Fallen Officers of the Great War

No

Date Died

Surname

Forenames

Rank

Decs

Age

Cause

Country

Location/Sector

Cemetery/Memorial

Notes

Died in 1915

1

16th June

AVERY

Thomas

Capt

DCM

37

KIA

Belgium

Near "Ecole de Bienfaisance ", Ypres

Ypres Town Cemetery Extn (II.G.19)

p129   (1)

2

16th June

ELLIS

Basil Herbert

2Lt

-

20

KIA

Belgium

Near "Ecole de Bienfaisance ", Ypres

Perth Cemetery (China Wall), SE of Ypres (II.A.17)

p129   (2)

3

17th June

FRENCH

Valentine Douglas

2Lt

-

25

DOW

Belgium

DS at Dickebusch

Dickebusch Old Military Cemetery (Sp Mem)

p129   (3)

4

8th August

TAYLOR

Ronald Francis

2Lt

-

27

KIA

Belgium

"Railway Wood", east of Ypres

Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 47/49)

p134

5

24th August

BUGDEN

Robert Gordon

Lt

-

21

KIA

Belgium

Near "Ecole de Bienfaisance ", Ypres

Bedford House Cemetery Encl 2 (VI.A.72)

p134   (4)

6

25th September

BEAUMONT

Samuel George

Capt

-

37

KIA

Belgium

Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge

Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 47/49)

p135   (5)

7

25th September

CLARKE

Robert Shuttleworth

Capt

-

25

KIA

Belgium

Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge

Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 47/49)

p136

8

25th September

EGERTON

Arthur Oswald

2Lt

-

23

KIA

Belgium

Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge

Loos Memorial (Panel 98/99)

p136    (6)

9

25th September

MOULD

Charles William

Capt

-

21

KIA

Belgium

Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge

Ypres Reservoir Cemetery (XI.E.33)

p136   (7)

10

25th September

OWEN

Philip Charles

2Lt

-

19

KIA

Belgium

Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge

Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 47/49)

p136

11

25th September

SHIELDS

William Francis Waugh

Lt

-

22

KIA

Belgium

Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge

Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 47/49)

p136  

12

25th September

SMITH

Charles Cyril

2Lt

-

?

KIA

Belgium

Bellewaarde Farm, Hooge

Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial (Panel 47/49)

p136

13

27th September

HUNT

Francis Henry Walter

Capt

-

21

POW

Belgium

German CCS at Ledeghem

Harlebeke New British Cemetery (XIII.D.14)

p136   (8)

14

18th November

WARD

Alfred Claude Leonard

Capt

-

29

DOI

France

Hospital at Wimereux

Wimereux Communal Cemetery (III.M.4)

(9)

15

19th November

PARTRIDGE

Ernest William

2Lt

-

19

KIA

Belgium

Near Potijze, northeast of Ypres

Ypres Reservoir Cemetery (I.A.59)

p137

Died in 1916

16

9th January

BUTT

Richard Acton

2Lt

-

24

KIA

Belgium

South of Brielen, near Ypres

Hagle Dump Cemetery (III.C.11)

p138   (10)

17

21st January

UNDERHILL

Cyril Scott

2Lt

-

?

DOW

Belgium

CCS near Poperinghe

Ferme-Olivier Cemetery (II.J.6)

p138   (11)

18

24th August

BELLASIS

Philip Joseph

Capt

-

22

KIA

France

"Beer Trench", Delville Wood, Somme

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p142

19

24th August

ELLIOTT

Robert Chambers MacDonald

2Lt

-

23

KIA

France

"Beer Trench", Delville Wood, Somme

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p142

20

24th August

FABER

Walter Louis

Lt

-

38

KIA

France

"Beer Trench", Delville Wood, Somme

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p142

21

24th August

HOLDER

Charles Vincent

2Lt

-

31

KIA

France

"Beer Trench", Delville Wood, Somme

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p142

22

24th August

LAWRENCE

Rudolph Russell

2Lt

-

21

KIA

France

"Beer Trench", Delville Wood, Somme

Arras memorial (Bay 7)

p142   (12)

23

24th August

LLEWELLYN

John Herbert

Capt

-

28

KIA

France

"Beer Trench", Delville Wood, Somme

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p142   (13)

24

24th August

SIMPSON

Victor James

2Lt

-

?

KIA

France

"Beer Trench", Delville Wood, Somme

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p142

25

15th September

MACHELL

Maurice Irving

2Lt

-

25

KIA

France

Near Gueudecourt, Somme

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p145

26

16th September

LEE

John Arthur

2Lt

-

19

KIA

France

"Switch Trench", near Delville Wood,

Thiepval Memorial (Pier/Face 12A/12D)

p145

Died in1917

27

6th January

ONSLOW

Tom

2Lt

-

19

KIA

France

East of Agny, near Beaurains

Agny Military Cemetery (F.17)

p148

28

9th April

CHAPMAN

Joseph Robert

2Lt

-

-

KIA

France

"Telegraph Hill", south of Tilloy, Arras

Tilloy British Cemetery (III.H.3)

p153   (14)

29

9th April

GRIFFIN

Harold Samuel

2Lt

-

27

KIA

France

"Telegraph Hill", south of Tilloy, Arras

Beaurains Road Cemetery (F.51)

p153

30

9th April

LEE

Percy William

2Lt

-

?

KIA

France

"Telegraph Hill", south of Tilloy, Arras

Arras Memorial (Bay 7)

p153

31

9th April

WEBB

Arthur Pelham

2Lt

-

32

KIA

France

"Telegraph Hill", south of Tilloy, Arras

Tilloy British Cemetery (II.G.16)

p153

32

9th April

YEOMANS

Walter Joseph George

2Lt

-

20

KIA

France

"Harp Redoubt", south of Tilloy, Arras

Tilloy British Cemetery (IV.H.23)

p153   (15)

33

11th April

BURKE

Thomas Edward

Capt

-

28

DOW

France

CCS at Saulty, southwest of Arras

Warlincourt Halte British Cemetery (VII.C.6)

p153   (16)

34

25th May

GITTINS

Albert

Lt

MC

23

KIA

France

"Mallard Trench", near Wancourt

Wancourt British Cemetery (I.E.4)

p155

35

22nd August

COOKE

Cecil Pybus

2Lt

-

29

KIA

Belgium

"Glencorse Wood", near Westhoek

Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 112/113)

p159

36

17th October

JEFFREYS

Charles Wilfred

2LT

-

26

KIA

Belgium

Poezelhoek, near Polygon Wood

Tyne Cot Memorial (Panel 112/113)

p161

The Battalion was disbanded in France on 3rd February 1918

Notes:   (The numbers marked with a "p" in the Notes column refers to the page in "The History of The King's Shropshire Light Infantry in the Great War 1914 - 1918 " by Major W de B Wood, where the death of the officer is mentioned or indicated).

1.   AVERY was originally buried in a battlefield grave close to "Ecole de Bienfaisance", east of Ypres, and was reburied in Ypres Town Cemetery extension in March 1919.

2.   ELLIS was originally buried in a battlefield grave in "Gordon House Cemetery", south of "Hellfire Corner" and was reburied at Perth (China Wall) in October 1919.

3.   FRENCH was originally buried in Dickebusch Churchyard but the grave was subsequently lost.   A "Kipling Memorial" to him now stands in Dickebusch Old Military Cemetery.

4.   BUGDEN was originally buried in a battlefield grave near to "Ecole de Bienfaisance", east of Ypres, and was reburied in Bedford House Cemetery in June 1924.

5.   BEAUMONT may well have been killed, by shelling, on 24th September 1915.

6.   EGERTON should properly be commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.

7.   MOULD was originally buried in the Ypres Reservoir (Middle) British Cemetery and was reburied in the Ypres Reservoir Cemetery in September 1921.

8.   HUNT was wounded and captured by the Germans at Bellewaarde Farm on 25th September 1915.   He was originally buried in Ledeghem German Cemetery and reburied in Harlebeke British Cemetery in April 1924.

9.   WARD died of a pulmonary embolism.

10. BUTT was originally buried in a battlefield grave south of Brielen and reburied at Hagle Dump Cemetery in February 1920.

11. UNDERHILL was wounded northeast of Ypres on 20th January 1916.

12. LAWRENCE should properly be commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

13. LLEWELLYN was originally buried in a battlefield grave in Delville Wood and was reburied at Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval in January 1921.

14. CHAPMAN was originally buried in a battlefield grave at "Telegraph Hill", south of Tilloy and reburied at Tilloy British Cemetery in August 1919.

15. YEOMANS was originally buried in a battlefield grave at "Harp Redoubt", south of Tilloy and reburied at Tilloy British Cemetery in July 1919.

16. BURKE was wounded at "Telegraph Hill", south of Tilloy, Arras on 9th April 1917.

Those Officers of Other Regiments Who Died in the Great War Whilst Serving With

5th (Service) Battalion The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry)

1

20th November 1915

HASKINS

Victor Bradshaw

2Lt

-

24

KIA

Belgium

Near Potijze Wood, northeast of Ypres

Ypres Reservoir Cemetery (I.A.60)

p137   (1)

Notes:   (The numbers marked with a "p" in the Notes column refers to the page in "The History of The King's Shropshire Light Infantry in the Great War 1914 - 1918 " by Major W de B Wood, where the death of the officer is mentioned or indicated).

1.   HASKINS was detached from the East Surrey Regiment.

The 5th (Service) Battalion was formed at Shrewsbury in August 1914, as part of "K1" on a nucleus of 3 officers and 30 men detached from the 1st Battalion, under Command of Lt Col H M Smith.   The Battalion formed up at Blackdown Camp Aldershot on 27th August 1914 and was paced under command of 42nd Brigade, 14th (Light) Division.   The Battalion marched to and was billeted at Chiddingfold, Surrey, on 27th November 1914 returning to Salamanca Barracks Aldershot on 8th March 1915 to continue individual, collective and formation training for active service.   The Battalion embarked at Southampton for Boulogne on 16th May 1915 and first saw action at Ypres on 31st May 1915.   The Battalion fought with 42nd Brigade, 6th Division in France and Flanders throughout the war until 3rd February 1918 when it was ordered to disband.   GHQ had reorganised the Brigade structure, reducing Brigades from four to three Infantry Battalions.   Personnel were transferred to the 1st, 6th, 7th and 1/4th Battalions of the Regiment.

The Battalion lost 667 soldiers during the war.

The King's Light Infantry (Shropshire Regiment) was formed on 1 July 1881 as the county regiment of Herefordshire and Shropshire as part of the Childers Reforms.   It was renamed as The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) on 10 March 1882.   The Regiment was an amalgamation of the 53rd (Shropshire) Regiment of Foot and the 85th (King's Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot, which became the Regular 1st and 2nd Battalions.  The 1881 reforms also redesignated the Militia and Rifle Volunteers units within the Regimental District as Battalions of the Regiment.   Accordingly, the Shropshire Militia and Royal Herefordshire Militia became the 3rd and 4th (Militia) Battalions respectively, and the 1st and 2nd Shropshire Rifle Volunteer Corps became the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions.  The 1st Herefordshire (Herefordshire and Radnorshire) Rifle Volunteer Corps was also affiliated as a Volunteer Battalion, without change of title.   In 1908, as part of the Haldane Reforms, the two Militia Battalions were merged to form the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battalion and the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Battalions were merged to form the 4th Battalion of the Regimental Territorial Force at Longden Coleham in Shrewsbury. At the same time, the Herefordshire Rifle Volunteer Corps became independent as the Herefordshire Regiment (TF).

A detailed history of The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) can be viewed here, here, here and here.   Further reading is here - "The King's Shropshire Light Infantry 1881 - 1968":  By Shropshire Regimental Museum (Author) and Peter Duckers (Compiler).   Published in 2009 - ISBN 13 - 978-0752411934.

The History of The King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) in the Great War 1914 - 1918 (edited by Major W de B Wood) - ISBN 13: 978-1843426097 ) provides a detailed account of the Regimental battalions in the Great War.