Flanders & France (Western Front)

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1
The grave of Cyril Holland at St Vaast Cemetery. Photographed for 'Marching in Memory' for Combat Stress, July 2015

The grave of Cyril Holland at St Vaast Cemetery. Photographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015

Today we remember …

9th May 1915.  Today we remember two Radleians who fell on the Western Front.Cyril Holland (born Cyril Wilde), E Social 1898.  Captain, Royal Field Artillery. Killed in action at the Battle of Aubers Ridge, probably at Festubert. His brother, Vyvyan, believed that Cyril endeavoured to compensate for his father (Oscar’s) disgrace by his own courage in battle.  Cyril and Vyvyan Wilde were sent to different schools after their father’s imprisonment in Reading Gaol, and their names changed to ‘Holland’ to conceal their identities.  The name of Cyril’s father was omitted from the Radley Register until 1947.  We do not know whether his school friends or teachers knew the tragic story of Cyril Wilde’s family

Cyril Holland (nee Wilde) in the Prefects' group photo 1902

Cyril Holland (nee Wilde) in the Prefects’ group photo 1902

Lt Robert Woodward, South Wales Borderers. kia 9 May 1915

Lt Robert Woodward, South Wales Borderers. kia 9 May 1915

  Robert Woodward, A Social 1891. Lt, South Wales Borderers. He is recorded in Radley Register as ‘killed in action at Richebourg l’Avoué in an unknown engagement’.  This was originally thought to be during the 2nd Battle of Ypres, but recent research by his family has identified it as Aubers Ridge. He studied Natural Sciences at Oxford, then became a barrister, member of the Inner Temple in 1904.

The battle in which he (and I see poor Cyril Holland) died coincided in time with Second Ypres but was not part of that German assault. Instead it was part of British effort to help the French further south and it is properly called The Battle of Aubers Ridge. Robert’s records reveal he was promoted Captain just before his death and that he led A Company, 1st Battalion SWB. They took terrible casualties in a battle which, measuring losses against men engaged, was the worst yet for a British offensive.  (Information from Alan Weir, family member, 18 October 2016)
Believed to be the grave of Robert Woodward at Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner,Cuinchy. Photographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015. The family added the inscription “He set his face stedfastly” (See Luke, Chapter 9, Verse 51).

Believed to be the grave of Robert Woodward at Guards Cemetery, Windy Corner,Cuinchy. Photographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015. The family added the inscription “He set his face stedfastly” (See Luke, Chapter 9, Verse 51).

 

 

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

Today we remember …

On 4th May 1915, William Schreiber, G Social 1900, died of wounds received in the Second Battle of Ypres. He was a Lieutenant with the Canadian Expeditionary Force, serving in the mechanical transport division of the Canadian Army Service Corps stationed at the 1st Canadian Ammunition Park. He came from a military family: both his father and grandfather held the rank of colonel. He left Radley in 1902 and emigrated to Canada before 1910. He was married twice: first to Marie in 1910, and then to Gabrielle in 1914. We knew nothing more about his life until a researcher sent this note in 2013:
‘It is the case that my grandfather and two others – including William Eric Brymer Schreiber – set up Britain’s first motor car agency selling Ford cars in the early 1900s.’ – information supplied by Robin Thornton, 1st June 2013So he was probably using his skills and interest in cars to serve the war effort.

Lt WE Schreiber, Canadian Expeditionary Force. Died of wounds on 4th May 1915

Lt WE Schreiber, Canadian Expeditionary Force. Died of wounds on 4th May 1915

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

The grave of Arthur Lonsdale at Rue Petillon Cemetery. Phptographed for 'Marching in Memory' for Combat Stress, July 2015

The grave of Arthur Lonsdale at Rue Petillon Cemetery. Phptographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015

Today we remember …

13th March 1915.  Arthur Lonsdale, F Social 1905.  Lt, 2nd Bn, Royal Scots Fusiliers.  Died of wounds received on 10th March in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle.

At Radley he was Captain of Rackets and Fives. Before the War he had planned to enter the priesthood.

Aged 23

Arthur Lonsdale, Lt, 2nd Bn, Royal Scots Fusiliers. Died of wounds, 13 March 1915

Arthur Lonsdale, Lt, 2nd Bn, Royal Scots Fusiliers. Died of wounds, 13 March 1915

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

The grave of Leonard Hardy at Gorre Cemetery. Photographed for 'Marching in Memory' for Combat Stress, July 2015

The grave of Leonard Hardy at Gorre Cemetery. Photographed for ‘Marching in Memory’ for Combat Stress, July 2015

Today we remember …

11th February 1915.  Leonard Hardy, G Social 1909.  Lt, 2nd Bn, Worcestershire Regt. Killed in action in an unknown engagement in France.

Leonard Hardy was the first Old Radleian to fall who had been a boy at the school when the Warden, E Gordon Selwyn, took up his post in 1913. The Warden spoke about him in Chapel: ‘The first thing which strikes me, I think, as I recall him, was that he was one whom you could always absolutely trust… pray also for this School, that God may send us many like him.’

Leonard Hardy, Lt, 2nd Bn, Worcestershire Regt. kia 11 February 1915

Leonard Hardy, Lt, 2nd Bn, Worcestershire Regt. kia 11 February 1915

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

Today we remember …

15th January 1915.  [William] Vyvian Douglas-Jones, B Social 1908.  2nd Lt, 33rd Battery, 33rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.  He was a career officer who gained his commission at Woolwich:‘as observation officer of his battery, was taking a new subaltern round to see the observation posts, when a sniper from a house fired and knocked him over. His companion, with the help of two soldiers, under heavy fire, carried him to a farm and dressed his wounds. “I have never known a more willing worker or a more gallant boy; we were a very happy family in this battery, and his place will not easily be filled. He was always absolutely fearless and indifferent to bullets, so much so that we frequently had to warn him not to get into unnecessary danger. But on the occasion on which the bullet found him there was no rashness, he was doing a needful thing quietly in the usual manner. He could not have died better. It is a vile kind of fighting when we keep losing our best with little apparently to show for it, but it is the work of such boys which has made us hold the enemy back, and his life went gallantly in doing his best.”

Aged 20

WV Douglas-Jones, 2nd Lt, 33rd Battery, 33rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. kia 15 January 1915

WV Douglas-Jones, 2nd Lt, 33rd Battery, 33rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. kia 15 January 1915

Commemorating the Fallen of WW1

Today we remember …

19th December 1914.  Leonel Pringle, B Social 1894. He attended Sandhurst.  Captain, 1st Bn, Highland Light Infantry.  Member of the Royal Victorian Order. Died from wounds received in an unknown engagement in France.  Aged 34

Leonel Pringle, Captain, 1st Bn Highland LI. Died from wounds 19 December 1914

Leonel Pringle, Captain, 1st Bn Highland LI. Died from wounds 19 December 1914