Part 58

=DAY MAURICE CHARLES=, Lieut. 13th Rajputs, Indian Army, eldest _s._ of the Very Rev. Maurice William Day, Dean of Waterford, by his wife, Katherine Louisa Frances, dau. of Charles Garfit, and grandson of the late Right Rev. Maurice Day, Bishop of Cashel; _b._ The Palace, Waterford, 26 Feb., 1891; educ. Aravon, Bray (1902–5), Marlborough College (1905–10, Foundation Scholarship, Senior Scholarship, Leaving Exhibition), and Trinity College, Cambridge (1910–13, Exhibition, T.C. 1910; Senior Scholarship, T.C. 1913; Bell’s University Scholarship, 1912; Wrangler, B.A. 1913); and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the unattached list for the Indian Army, 5 Sept. 1913, to rank as from 5 Sept. 1911, being awarded six months’ seniority for his University honours in addition to 18 months as a University candidate. He was attached to the Royal West Kent Regt. for his first year and was stationed at Multan and Dalhousie. He was promoted Lieut. 28 Sept. 1914 (to rank from 5 Dec. 1913), and the same day joined his Indian regt., the 13th Rajputs. They started on Active Service the day after he joined and left Bombay with the Expeditionary Force for East Africa on 16 Oct. He fell in action at Tanga, German East Africa 3 Nov. 1914, the morning they landed. Lieut.-Col. Stewart wrote: “The Commandant, Lieut.-Col. H. W. Codrington, and the Adjutant, Capt. R. Clothier, and Major B. Corbett were all hit at the same time and place. Your son was buried by the Germans subsequently. Mr. Day joined us before we came on service, and when we landed was acting as Brigade Transport Officer. During the short time he was with us, we realised what a keen and promising officer he was. There can be no doubt that he would have made a name for himself, and that soon”; and Lieut.-Col. H. W. Codrington: “First I must tell you that your son, although he only joined the regt. on the day before we started from Agra, had become a great favourite, and that his loss is very keenly felt by all. It was a great blow to me personally, as I had taken a great fancy to him. Professionally he was a most exceptionally able, keen and promising young officer.... His brother officers would very much like if we may put up a small memorial brass to the memory of your son in your church. We shall be so glad if you will allow us to do this.” Capt. Cole also wrote: “Your son was in my double company and I was with him when he was killed. Colonel Codrington, the Adjutant, your son, and myself had just got on to a small hillock to have a look round when a machine gun opened on us at close range and the first three named went down instantaneously. Your son was killed outright. I cannot tell you how very deeply we mourn his loss, for although he had been with us such a short time we knew him for a brave, capable and resourceful boy.” Previous to joining the Army he had worked in the Trinity Mission at Camberwell, and the Vicar of St. George’s there (the Rev. H. G. D. Latham) wrote: “Your son when at Trinity was one of those who would not be content simply to get the best out of life for ourselves. He came here to do hard Mission work among our people and to share with those who had not had his privileges whatever of the Cambridge spirit can be shared by a simple and sincere friendliness, and so he has helped to sweeten life for many and to make the strained relations between class and class easier, and he has helped on the good Cambridge tradition of coming to South London. There are many here who will feel his loss as a personal blow, while they will be proud to have had his friendship.” He was _unm._

=DAY, REGINALD CHARLES WILLIAM=, Canteen Assistant, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=DAY, THOMAS=, S.P.O. (R.F.R., B. 7958), 292498, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=DAYSH, FREDERICK ARTHUR GEORGE=, Private, No. 8989, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards; served with the Expeditionary Force in France; reported missing, 14 Sept. 1914.

=DEACON, STANLEY DOUGLAS=, Gunner, Immed. Class, R.M.A. (R.F.R., 37), 9576, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=DEACON, WILLIAM JAMES=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 1386), 191882, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=DEADMAN, CHARLES WILLIAM=, Corpl., No. 18611, 12th (Service) Battn. Highland L.I., eldest _s._ of Charles Deadman, of 48, Grove Road, Shoeburyness, Brickmaker, by his wife, Sarah Ann, dau. of Philip Moss; _b._ Great Wakering, co. Essex, 28 Dec. 1894; educ. Shoeburyness Village School; was a bricklayer’s labourer; enlisted 9 Sept. 1914; went to France early in July, and was killed in action during the advance at Loos, 26 Sept. 1915; _unm._

=DEAN, ALBERT HENRY=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 17103, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=DEAN, CHARLES ALFRED=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., 2758), 283360, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=DEAN, HORACE EDGAR=, Electrical Artificer, 1st Class, 345055, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept, 1914.

=DEAN, WILLIAM HUGH=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 3924), 179131, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=DEAR, JOHN=, Leading Stoker (R.F.R. Ch. B. 4482), 279327, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=DEARDEN, HERBERT=, Private, No. 11435, 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Herbert Dearden, of 9, Peel Street, Broomhill, by his wife, Alice, dau. of the late John Hill, of Sheffield; _b._ Broomhill, Sheffield, 8 Sept. 1884; educ. Council School there; enlisted at Sheffield, 4 Sept. 1914, and died of wounds received in action at Bethune, 10 May, 1915; _unm._

=DEASE, MAURICE JAMES, V.C.=, Lieut., 4th Battn. Royal Fusiliers, only _s._ of Edmund Fitzlaurence Dease, of Culmullen, Drumree, co. Meath, J.P., and grandson of James Arthur Dease, of Turbotston, J.P., D.L., Vice-Lieut. of Cavan; _b._ Gaulstown, Coole, co. Westmeath, 28 Sept, 1889; educ. Frognal Park, Hampstead, Stonyhurst College (1903), Army College, Wimbledon, and Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 27 May, 1910, promoted Lieut. 19 April, 1912, and on the outbreak of war proceeded with his regt. to France. On 23 Aug. 1914, Lieut. Dease, who was Machine Gun Officer, was in command of the section placed to protect the crossing of a bridge at Nimy, north of Mons. During the action his position was heavily shelled by the enemy, all his men being either killed or incapacitated; he was several times seriously wounded, but refused to leave the guns, remaining near and working them until he fell mortally wounded. For this he was specially mentioned in F.M. Sir John French’s Despatch of 7 Sept, and was awarded the Victoria Cross (16 Nov. 1914), the first officer to receive this distinction in the war. The action is thus officially described: “Though two or three times badly wounded, he continued to control the fire of his machine guns at Mons on 23 Aug. until all his men were shot. He died of his wounds.” His commanding officer wrote: “Lieut. Dease was wounded, and man after man of his detachment was hit. He appears to have received a second wound after neglecting a first wound in the leg; taking a little time to recover, he managed to return to the gun and kept it in action. He was then incapacitated by a third wound. Thus his conduct was heroic indeed, and of the greatest service in delaying the crossing of the enemy, which it was our object, in accordance with orders to effect.... I have brought his conspicuous gallantry to notice.”

=CHAMPION DE CRESPIGNY, CLAUDE NORMAN=, Lieut., 2nd (Queen’s Bays) Dragoon Guards, 5th and yst. _s._ of Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, of Champion Lodge, Maldon, co. Essex, 4th Bart., by his wife, Georgiana Louisa Margaret, dau. of the late Robert McKerrell, Cadet of Hillhouse; _b._ Southsea, 14 June, 1888; educ. Hawtry’s, Westgate-on-Sea, and Cheltenham; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 1st Dragoon Guards, 2 Feb. 1907; promoted Lieut. 1 Jan. 1908, and transferred to the Queen’s Bays, 12 Nov. 1910. He acted as A.D.C. to General Allenby during the Army Manœuvres of 1913, and on the outbreak of war went to France with the Expeditionary Force. He was killed in action at Nèry, near Compiégne, France, 1 Sept. 1914. “The Brigade was hotly engaged, and on the Bays fell the brunt of the fighting on 1 Sept. Norman, with a few men, was holding an important tactical point, and he held it till every man was killed or wounded. No man could have done more, few would have done so much,” wrote General Allenby. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 4 Dec. 1914, for gallant and distinguished service in the field. A brilliant horseman and polo player, and a former Master of the Aldershot Beagles; he was very handy with the gloves, having boxed in the Army Championships both at home and in India. While at Sandhurst he won that much coveted trophy “The Saddle,” and was champion swimmer at Hawtrey’s. Lieut, de Crespigny _m._ in London, 7 Sept. 1913, Rose Olive, only dau. of Capt. Albert Edward Gordon, Roberts’ Horse, and a grandniece of General Gordon, of Khartoum; _s.p._

=DEED, JOHN CYRIL=, Capt., Royal Marine L.I., 3rd _s._ of the Rev. John George Deed, D.D., Vicar of Nuneaton, co. Warwick, Canon of Coventry and Rural Dean of Atherstone, by his wife Elizabeth, dau. of William Snowdon Gard, of Hampstead; _b._ St. Albans, co. Herts, 22 May, 1876; educ. St. Albans Grammar School, and Greenwich College; gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the Royal Marines, 1 Feb. 1894; promoted Lieut. 1 Jan. 1895, and Capt. 10 Oct. 1900. He served in H.M. ships Alexandra, 16 Jan. 1896–17 Jan. 1897, Coast Guard; Royal Arthur, Wallaroo, and Katoomba, 4 Feb. 1898–6 June, 1901, Australian Station; Minotaur, 20 June, 1902–19 Dec. 1902, Portland; and Vulcan, 22 Dec. 1902–5 Feb. 1905, and Suffolk, 6 Feb. 1905–18 Dec. 1905, Mediterranean Station; when he retired and joined the Reserve of Officers. He subsequently went to British Columbia, and on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, he was asked to raise and command the 1st East Kootenay (Fernie) Contingent. He trained and commanded this till Sept. 1914, when he was ordered to return to England. He rejoined his old corps at Deal, 10 Oct. 1914, and was posted to H.M.S. Formidable, 16 Nov. 1914, and was lost when that ship was torpedoed in the Channel, 1 Jan. 1915; _unm._

=DEIGHTON, FREDERICK HAMILTON= (“Jackie”), Lieut., 1st Battn. King’s Own Scottish Borderers, eldest _s._ of Hamilton Deighton, Superintendent Imperial Police, Burmah, by his wife, Janet, dau. of the late Col. John Robertson, of Liddington Hall, Guildford, C.I.E.; _b._ Akyab, Burmah, 10 Sept. 1892; educ. Bedford Grammar School and Berkhamstead, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He passed out of the latter in two terms, and was gazetted 2nd Lieut., 4 Sept. 1912, and posted to the 1st Battn. at Lucknow, and was promoted Lieut., 15 Nov. 1914. While in India he passed his signalling course at Kasauli and a transport class with honours, and received “D” Certificate. On the outbreak of war the battn. was sent to Egypt and then to Rugby, where he passed the one-man range finder, the Vickers new machine gun, and the explosives of bomb throwing courses. The Scottish Borderers afterwards formed part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, and took part in the landing at Y beach, Gallipoli, on 25–26 April, 1915. Deighton was shot through the lung in the big advance on 4 June, and was taken to Malta, where he died in the hospital of the Blue Sisters on 18 June, 1915; _unm._

=DELAMAIN, HENRY CRESWELL=, 2nd Lieut., 3rd Battn. Dorsetshire Regt., eldest _s._ of George Creswell Delamain, of Devona, Lymington, Hants, formerly a Cattle Ranchman in Mexico, by his wife, Annie Rosabel, yst. dau. of the late William Robinson Hill, of Lymington, M.D., and cousin of Major-Gen. W. S. Delamain, C.B., D.S.O.; _b._ San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A., 19 Aug. 1896; educ. King’s School, Bruton, co. Somerset; joined the O.T.C. at the age of 13, and on the outbreak of war applied for a commission and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 3rd Dorsets, 19 Oct. 1914. He was severely injured while on active duty at Boscombe on Friday, 16 April, 1915, and died the next day in the Royal Boscombe and West Hants Hospital. His machine skidded on the tram lines and threw him under a passing motor car. The Bruton School magazine, “The Dolphin,” said: “There were two points about him which deserve record. One was his intense keenness alike in school and the playing field. The second was his extraordinary popularity. We shall never forget the ovation which his name evoked last Corpus Christi, the spontaneous testimony of his schoolfellows to the sterling qualities and natural charm which endeared him to all. That those qualities were fully appreciated by his regt. was shown by the testimony given to him by his Colonel and by the great gathering of brother officers at his funeral, which took place with full military honours at Lymington.”

=DELANEY, ERNEST=, Corpl., No. 1414, 3rd Battn. The Royal Scots, 3rd _s._ of Christopher Delaney, Band Sergt., 1st Somerset L.I., by his wife, Annie, dau. of James Richard Weaver and Elizabeth (42, Penrose Street, North Road, Plymouth), his wife; _b._ Plymouth, 25 Oct. 1886; educ. St. James-the-Less Church School, Millbay there; was an engineer for tugboats, Queensbury, Scotland; enlisted 5 Sept. 1914; went to the Front, 7 April, 1915, and was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 26 May, 1915; _unm._

=DELÉPINE, HELENUS GEORGE SHERIDAN=, M.Sc., 2nd Lieut., D Coy., 3rd (Reserve) Battn. Duke of Cornwall’s L.I., only _s._ of Sheridan Delépine, of York Place, Rusholme, Manchester, and 15, Well Walk, Hampstead, N.W., M.B., M.Sc., Professor of Public Health at Manchester University, by his wife, Florence, dau. of Frederic Rose; _b._ Chapel Place, Cavendish Square, London, 21 Oct. 1888; educ. Woodlands School, Manchester, spent a year in Geneva studying languages, and entered the University of Manchester in 1907, where he was one of the ablest of an exceptionally capable set of men in the Honours School of Engineering and took a good place in the final examination. After graduating in 1910, he went to Canada in order to gain further experience, and for one session was a Demonstrator in Engineering at McGill University. During this time he undertook, under the direction of Prof. MacKay, an elaborate investigation into the stress distribution of a certain type of built-up column. In April, 1911, he accepted a post as Assistant Engineer in the office of Messrs. Waddell and Harrington, of Kansas City, and became Principal Assistant in the Estimating Department. In 1903 he returned to Manchester, having been appointed Junior Instructor in Drawing and Demonstrator in the Engineering Department of the University. Whilst here he assisted Prof. Petavel in some of the experimental work carried out for the Home Office Department Committee on the “Humidity and Ventilation of Spinning Sheds.” Some of the results of this work are embodied in the two papers he submitted in support of his application for the degree of M.Sc., which he obtained in 1914. During this period he received a commission as 2nd Lieut. in the O.T.C., which he joined as a Private in 1908, while at Manchester University, and did much valuable work for the corps. Always keen on gaining more experience, he accepted in the summer of 1914 a post as Assistant Engineer in the airship department of Messrs. Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness. In Aug. of 1914 he was in camp with the O.T.C., and at the outbreak of war immediately volunteered for Active Service. For a time he was detained in Manchester assisting in the general training work of the corps, but while in camp at Mobberley he received his commission in the Special Reserve, was appointed to the 3rd Battn. Duke of Cornwall’s L.I., Sept. 1914, and went to Falmouth for training. In Jan. he was sent to Northern France, where he was mortally wounded in action, in trenches near Ypres, on 16 April, 1915; _unm._ “We had been in the trenches,” says Private C. Lonworth, his servant, in a letter, “just one day, and about a quarter to midnight on the 16th he was sitting in the trench filling his pipe and talking and he suddenly stood up, saying, ‘I’m hit.’ So we found out where he was hit and bandaged him up. They got him down to the hospital with as little delay as possible, and when the doctor saw him he said he didn’t think he would live long, so I stopped in a little room next to him all day. He seemed to brighten up about mid-day, but he went off again and died at 4.45 p.m. on the 17th.... He was a good officer to his men.... I have lost a good master, he was a thorough gentleman....” The Manchester University Magazine for 24 June, 1915, affirmed of him: “As an officer his officer commanding found him ‘excellent, cheerful and full of go and life.’ He was very keen on his work, took an intense interest in his platoon, was very patient with recruits and ever ready to be of service to any who sought his help. In his profession he had already done good work in both academic and practical spheres. He was a hard and conscientious worker, keenly appreciative of new ideas in design and organisation, and would without doubt have attained to a considerable position in engineering.” Brig.-Gen. J. S. Maude, commanding 14th Infantry Brigade, wrote to his father: “Your son had done such splendid work with his fine regt., and it does seem sad that such a promising career should have been so all too soon cut short.... He set a fine example of courage and devotion to duty to those serving under him.”

=DELLER, HARRY GEORGE=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 1854), 192696, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=DELMEGE, CLAUDE PHILIPPE=, Midshipman, R.N. 3rd and yst. _s._ of Alfred Gideon Delmege. M.V.O, Hon. Surgeon to His Majesty the King, Deputy-Inspector-General of Hospitals and Fleets, R.N., by his wife, Mary Elizabeth. dau. of the Right Hon James Anthony Lawson, Judge of the High Court; _b._ Southsea, 15 March, 1898, entered the Navy as a cadet at Osborne in Jan. 1911, became Midshipman August, 1914, was appointed to His Majesty’s ship Cressy the same month: and was lost in the North Sea 22 Sept. 1914, when that ship was torpedoed by a German submarine.

=DELMEGE, JAMES O’GRADY=, Lieut., 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards, 2nd _s._ of Capt. James O’Grady Delmege, of Castle Park, co. Limerick, J.P., D.L., late South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry and South Irish Horse, by his wife, Caroline, dau. and co-heir of Marmaduke Coghill Cramer, of Rathmore, Kinsale, D.L.; _b._ Limerick, 18 March, 1891; educ. Clifton, Bath College (where he took, when 14 years of age, 60_l._ and 40_l._ Scholarships, open to all schools), and Trinity College, Dublin; and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 4th Dragoon Guards, 23 Jan. 1914, and promoted Lieut. 15 Nov. following. After the outbreak of war he went to France with the Expeditionary Force and was appointed Assistant Adjutant, and put on the Headquarters Staff. On 24 May, 1915, the 4th Dragoon Guards, after a long spell in the trenches, were relieved by the 18th Hussars, but Lieut. Delmege was left behind to instruct the 18th in the plan of the trenches. During the night and early morning they were heavily gassed by the enemy, and he succumbed to gas poison, on 27 May, 1915. He was buried at Bailleul; _unm._ Numerous letters received from all ranks testify to the estimation he was held in. Major C. Hunter wrote: “I personally had a high opinion of his prospects as a cavalry officer”; and Lieut. E. G. Warlock, 4th Dragoon Guards: “He has left behind him a splendid name, being so popular with all who knew him, not only officers, but N.C.Os. and men. He was an officer of great promise, and had it not been for his untimely death ‘In Action,’ would have had an illustrious future.” Sergt. W. Jones, 4th Dragoon Guards, also wrote: “Lieut. Delmege was picked up unconscious. I was very sorry to hear of his death, as he was a brave young officer, so cheerful and patient with all ranks, and I know he will be missed by all, especially our Rugby team as he was a fine sportsman, and took a great interest in his troop, and we were very sorry when he was transferred from his troop to Head Quarters.” Lieut. C. Jackson, York and Lancaster Regt.: “The last time I saw him, he was going on in front with a patrol to find out where their place in trenches was, in order to lead the regt. up after dark, he was in such good spirits, and I am sure enjoyed every minute of the war”; and Capt. R. D). Brownson, R.A.M.C.: “Being in hospital with some of the regt., I thought you would like to hear what a very high opinion they all seem to have had of him. He was so popular, and such a good officer, in fact he was kept specially to go up into any special trench or take any special message, because he could always be trusted to get there, ‘Somehow.’”

=DENHAM, FRED=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 15731 (Ports.), H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=DENHAM, WILLIAM=, Petty Officer, R.N., 1st _s._ of William Denham, of 2, Paradise Place, Stockton-on-Tees, by his wife, Jane A., dau. of Henry Lambert; _b._ Stockton-on-Tees, 10 Oct. 1886; educ. Secondary School there; joined the Navy in 1903, and served in both the Home and Mediterranean Fleets, receiving while with the latter the Messina medal from the King of Italy, for services rendered during the earthquake there. He passed his qualifying examination for Warrant Officer 30 Nov. 1914, and was killed in action, going down with H.M.S. Formidable, when that ship was sunk by a German submarine, 1 Jan. 1915; _unm._