Part 43

=CHIVAS, EDWIN JOHN=, Private, No. 27051, 15th Battn. (48th Canadian Highlanders), Canadian Expeditionary Force, _s._ of William Hay Chivas, of 74, Chisley Avenue, London, Ontario (who served for 16 years in the 3rd Battn. Gordon Highlanders and then settled in Canada), _b._ Fraserburgh, co. Aberdeen; educ. there; went to Canada with his parents in 1901; volunteered on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; left with the first Contingent in Oct.; went to the Front in Feb., and was killed in action at St. Julien, Belgium, 24 April, 1915; _unm._ Sergt. L. D. Anderson, A. Coy. 15th Battn., who was invalided back to Canada after this action, gave the following account: “I was in charge of the fort in which he was, and we retired together after being forced out by the gas fumes in the Battle of St. Julien, 24 April. Twenty or more of us lay all day under a terrible shell fire, being unconscious for most of the time, from early morning--5 o’clock--till dusk. At dusk, I being the senior, and having come to my senses, decided that we must start to gain shelter or else we should all be lost, as our breathing was coming harder and I felt I was becoming worse. I crawled over to him and braced him up, with my arms around him, telling him that we would try to get across two fields to a road; here I felt we might get water or aid. Your son’s strength had so far gone that he could walk but a very few paces and then dropped to the ground. Whether he died then or later I cannot tell you, as I, with two others, forced my way till I lay exhausted, only to be rescued by two artillerymen and brought back to life in the hospital. Your son was very much beloved by all his comrades and always was cheery and happy. We slept side by side for a long time, and so I knew him very well. When on several occasions, as I was accustomed to read from the ‘Book’ on Sundays, I forgot, your son would remind me, and our little group would sit in a quiet corner and have a quiet read of some of St. Paul or the Ninety-first Psalm. Your son was a good and true soldier.” His three brothers are all on active service, two with the Divisional Ammunition Column, and the third as a baker in the A.S.C.

=CHOLMLEY, GEORGE FRANCIS=, Lieut.-Commander, R.N., 2nd _s._ of Alfred John Cholmley, of Place Newton, Rillington, co. York, by his wife, Mary Anne, dau. of the Rev. Francis Simpson, of Foston, co. York; _b._ Place Newton, 1 Sept. 1882; educ. Summerfield’s 1893–5, and Mann’s Preparatory School for Navy 1895–7; joined the Britannia, 1897, was appointed to the Barfleur, Rear-Admiral Penrose Fitzgerald’s flagship, on the China Station in Sept. 1898, and served through the China War, for which he received the medal; was on the Niobe from Dec. 1900, to May, 1902, and after passing through Greenwich, entered the submarine service in 1903. He was serving as Sub-Lieut. with A 1 when she was sunk in 1904. On the day she was lost he had been sent to take temporary charge of another submarine, and was returning to A 1, about 4.30 p.m., when no trace of her could be found. After the A 1 was raised he was given six months’ promotion, being made Lieut. and put in command of her; afterwards commanded B, C and D boats, and from Feb. 1907, to March, 1909, served on the Bedford on the China Station, and in July of the latter year was appointed to the command of Submarine C 27. On 31 March, 1912, he was promoted Lieut.-Commander, and in May appointed to the Alecto for duty with submarines, and in 1913 received an expression of the Lords of the Admiralty’s high appreciation of the way in which he had handled his ship when towing H.M.S. Jackal into Dundee Harbour during a storm. He was given command of Submarine E 3 in June, 1914, and was killed in action in the Bight of Heligoland, 18 Oct. 1914. In Sept. he picked up a German seaplane which had been in the water for 20 hours about 30 miles off the Island of Borkum, and after destroying the remains of the seaplane he brought the officer and his mechanic as prisoners to Harwich. Lieut.-Commander Cholmley _m._ at St. Saviour’s Church, Mayfair, London, 9 Sept. 1911, Violet Penelope Munro (Hillcot, Shakespeare Road, Worthing), dau. of Robert James Trown Thomson, Indian P.W.D., by his wife, May Forbes, dau. of the Very Rev. Principal William Robinson Pirie, D.D., Aberdeen; _s.p._

=CHOLMONDELEY, CHARLES ALMERIC JOHN=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Border Regt., yr. _s._ of the late Lord Henry Vere Cholmondeley (2nd _s._ of William Henry Hugh, 3rd Marquis of Cholmondeley), by his wife, Frances Isabella Catherine, 2nd dau. of Lieut.-Col. the Hon. George Augustus Spencer [2nd _s._ of Francis Almeric, 1st Baron Churchill, and gdson. of George, 4th Duke of Marlborough]; _b._ London, 5 March, 1880; educ. Charterhouse; gazetted to the Border Regt. from the Militia, 4 April, 1900, and promoted Lieut. 4 Jan. 1902, and Capt. 23 July, 1910. In the Army Exercise at Northampton, 1913, Capt. Cholmondeley had a small command in the skeleton force under Major-General Munro, which operated so well from Daventry Heights. He was killed in action near Ypres, 28 Oct. 1914; _unm._

=CHORLEY, DUDLEY CECIL=, Assistant Paymaster, R.N.R., 2nd _s._ of Charles John Chorley, of The Grange, Woodcote Valley Road, Purley, Wine Merchant, by his wife, Florence, dau. of William John Noad: _b._ Dulwich, 7 July, 1889; educ. St. Dunstan’s College; spent several years in Chili, Peru, Bolivia, and other parts of South America; was afterwards connected with the Union-Castle Line of steamships, and became their youngest purser, being in charge of the Gloucester Castle. On the outbreak of war he joined the Royal Naval Reserve as an Assistant Paymaster, 8 Sept. 1914; was commended by the commander of his first ship, H.M.S. Royal Arthur, and after three months’ service in this cruiser was appointed Assistant Paymaster (in charge) on H.M.S. Bayano, the youngest then holding that office in His Majesty’s Fleet. The Bayano left Glasgow on a Wednesday, and was torpedoed the following morning at 5 a.m., 11 March, 1915. His body was never recovered. He was a member of the Purley Cricket and Lawn Tennis Clubs, and a good sportsman. His marriage was fixed for his next return to port.

=CHOWN, HERBERT=, Private, R.M.L.l. (R.F.R., B. 1828), 186777, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CHRISTOPHER, LEONARD DE LONA=, Capt., 40th Pathans, Indian Army, elder _s._ of Major-General Leonard William Christopher, C.B., Indian Army (retired), of Harcourt House, Camberley, by his wife, Florence, 4th dau. of the late Major-Gen. Charles Stuart Lane, C.B., and gdson. of the late Major-Gen. Leonard Raisbeck Christopher; _b._ Mansfield, Iver Heath, co. Bucks, 21 Oct. 1883; educ. Wellington College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the North Staffordshire Regt. then in India, 9 Jan. 1904; was promoted Lieut. 2 March, 1905, being the same month transferred to the Indian Army and posted to the 40th Pathans. He obtained his company 9 Jan. 1913; was Adjutant 12 April, 1911, to April, 1915, and took part in the operations in the Mohmand country (medal with clasp), 1908. On the outbreak of the European War he came home with his regt., served in France and Flanders, and was killed in action in the Second Battle of Ypres, 26 April, 1915; buried in a farm three-quarters of a mile north-east of the village of St. Jean. His colonel wrote: “The regt. was in the first line of attack, and had to cross over open ground for over 1,000 yards under a fearful fire of machine guns and shells, both front and flank.... A native officer of ours near him loosened his belt for him, and Chris said “Mehrbani” and died.... He performed his duty nobly to the end.” And a brother officer: “He was dearly loved in the regt., and died a very gallant death at the head of his men, and helped to make the regt. he loved so well famous in that reckless charge.” Capt. Christopher _m._ at East Barnet, co. Herts, 4 June, 1913, Edith Marian, 4th dau. of Albert Robinson Bulman, of Trevor Hall, East Barnet, co. Herts, late of Indian Civil Service.

=CHRYSTIE, JOHN=, Major, 3rd Battery, Medium Siege Artillery Brigade, R.G.A., 2nd _s._ of Col. George Chrystie, of Shortheath Lodge, Farnham, J.P., Supernumerary List, Indian Army, who served in the Indian Mutiny in 1858 (medal), by his wife, Helen Anne Thomasine, dau. of William Robertson Myers, Colonial Secretary, Jamaica; _b._ Mangalore, India, 9 March, 1872; educ. Surrey County School, Cranleigh, and Portsmouth Grammar School; gazetted 2nd Lieut. R.G.A. 24 July, 1891, and promoted Lieut. 24 July, 1894, Capt. 8 Nov. 1899, and Major 7 Oct. 1911, and was Adjutant in the Volunteer Forces, Nov. 1905, to March, 1907. He served in India with A Mountain Battery and R.G.A. from 1896 to 1905; was Instructor in Gunnery to the Hoogly Defences, 1901–5, and made three tours in Sierra Leone between 1907 and 1912 as Instructor in Gunnery. He left for France in command of No. 3 Battery, 1st Medium Siege Artillery Brigade, on 17 Sept. 1914; took part in the Battle of the Aisne, and on 12 Oct. was moved to the neighbourhood of Ypres. He was killed in action in the First Battle of Ypres at Zillebeke, near Ypres, on 17 Nov. 1914; and was buried in Ypres Cemetery. His colonel wrote of him: “He left behind him the lasting memorial of a shining example, of how we ought to live and die, and we shall not forget it. He came to this brigade at my invitation, stayed in it at my invitation, and so far as we all are concerned he remains in it for ever. We shall not see his like any more.” Major Chrystie was a keen sportsman, and won the Silver Spear of the Allahabad Tent Club in 1897 for pig sticking. His great-uncles, Lieut. John Chrystie, R.N., and Capt. Thomas Chrystie, R.N., served under Nelson. The former was in the Victory immediately before Trafalgar, but was transferred on promotion. The latter was at Trafalgar in the Defiance. His twin brother, Major George Chrystie, 25th Cavalry, Frontier Force, Indian Army, was killed in a raid on the North-West Frontier of India on 2 May, 1913. Major Chrystie _m._ at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, London, 15 Jan. 1913, Mignonne Muriel Maude (5, Portland Terrace, Southsea), dau. of Charles Lennox Brice Cumming, late of the Indian Civil Service, and had a dau.: Leslie Mignonne Comyn, _b._ 6 June, 1914.

=CHUDLEY, JOHN FREDERICK=, Coy. Sergt.-Major, No. 330, 1st Battn. (Royal Fusiliers), The London Regt. (T.F.), eldest _s._ of John Chudley, by his wife, Lydia, dau. of Jesse Hattam; _b._ Sydenham, 8 Sept. 1875; educ. St. Mary’s School, Brook Green, London; enlisted in the 1st Royal Fusiliers (Volunteers) in 1894, and served through the Boer war, receiving the Queen’s medal with four clasps. On the outbreak of the European War he volunteered for foreign service, and died of wounds caused by an explosion of a bomb in the trenches at Merville, 12 June, 1915, and was buried in the cemetery there. He _m._ at St. Paul’s Church, Wimbledon Park, S.W., 29 Jan. 1910, Charlotte Susannah (206, Balvernie Grove, Southfields, S.W.), yst. dau. of James Thomas Mortimer, and had one dau., Doris, _b._ 13 April, 1912. Capt. Glover wrote: “I personally have known the Sergt.-Major for nearly thirteen years, and a soldier with a keener sense of duty and a man straighter in all dealings I have never met. By his death I have lost a friend and a comrade, and one who has never failed me in any circumstances.” Besides the South African medal, Sergt.-Major Chudley had the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.

=CHURCHILL, DAVID EDWIN STANLEY=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch. 16325, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CHURCHILL, JOHN WILFRED=, L.-Corpl., No. 8109, 3rd East Yorkshire Regt., _s._ of Nehemiah Churchill; _b._ Netherton, near Dudley, 6 June, 1885; enlisted Jan. 1905, and was killed in action at Paradis, 18 Oct. 1914; _unm._

=CHUTE, CHALLONER FRANCIS TREVOR=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. Royal Munster Fusiliers, 3rd _s._ of the late Francis Blennerhassett Chute, of Chute Hall, Tralee, co. Kerry, J.P., by his wife, Cherry Herbert (22, Ashburton Road, Southsea), dau. of Norcott D’Esterre Roberts, of Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin; b. Chute Hall, Tralee, 2 April, 1885; received his commission from the Militia in the Royal Munster Fusiliers, 28 Nov. 1905 and was promoted Lieut. 9 Feb. 1908. Reported “missing” after the Battle of Mons, it was afterwards officially announced that he was killed in action near Etreux, France, 27 Aug. 1914. Capt. H. S. Jervis, the senior surviving officer of the battn., gave the following account of the fight on 27 Aug. in which Lieut. Chute met his death: “The regt. was left in a somewhat exposed position, and the orders for a withdrawal seem to have gone astray. Chute, with his guns which he handled during the day with wonderful skill, covered the withdrawal of my company at mid-day. It was pouring with rain, and with entire disregard to personal comfort, characteristic of him, he lay down in six inches of water to manipulate his guns better. The Germans were crossing the front, and he never neglected an opportunity of delaying their advance. He withdrew them from one position to another all day, forming an invaluable escort to the two field guns we had attached to us. The withdrawal continued through a village at about 5.30 p.m., and at the other side of it he came into action again, firing right down the road, on both edges of which Capt. Rawlinson’s company was withdrawing. Owing to the help of your husband’s guns the company got safely through, and rejoined the battn. The enemy were now on three sides of us, and their artillery opened fire. Chute brought his machine guns back at the gallop along the road under a positive hail of lead. It was a splendid feat, and was successfully accomplished, and once again the guns were placed in position. We were now completely surrounded, and your husband crossed the road to try to find a target to aim at. As he crossed he was shot in the right side and thigh, and fell dead. Up to the last he was cheery and full of spirits as ever; in fact, he was the life and soul of the mess. He was looked upon as the best machine gun officer of the brigade, and his work during the day only served to confirm this view. Yesterday, the 28th, the Germans allowed us to send out a burial party of our own men, and they found Chuty and buried him with the eight other officers of the regt. who were killed in a grave separate from the men. He was buried with all his personal effects on him. His heavier kit is with the regimental transport, the only part of the regt. to escape.” Lieut. Chute _m._ 29 June, 1911, Maud Emily St. Clair, only dau. of the late Edward O’Brien Hobson, of Myler’s Park, co. Wexford, and had two sons: Desmond, _b._ 10 Aug. 1913; and Challoner, _b._ 18 March, 1915.

=CLAIR, WILLIAM=, Stoker, R.N.R., 1406U, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept., 1914.

=CLAPP, ALBERT GEORGE=, Po. /16499, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=CLARE, SAMUEL JOHN=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 8218), 293806, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CLARK, EDWARD=, Private, No. 13619, 5th Battn. 2nd Infantry Brigade, Canadian Expeditionary Force. 4th _s._ of the late Edward Clark, of Morley, co. York (died 28 April, 1909), by his wife, Mary, dau. of William Walker Clark, of Morley; _b._ Morley, 8 Feb. 1888; educ. Queen Street Wesleyan School there; went to Canada about 1906, and settled first at Elkron, Manitoba, three years later moving further west to Swift Currents, Sask. He enlisted there on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, and came to England with the first Canadian contingent, arriving in Oct. After training at Salisbury during the winter he went to France in Feb. 1915, and was killed in action on Whit Monday, 24 May, 1915; _unm._ His company officer, Lieut. L. F. Page, wrote: “He has been under my command ever since the first days at Valcartier, and I got to know him very well. He was an excellent soldier, always willing, obliging and brave. His death, I know, was all he would have wished it to be. He was killed capturing a German position; his loss is greatly felt by us all. May we each die as fine a death as he did.”

=CLARK, FREDERICK JAMES=, Gunner, No. 57600, Royal Field Artillery, _s._ of James Clark, of 2, Philip Street, Bath; _b._ Tiverton, Bath, 2 Feb. 1891; educ. there; enlisted in May, 1909; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and was killed in action at Ypres, 31 Oct. 1914; _unm._ His brother is now (1916) serving with the 4th Somersets.

=CLARK, HENRY WILLIAM=, Rifleman, No. 2612, 17th Battn. (Poplar and Stepney Rifles) The London Regt., 3rd _s._ of Frederick Clark, of 42, Goldsmith Road, Hackney, by his wife, Elizabeth, dau. of Charles Callan; _b._ Bethnal Green, 19 May, 1893; educ. Haggerston; enlisted 3 Sept. 1914, was killed in the trenches 10 Nov. 1915, and was buried behind Lone Tree, near Hulluch, Loos; _unm._ Lieut. W. A. Clarke wrote that “He was always a good and devoted soldier, and did his duty splendidly.” And his comrades, in a joint letter of sympathy sent to his mother, said: “Owing to heavy rain the hole in the side of the trench in which he used to sleep when off duty collapsed, and he was buried under the heap of earth, although we made every effort to dig him out; but I am sorry to say he had passed away before we achieved our task. He was buried behind the old German line in front of Loos, which we captured in our recent attack, and a little wooden cross now marks the spot where he now lies in rest.”

=CLARK, JOHN=, Stoker, Petty Officer (R.F.R., Ch. B. 4915), 279038, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=CLARK, NELLIE=, Sister, a nursing member of Lady Ralph Paget’s Serbian Relief Expedition, dau. of Thomas Clark, of Bilsley, Alford, co. Lincoln, by his wife, Elizabeth, dau. of James Tammos, of Hardley, Norfolk; _b._ Cumberworth, 6 March, 1888; educ. Bilsby County School; and was a private nurse, having passed all degrees. She joined Lady Ralph Paget’s first unit for Serbia, in Oct. 1914, and died at Skopje, Serbia, 25 Dec. 1914, of septic poisoning, contracted while performing her duty, and was buried there. Lady Ralph Paget wrote: “She was the best nurse we had, and was so very sweet and gentle that she was loved by every one who had the honour of knowing her. As for the wounded men she nursed they simply adored her, and it was touching to see their grief when they heard of her death.”

=CLARK, OWEN WALTER=, Regimental Sergt.-Major, No. 5289, 2nd Battn. The Royal Scots, _s._ of Walter Clark, by his wife, Mary, dau. of (--) Humphreys, of Bow; _b._ at Bow, 30 Oct. 1877; educ. Bromley-by-Bow; enlisted in the 1st Royal Scots at Chatham in 1895, and after a short time at Edinburgh, and some years at the depot, Glencorse, was in 1903 drafted to the 2nd Battn., then at Kamptee, India. He returned from India in Oct. 1905, and on the occasion of the visit of the King and Queen to Edinburgh Castle in 1911 was, with three other N.C.Os., placed in charge of the Regalia. He also carried the new Colours which His Majesty presented to the battn. at Holyrood Palace on this occasion. The following year he was Worshipful Master of the Regimental Masonic Lodge, “Unity, Peace and Concord.” When war broke out he was Q.M. Sergt., and left Crownhill, Plymouth, with the 2nd Battn. for the Front on 13 Aug. 1914. He was granted first class Warrant rank, and promoted Regimental Sergt.-Major in Dec. 1914; was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 17 Feb. 1915, for gallant and distinguished service in the field, and was killed in action at Hooge, 14 July, 1915, within nine months of completing 21 years with the Colours. He had been presented with the Good Conduct Medal by General Sir H. Smith-Dorrien at Crownhill in 1913, and numerous letters from his officers show that he had made himself beloved and respected by all ranks. Sergt.-Major Clark _m._ at Walthamstow Parish Church, 5 May, 1900, Alice Maud Mary (735, High Road, Leyton, Essex), dau. of Edward Carr, of Leyton, Essex, and had four children: Percy, _b._ 13 March, 1901; Roland, _b._ 17 Oct. 1902; Ivy, _b._ 26 Sept. 1906; and Marjorie, _b._ 12 Sept. 1910.

=CLARK, THOMAS WILLIAM=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 9966, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=CLARKE, ALBERT=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch. 14643, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=CLARKE, ALGERNON PERCY=, 2nd Lieut., 1/23rd Battn. The London Regt. (T.F.), 2nd and elder surviving _s._ of Joseph Percy Clarke, of 14, Hans Court, S.W., formerly of Buenos Ayres, M.Inst.C.E., by his wife, Elizabeth, dau. of the late Edward Glover; _b._ Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic, 8 July, 1894; educ. at Marlborough College, and at the outbreak of war was an undergraduate at Pembroke College, Cambridge. From the O.T.C. Cambridge, he received his commission as 2nd Lieut. Territorial Force as from 29 Aug. 1914. He at once joined the 1st/23rd London Regt., and, volunteering for foreign service, trained with his regt. until 14 March, 1915, when they embarked for France. He went through a course of machine-gun instruction at St. Omer, France, and was made machine gun officer to his battn. After several months in the trenches he was badly wounded in both legs on 21 July, by a German shell which burst in the room where he and two other officers were resting, south of La Bassee, and he died on 24 July, 1915, at No. 1 Casualty Clearing Station, and was buried in the new cemetery at Chocques, France. Writing to his father, Lieut.-Col. Streatfield said: “I pray that you may be able to derive some comfort from the knowledge of how splendidly your boy has done since he has been out here. We all loved him, and the men of his platoon would have done just anything in the world he asked them to. By his good heartedness and cheeriness he had endeared himself to them in a way it has been the lot of few men to do.” Lieut.-Col. Lord Herbert A. M. Douglas Scott, D.S.O. (formerly commanding 1/23rd The London Regt.), wrote from the War Office, 29 July, 1915: “Your son was doing so extremely well under my command and I heard from Lieut.-Col. Streatfield the same good account of his work. Your loss is the country’s loss also.” His brother, Harold Percy, of the Rifle Brigade, was killed on 9 May, two and a-half months earlier (see his notice).