Rugby as the school’s major sport.

He enlisted immediately war was declared in August 1914, as a private. He was awarded his commission ‘for gallantry.’ He won the Military Cross in March 1915 ‘for bringing in the wounded under heavy fire.’

The Radleian published a letter from him describing everyday life in the trenches:

I have heard several times from Mr. Hales, who is sergeant in the Wiltshires. It will be news to hear that, during his first three days in the trenches, even he was absolutely dead beat, as they had to carry up sandbags to mend the gaps in the trenches. His legs absolutely gave out. On the first night he fell into a Jack Johnson hole and was not dry for a week afterwards. Nor could he use his rifle for a day and a half as it was jammed with mud. He is full of praise for the food and bully beef. He has been under heavy fire several times, but he claims to be very good at keeping his head down. When we returned this term we heard that he had been wounded, but his own account is as follows; “A graze on head and arm from a bullet that splintered through a sand bag. Both wounds quite dry by the time I left the trenches next day.’’

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

Today we remember …

First Battle of the Somme

3rd July 1916. Lancelot Curteis, G Social, 1906. 2nd Lt, 8th Bn, Border Regt. Killed in action, Battle of the Somme.

At school Lancelot Curteis played for the 1st XI Soccer team. He joined the University and Public Schools Corps in September, 1914. He obtained his commission in the Border Regiment in May, 1915, and went to France in December, 1915.

A letter from his Company Commander to his parents:

Your son was a splendid officer, and the men were simply devoted to him. He led them magnificently in our charge on the German trenches as steadily and coolly as on parade. He was shot soon after we had occupied them, fighting hard and cheerily to the last. The Commanding Officer had the greatest confidence in him. I have lost in him a personal friend, and a most efficient officer, who died, as he had lived, a very gallant gentleman.

Aged 23

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Duncan Tuck, G Social, 1907. Capt, 3rd Bn, Ox & Bucks Light Infantry. Died of wounds received on 17th June near Arras.

Duncan Tuck won a Scholarship to Radley. He went up to Hertford College, Oxford in 1912.

‘In May 1914, he joined the Special Reserve of the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, and after training at Portsmouth he was in March, 1915, attached to the 2nd Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, and was wounded in the right shoulder on April 23, when the regiment was supporting the left of the Canadians in the second battle of Ypres. Afterwards he was attached to the 5th Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, joining them on September 26, the day after they had lost many officers and men on the Menin road. He was six months in the dangerous Ypres salient, and then was moved to Arras. On June 17, while inspecting wire entanglements, he was hit in the chest and right arm when binding up the wounds of another officer.’

Aged 23

Lancelot Curteis, 2nd Lt, 8th bn Border Regt. kia 3 July 1916

Duncan Tuck, Captain, 3rd Bn, Ox & Bucks LI. Died of wounds 3 July 1916

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

The grave of Claud Heygate at Gordon Dump Cemetery. Photographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015

Today we remember …

First Battle of the Somme

2nd July 1916. Claud Heygate, C Social, 1900. Capt, 10th Bn, Yorkshire Light Infantry. Killed in action at Fricourt, Battle of the Somme.

Claude Heygate went to Sandhurst in 1904 and received his commission in the 1st Yorkshire L.I. in August, 1906.

‘At the outbreak of the war he was at the depot of the regiment, and went out with a draft from Hull in August, 1914. He was present at the battles of Marne, the Aisne, and the first battle of Ypres, when he was wounded at Lorgues. He returned to the front last month.’

Aged 30

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Lawrence Westmore, D Social, 1908. 2nd Lt, 1st Bn, Hampshire Regt. Killed in action at Beaumont Hamel, Battle of the Somme.

Lawrence Westmore was one of the best scholars of his year at school. He was a Junior Scholar who won The Richards Gold Medal, The James & Heathcote Scholarships, the Historical Essay Prize, the Worsley Prize and the Morgan Verse Prize. He left school in 1913 to take up a place at Wadham College, Oxford, for which he won an Exhibition. He achieved 1st Class in Classical Mods in 1915.

Aged 21

Claud Heygate, Captain, 10th bn Yorkshire LI. kia 2 July 1916

Lawrence Westmore, 2nd Lt, 1st bn, Hampshire Regt. kia 2 July 1916

The grave of Lawrence Westmore at Colincamps Cemetery. Photographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

Today we remember …

First Day of the First Battle of the Somme

1st July 1916. Maurice Kennard, MC, C Social, 1896. Lt-Col commanding 18th Bn, West Yorkshire Regt. Killed in action, Battle of the Somme. He was a career soldier who joined the 6th Dragoon Guards from the Militia in 1902. After holding the adjutancy of the regiment for a period from April 1910, he became Captain in 1913. While serving with the 6th Dragoon Guards in the early days of the war, he was wounded, and was mentioned in dispatches as early as October 19, 1914. Subsequently in November, 1915 he was appointed temporary major and second in command of the 13th York and Lancaster Regiment, and was afterwards transferred to the command which he was holding at the time of his death.

The history of the Regiment records: Less than a hundred yards in front of Dunmow trench they came under a heavy cross fire from machine guns firing from their right, probably from the Quadrilateral Redoubt and south of the Serre Road. Almost everyone dropped flat on their stomachs to escape this murderous scythe, except their commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel M.N. Kennard. Standing calm and erect amid the crack and whine of bullets and carrying only a walking stick he called out ‘come on boys, up you get’, turned and began to walk at an easy gait towards the enemy. The Battalion rose to their feet and followed him. As they came out of the dead ground in which their assembly trenches were dug they were additionally engaged by a rapid fire from the front. Casualties were heavy, particularly amongst the officers and including Lieutenant-Colonel Kennard, who was killed by a shell which burst close by him. Everard Wyrell. The West Yorkshire Regiment in the War 1914-1918

At school he was the Captain of the Soccer Team, and represented the school at Fives and Boxing. He won ‘Sword v Sword’ (Officers) at the Naval and Military Tournament, 1913-14

Aged 32