Part 81

=GILBERT, WILFRED VALENTINE=, Sub-Lieut., Royal Naval Division, 3rd _s._ of the late John Brettell Gilbert, of Longfleet House, Poole, co. Dorset, formerly of Chadwick Manor, co. Warwick, by his wife, Sara Elizabeth (Ferndene, Parkstone, co. Dorset), dau. of John Suckling; _b._ Abergwynant, Dolgelly, North Wales, 2 March, 1889; educ. Eastmans, Southsea; and when War broke out, was a member of the staff of the Rio Tinto Co. in Spain. He immediately returned to England and was given a commission in the Royal Naval Division, 7 Oct. 1914, and joined the Nelson Battn. He was with the first party to land in Gallipoli, 25 April, 1915, and was four times wounded whilst carrying ammunition to the firing line, and was killed in action at the Dardanelles, 4 June, 1915, whilst superintending the digging of a trench linking up the firing line of the Naval Division and the 42nd Division, the enemy trench at that time being about 250 yards distant, and about 1,200 yards S.S.W. of Achi Baba, or about ... S.S.E. of Krithia. On this occasion they had gallantly gone to the support of the Lancashire Division, which had advanced further ahead and now found itself exposed to an enfilade fire. The Nelson men got between the enfilading Turks, and the right of the Lancashire Division joined up the line and dug themselves in under fire on a front of about 500 yards. The trench was completed that night, and was for a time a permanent force of our front line. He was buried in the rear of this position in a small burial ground at the back of the Reserve Trenches; _unm._ His Commanding Officer, Lieut.-Col. Evelegh, wrote of him, and of his brother, Sub-Lieut. Robert Evelyn Gilbert, who was severely wounded: “The loss of these two good officers was a severe blow to the battn. I always said W. V. had a charmed life. He was wounded through the nose on the 3rd May. On the 1st June he had a very narrow escape, a large shell bursting within a few yards of him. I am glad to say he was unhurt. On the morning of the 4th June he was shot through the head whilst superintending some work in the firing line. His death was almost instantaneous.” He was very fond of painting, and exhibited several of his pictures in Spain. His seven brothers are all serving. Commander Archibald Gilbert, R.N., has specialised in gunnery and is at present on Sir Percy Scott’s Staff for the Defence of London; 2nd. Lieut. Vivian Gilbert, Machine-gun Corps, is at the Front; Lieut. Robert Evelyn Gilbert, R.N.V.R., was seriously wounded in Gallipoli, since recovery transferred to the Admiralty; Lieut. Gilbert Richard Gilbert, R.N.R., in command of H.M. Torpedo Boat 077; Lieut. Guy Gilbert, 7th Dorset Regt. attd. to Royal Flying Corps; Lieut. Geoffrey Gilbert, R.N.V.R., Nelson Battn. Royal Naval Division, now at the Front; Private Garnett Gilbert, Inns of Court O.T.C., at present stationed at Berkhampstead.

=GILBEY, ERIC=, Lieut., 5th Battn. Rifle Brigade, yr. _s._ of Sir Walter Gilbey, 2nd Bart., by his wife, Ella, dau. of the late John Coutts Fowlie, of Surbiton; _b._ London, 26 Dec. 1888; educ. Harrow and Sandhurst; joined the Grenadier Guards in 1910, but afterwards resigned. On the outbreak of war he was gazetted Lieut. in the 5th Battn. Rifle Brigade, 23 Oct 1914; went to the Front with the 2nd Battn., and was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 12 March, 1915; _unm._ Writing to Sir Walter Gilbey, Corpl. W. Smith said: “I am proud to say that I was in Lieut. Gilbey’s platoon from the day he joined us until the time he fell, a few feet from my side. We considered ourselves, with your son as our leader, the luckiest platoon in the regt., if not in the whole Army. He was just like a father to us, and our interests were always his first thought. Each one of us would have followed him in the most forlorn hope, had he wanted us. He was the bravest man I ever saw, and I am sure you will know by now that it was while performing a brave deed that he fell. When we had made the charge at 2 p.m. on 12 March, we were met by the most awful fire of shells and bullets, and Lieut. Gilbey was the first to leap over the parapet, and shouted to us to make for another parapet 100 yards in front. Lots of men fell in that 100 yards, but Lieut. Gilbey, Sergt. Rann, the majority of the men and myself reached cover safely. The next instant I happened to look round, and there was your son, who had run back for about 10 yards, in the open. He was bending over a young fellow, and the next second he fell. I am sure there never was more feeling shown over the fall of an officer than there was by No. 10 Platoon. He had been badly wounded some hours previously, but refused to go to the dressing-room, and so home to England invalided, saying, ‘Where my men go, I go.’”

=GILBEY, WILLIAM EDWARD=, A.B., 221975, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914.

=GILBRIDE, THOMAS=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 5154), 210720, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=GILCHRIST, ROBERT CROOKS=, Capt., 46th Punjabis, Indian Army, yr. _s._ of Brig.-Gen. Robert Alexander Gilchrist, Indian Army; _b._ Aurangabad, Deccan, India, 24 June, 1878; educ. Dover College and Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he passed with honours; gazetted 2nd Lieut. Indian Army, 4 Aug. 1897, promoted Lieut. 4 Nov. 1899, and Capt. 4 Aug. 1906. He was appointed to the 33rd Punjabis, and afterwards to the 46th Punjabis when that regt. was raised. Served for five years with the Burma Military Police, and took part in two frontier expeditions, and was awarded the King’s Police Medal for service in the Burmo-China Boundary Delimitation Commission. When war broke out he was attached to the 59th Scinde Rifles in France, and was killed in action at La Bassée, 19 Dec. 1914, when most gallantly leading a storming party up a German sap under heavy fire. He was buried in Beuvry Cemetery, near Bethune; _unm._ Writing to his father, Major T. L. Leeds, commanding 59th Scinde Rifles, said: “Your son was killed yesterday morning in a night attack on the German trenches. He was most gallantly leading a storming party up a German sap under heavy fire when he was hit in the head by a rifle bullet and killed at once. He was officiating as my second in command, and was an exceptionally able and gallant officer, and he is a great loss to us,” and Col. J. ffrench Mullen, Deputy Inspector-General Military Police, Burma, wrote: “He served under me in the Myitkyina Battn. for five years and on two expeditions, so I had occasion to know of his sterling qualities and character.... I have never heard anything but the most kindly mention of him, and his death is mourned by his old battn., the Military Police.”

=GILDERTHORP, HARRY STANLEY=, L-Corpl., No. 9771, 1st Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regt., _s._ of Benjamin Gilderthorp, of Birmingham, National Reserve, late Sergt., 1st Battn. Royal Warwickshire Regt.; _b._ Hockley Hill, Birmingham, 3 Oct. 1886; educ. Lozells Street Board School there; enlisted in Nov. 1903; transferred to the Reserve in 1906; was called up on mobilisation, Aug. 1914; went to France with the Expeditionary Force, and was killed in action at Hill 60, 2 May, 1915. He _m._ at Sparkbrook, Birmingham, 6 Aug. 1910, Alice, dau. of William (and Alice) Herrick, and had two children: Harry Stanley, _b._ 8 Aug. 1912, and Doris May, _b._ 18 May, 1911.

=GILES, FRANK WILLIAM=, Leading Signalman (R.F.R., B. 9960), 201561, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=GILES, JAMES=, Stoker (R.F.R., B. 1866), 160023, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._

=GILES, SIDNEY=, Leading Stoker, K. 1042, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=GILES, SIDNEY DUNCAN=, Private, No. 707, 1st Battn. (Royal Fusiliers) The London Regt. (T.F.); educ. St. John’s School, Red Lion Square, Holborn, London; joined the 1st London Regt., and died 13 July, 1915, of wounds received in action; buried in the Military Cemetery, Bailleul (Grave No. 1488). He _m._ at All Saints’ Church, Caledonian Road, London, Isabella, dau. of (--), and had a son and a dau.: Sidney Walton, _b._ 14 Aug. 1908; and Dorothy Constance, _b._ 1 Aug. 1914.

=GILHAM, HENRY=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 7611), 102992, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=GILL, FREDERICK WILLIAM=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 8734 (Po.), H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=GILL, GEORGE ROBERT=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 8912), S.S. 105666, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=GILLAM, CECIL THOMAS=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 7686), S.S. 103002, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=GILLARD, WILLIAM JAMES=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 5641), 191989, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=GILFILLAN, JOHN ALFRED ALISON=, Private, No. 2528, 14th Battn. (The London Scottish) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of Archibald MacAlpine Gilfillan, of Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, by his wife, Mary Elliott, dau. of John Brown; _b._ Edinburgh, 9 Sept. 1881; educ. Tollington Park College, and Finsbury Technical College, and was an electrical engineer by profession. He had joined the London Scottish, rising to the rank of Corpl., but had to retire in 1910, owing to pressure of work. On the outbreak of war, however, he rejoined in Aug. 1914; went to the Front, 13 Sept. 1914, and was wounded and taken prisoner at Messines, 1 Nov. 1914, and died a prisoner of war at Gustrow, Mecklenburg, 6 Dec. following; _unm._

=GILLESPIE, ALEXANDER DOUGLAS=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Princess Louise’s (93rd) Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, elder and only surviving _s._ (see next column) of Thomas Paterson Gillespie, of Longcroft, Linlithgow, by his wife, Elizabeth Hall, dau. of Thomas Chalmers, of Longcroft, and gdson. of the late Alexander Gillespie, of Biggar Park, co. Lanark; _b._ at Woolaston, co. Gloucester, 23 June, 1889, and was educ. Cargilfield and Winchester College, for which latter he took a scholarship, winning among other honours while there, the King’s Gold and the King’s Silver Medals; passed on from Winchester to New College, Oxford, again with a scholarship, and also an exhibition, and there in 1910 proved himself the 1st Classical Scholar of his year by taking the much-coveted Ireland and 1st Craven Scholarships. On leaving Oxford he travelled for nine months, visiting East Africa, China, Korea, Japan, and returning by Canada and the United States. When war broke out he was reading for the Bar, International Law being the branch which he hoped ultimately to follow. Some months previously he had joined the Inns of Court Cavalry, but impatient of delay in getting a commission in a Cavalry Regt. he enlisted in the 4th Seaforth Highlanders, and after training with them at Bedford for two months, was given a commission in the 4th (Extra Reserve) Battn. of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 21 Oct. 1914. He went to the Front, Feb. 1915, being there attd. to the 2nd Battn., and was killed in action near La Bassée, 25 Sept. 1915, being seen to fall on reaching the German trench, the only officer to get there. He was _unm._

=GILLESPIE, FRANKLIN MACAULAY=, Lt.-Col., 4th (Service) Battn. South Wales Borderers, 2nd _s._ of Lieut.-Col. Franklin Gillespie, of Health Hollow, Camberley, R.A.M.C., by his wife, Harriet Eliza Phillis, dau. of the late General Sampson Freeth, R.E., and granddau. of General Sir James Freeth, K.C.B., K.H.; _b._ Colchester, 19 Aug. 1872; educ. Dover College, and Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd. Lieut. South Wales Borderers, 25 July, 1891; and promoted Lieut. 22 Feb. 1893, Capt. 6 March, 1898, and Major, 26 Sept. 1909. He was on special extra regimental duty from 14 Nov. 1896 to 5 April, 1897, and from 5 Feb. 1898 to 31 March, 1900, was employed with the West African Frontier Force; was sent up the Niger on Special Service in 1897 to Egbon, Bida, and Ilorin, when the growing menace of the great slave-trading Fulah Power threatened to drive us into the sea. He was in the fight at the capture of the capital of Nupe and the subjugation of the smaller States, and was awarded the medal with three clasps. He then served in Borgu with the West African Frontier Force, 1897–8, being mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 2 Jan. 1900], and receiving medal with a clasp. He remained with them until March, 1900, when he rejoined his regt. and went to South Africa, and served through that campaign. He was Commandant at Roodeval Spruit to 10 Feb. 1901, and took part in the operations in the Orange Free State, July, 1900 to June, 1901, and in the Transvaal, June, 1901 to 31 May, 1902 (Queen’s medal with three clasps and King’s medal with two clasps). After the war he was Adjutant of the 5th Volunteer Battn. (now the 7th Royal Welsh Fusiliers) of his regt. from 18 April, 1903 to 14 July, 1908, at Newtown, and on relinquishing this appointment, was posted to the 2nd Battn. at Aldershot, later going with it to Chatham and Pretoria, South Africa. He next joined the 1st Battn. and returned to Chatham, and from Feb. to Aug. 1914, was in Command of the Regimental Depôt at Brecon. After the outbreak of war he was appointed (19 Aug. 1914) to the Command of the 4th (Service) Battn. and went with it to the Dardanelles, 30 June, 1915. He was killed in action there, 9 Aug. 1915, and was buried in the 39th Field Ambulance Cemetery. Col. Gillespie _m._ at Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 27 July, 1905, Agnes Rose (Bromley, Camberley), dau. of Sir Pryce Pryce-Jones, of Dolerw, Newtown, Montgomeryshire, and had issue, two sons and a dau.: Rollo Franklin Freeth, _b._ 11 Feb. 1910; Henry Pryce, _b._ 16 April, 1913; and Phillis Eleanor, _b._ 5 Sept. 1915. His brother, Lieut.-Col. E. C. F. Gillespie, C.B., A.S.C., is now (1916) on active service.

=GILLESPIE, NORMAN ALEXANDER=, Private, No. 27342, 15th Battn. (48th Highlanders) Canadian Expeditionary Force, yr. _s._ of the late Johnston Hunter Gillespie, of The Mount, Belfast, by his wife, Mary Clarke (Eastbourne Cottage, Whitehead), dau. of Hugh McAlery; _b._ Rathfriland, co. Down, 14 Jan. 1892; educ. Methodist College and Queen’s University, Belfast. He accepted a post in the Canadian Bank of Commerce, Toronto, where he remained until the outbreak of the war. He immediately volunteered and enlisted, 15 Aug., 1914; came over with the first contingent in Oct. 1914; went to the Front, Feb. 1915, and died a prisoner of war in a German Hospital at Oostnieukerke, 25 April, 1915, from wounds received at the Second Battle of Ypres. He was buried in Oostnieukerke Churchyard; _unm._ Capt. McLaren wrote: “Norman always did his duty, and he was one of the best men I had, he was in the first line trenches on 24th April. I got wounded, and so lost sight of him.” Sergt. Wells also wrote: “I was Norman’s platoon Sergt. and I can assure you Norman always did his duty and was never in trouble with anyone.” Private Gillespie was a very fine baritone and his teacher predicted a great future for him.

=GILLESPIE, THOMAS CUNNINGHAM=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. King’s Own Scottish Borderers, yst. _s._ (see preceding column) of Thomas Paterson Gillespie, of Longcroft, Linlithgow, by his wife, Elizabeth Hall, dau. of Thomas Chalmers, of Longcroft, and gdson. of the late Alexander Gillespie, of Biggar Park, co. Lanark; _b._ Alvington, co. Gloucester, 14 Dec. 1892; educ. Cargilfield School, Cramond Bridge; Winchester College, and New College, Oxford, where he took his degree in June, 1914. Both at Winchester and Oxford he was a keen member of the O.T.C. He obtained a University commission, 29 July, 1914, and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 2nd Battn. Scottish Borderers, 4 Aug. 1914, and after three weeks’ service at home, joined his regt. in France in time to share in the advance from the Marne. He was for 17 days in the trenches at Missy-sur-Aisne, on the northern bank of the River Aisne, exposed night and day to the enemy’s fire from their heavy guns, and afterwards took part in the advance to the Belgian frontier, and was killed in action, near La Bassée, 8 Oct. 1914; _unm._ It was 2nd Lieut. Gillespie’s great desire to win a commission in a Scottish regt., and his last letter spoke with pride of the praise which the Scottish Borderers had received from Sir Charles Ferguson, commanding the 5th Division, “all the prouder of us because we were all Scotsmen.” He was a fine athlete, rowed three years in the New College Eight, and twice had the satisfaction of keeping his boat at the head of the River; also, he represented the United Kingdom in the New College Olympic Crew at Stockholm in 1912.

=GILLESPIE, ANDREW=, Private, No. 8107, 2nd Battn. Highland L.I.; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc; killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 12 March, 1915.

=GILLESPIE, WILLIAM JOHN=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 10369), S.S. 107919, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=GILLHAM, BENJAMIN=, L.-Corpl., No. S. 64, 2nd Battn. Royal West Surrey Regt., served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action, 16 May, 1915; _m._

=GILLINGHAM, FRANK=, Private, No. 10234, 1st Battn. Royal West Kent Regt., _s._ of William Gillingham, of 9, Little Preston Street, Brighton; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, etc.; killed in action, 18 April, 1915.

=GILLS, GEORGE=, Sapper, No. 102480, Royal Engineers, 2nd _s._ of John Gills, of Bishop Auckland, Miner, by his wife, Margaret, dau. of George Etherington, of Bishop Auckland; _b._ Bishop Auckland, co. Durham, 1 Aug. 1871; educ. Board School there; was employed at the Hylton Colliery; enlisted 4 June, 1915; was sent to the Front at once, and was killed in action, 2 Aug. 1915, being buried in the Canadian Cemetery at St. Eloi, Belgium. He _m._ at St. Mary’s. South Shields, Isabella Ann (Clive Street, Southwick-on-Wear), dau. of William Stevenson, of Seaham, and had six children: John William, _b._ 19 Dec. 1893; George, _b._ 13 July, 1898; Robert, _b._ 2 March, 1913; Margaret Jane, _b._ 29 Oct. 1891; Isabella, _b._ 16 April, 1899; and Emily, _b._ 4 June, 1903.

=GRAHAM-GILMOUR, HERBERT JAMES=, Lieut., 3rd Battn. Worcestershire Regt. only _s._ of the late James Graham-Gilmour, of Whittingdon Lodge, Worcester, by his wife, Ethel (now widow of William Price-Hughes, of Red Hill, near Worcester), dau. of the Rev. James Cook, of Peopleton, Pershore; _b._ Southport, co. Lancaster, 2 Aug. 1883; educ. Hartford House, and Radley College, Oxford; served with the Worcestershire Militia through the South African War, receiving the Queen’s medal with two clasps. After his return home, he was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 3rd Worcesters, 28 Jan. 1903, receiving the last free commission presented, and was promoted Lieut. 15 June, 1906. He joined at Tipperary, served at the Depot at Norton Barracks, 1904–6; in South Africa, 1906–7; and at Dover, 1907–10, when he transferred to the 4th Battn. at Bareilly, India. He came home on leave in February, 1914, and on the outbreak of war was ordered to join the 3rd Battn. at Tidworth, 4 Aug. and went with it to France, 13 Aug. He served through the retreat from Mons, and was killed in action at Soissons, during the Battle of the Aisne, 19 Sept. 1914, and was buried at Maison Rouge, Vailly, in the valley of the Aisne; _unm._ Lieut. Graham-Gilmour was an enthusiastic cricketer, hockey player, and steeplechase rider, had played cricket for the gentlemen of Worcester, and on two occasions won regimental point-to-point races in Ireland and England, and was third in the Army Cup in India on “Exchange” in 1912.

=GIRARDOT, PAUL CHANCOURT=, 2nd Lieut., 1st Battn. Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire L.I., only child of the late Lieut.-Col. John Francis Girardot, 43rd Oxfordshire L.I., J.P., by his wife. Mary I. (10, Waterloo Crescent, Dover), dau. of the late James Evans, of Trevaughan, co. Carmarthen; _b._ Southampton, 17 Nov. 1895; educ. Ashampstead, Eastbourne; Cheltenham College (where he was a member of the School VIII at Bisley), and Sandhurst; gazetted to the 52nd Oxford and Bucks L.I., 25 Feb. 1914; went to France, 12 Aug., and was killed in action at the Battle of the Aisne, 16 Sept. 1914; _unm._ He was buried at Soupir-sur-Aisne. 2nd Lieut. Girardot’s father was one of the survivors of the Birkenhead disaster in 1852.

=GIROUX, THEODORE=, Private, No. A 871, 1st Battn. (33rd Regt.), (Canadian Expeditionary Force, eldest _s._ of Napoleon Giroux, of Tilbury, Essex co., Ontario, Canada, by his wife, Philomene, dau. of Antoine Barrette; _b._ St. Joachim, Ruscom, Ontario, 7 March, 1894; was a Farmer; enlisted 15 Feb. 1915; came over with the 2nd Contingent, and was killed in action in Flanders, 13 Oct. 1915; _unm._

=GLADDISH, EDWARD=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 3826), 290188, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=GLADMAN, JOHN OWEN=, Private, No. 2874, 5th (Cinque Ports) Battn. Royal Sussex Regt. (T.F.), eldest _s._ of John Owen Gladman, of 21, Tower Street, Eastbourne, Gardener, by his wife, Elizabeth Ellen, dau. of George Griffin, Baker at Ardingly College for 39 years; _b._ Ardingly, co. Sussex, 20 June, 1896; educ. Christ Church School, Eastbourne; was employed in the Glass Houses at Compton Place; volunteered on the outbreak of War and enlisted 9 Nov. 1914; trained at Hastings; went to France, 14 Feb. 1915, and was killed in action at Richebourg L’Avoué, 9 May, 1915.