(Service) Battn. The Welsh Regt., only _s._ of Thomas Randle
Dawkins, of Redhill, Haverfordwest, by his wife, Clara Vaughan, dau. of
Charles Vaughan Simmons Bennett, of Haverfordwest, M.R.C.S.; _b._
Haverfordwest, co. Pembroke, 16 June, 1891; educ. at the Haverfordwest
Grammar School, Clifton College, and Peterhouse, Cambridge, where he
graduated B.A., and LL.B. with honours, taking a second class (First
Division) in the Historical Tripos, part I, and a first class in
the Law Tripos, part II. He was articled to Mr. C. W. M. Price, of
Lincoln’s Inn, but on the outbreak of war applied for a commission
and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 9th Welsh Regt. 4 Nov. 1914, and
proceeded on foreign service on 18 July, 1915. He took part in the
great offensive at Loos, and was killed in action near there on 25
Sept. 1915. His capacity as an officer may be judged by the following
extract from a letter written by his Company Commander: “He was always
ready to volunteer for any task, more especially if it were of a
dangerous nature; he was always ready to advise, and it was always the
advice of a wise man, and was never proffered in anything but a good
spirit; he was very interested in his profession and if ever any out of
the way problem arose, one always appealed to him. He was the coolest
man I ever met--his coolness under fire was almost uncanny and made the
men look up to him with a sort of worship.” Huxley (his orderly) wrote:
“I would rather have been struck by the shell myself than Mr. Dawkins,
the best friend I ever had or expect will ever have. While he was with
me, I did not know what fear was.” He _m._ at Camberley, 8 May,
1915, Enid Myfanwy, eldest dau. of David Evans, of Old Bridge House,
Haverfordwest, and gddau. of Ceiriog, the Welsh Poet, and had a son,
Thomas Charles Randle, _b._ posthumous, 29 Feb. 1916.
[Illustration: =Charles J. R. Dawkins.=]
=DAWSON, ALBERT GEORGE=, Yeoman of Signals, 191036 (Devon.),
H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1
Nov. 1914.
=DAWSON, HENRY BEAL=, Private, No. 8/32, 10th Otago Coy. Otago
Regt., New Zealand Expeditionary Force, _s._ of the late A.
Dawson, Settler, by his wife, Mary (Hampden, Otago, New Zealand);
_b._ Hampden District, 8 April, 1891; educ. Hampden District High
School; was engaged in farming, but on the outbreak of war was the
first from his district to volunteer, and enlisted 12 Aug. 1914; left
with the Main Expeditionary Force for Egypt in Oct.; took part in the
landing at Gabe Tepe on Sunday, 25 April, 1915, and two days later
was shot in the trenches by a Turkish sniper; _unm._ In letters
from his comrades he was described as a brave, true soldier, afraid of
nothing, and one who had done his duty and had done it well.
[Illustration: =Henry Beal Dawson.=]
=DAWSON, JOHN THOMAS GIBSON=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 9653), S.S. 2426,
H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15
Oct. 1914.
=DAWSON, WILFRED YELVERTON=, Private, No. 1173, 4th Battn.
Australian Imperial Force, _s._ of Yelverton Dawson, of
Heathlands, Southbourne-on-Sea, co. Hants, M.D., by his wife, Alice
Anne dau. of the Hon. Judge (Henry) Martley, of the Landed Estates
Court, Dublin, M.A., Q.C., and gdson. of William Barry Yelverton
Dawson, of Bellevue, Mallow, co. York; _b._ Aubrey, Shankill, co.
Dublin, 3 Nov. 1871; educ. Sherborne and Trinity College, Cambridge
(matriculated 1890); joined the Militia Battn. of the Sherwood
Foresters in 1889, and the Cape Mounted Rifles in 1892, and went
through the Bechuanaland campaign (medal). Returning to England he
entered the Lincoln Theological College in 1895, but when the Boer war
began joined Lock’s Horse and served in South Africa, receiving medal
and clasp. Returning to England he finished his theological course, and
was ordained in St. Paul’s Cathedral, 19 March, 1905. In 1911, he was
received into the Roman Catholic Church, spent a short time in Canada,
and then returned to South Africa. On the outbreak of the European
War in Aug. 1914, he went to Sydney, N.S.W., joined the 1st Division
of Australian Infantry, accompanied them to Egypt, took part in the
landing at the Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915, and was killed in action
there two days later; _unm._
[Illustration: =Wilfrid Yelverton Dawson.=]
=DAY, ARNOLD ELLIS=, L.-Corpl., No. 2088, 1/5th Battn. West
Yorkshire Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of Edward Joseph Day, of 10,
South Drive, Harrogate, Agent, by his wife, Adah, dau. of James Ellis,
of Staincliffe, near Dewsbury; _b._ Dewsbury, co. York, 19 May,
1889; educ. Woodhouse Grove School, Apperley Bridge, Leeds; and was for
seven years on the literary staff of the “Bradford Daily Telegraph.”
After the outbreak of war he joined the 1/5th West Yorkshires, 28 Aug.
1914, and was killed in action near Ypres, 13 July, 1915, being buried
at Turcos Farm, near Ypres; _unm._ 2nd Lieut. Allen wrote: “He was
in my platoon and a most promising N.C.O. He was shot in the head while
carrying out his duties, and died a little while afterwards;” and a
comrade: “I wish you could have seen Arnold with the children out here;
how they loved him. It was common to see him with a crowd around him,
all talking to him at once, all of them adoring him. It was the same
with the old people.”
[Illustration: =Arnold Ellis Day.=]
=DAY, AUBREY OLIVER FISHER=, Boy, 1st Class, J. 27367 (Ports.),
H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15
Oct. 1914.
=DAY, CHARLES FREDERICK=, Rifleman, No. 3047, 1/17th Battn.
(Poplar and Stepney Rifles) The London Regt. (T.F.), first _s._ of
Frederick Charles Day, of 160, Usher Road, Old Ford, Bow, E., Labourer,
by his wife, Matilda A., dau. of Samuel Williams; _b._ Bow, 9 Dec.
1894; educ. Monteith Road School, Old Ford Road; enlisted 15 Sept.
1914; left for the front, 8 March, 1915, and was killed in action at
the Battle of Loos, 25 or 28 Sept. 1915; _unm._
=DAY, CHARLES FREDERICK=, Gunner, R.M.A. 7880 (R.F.R., B. 1089),
H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914;
_m._
=DAY, CHARLES=, Stoker, P.O. (R.F.R., B. 10277), 299330, H.M.S.
Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=DAY, CHARLES GEORGE=, Drummer, No 7037, 3rd Battn. Coldstream
Guards, eldest _s._ of Charles George Day, of 47, South Street,
Bishop’s Stortford, Maltmaker, by his wife, Mary Eleanor, dau. of
Joseph Bavin; _b._ Bishop’s Stortford, 26 June, 1892; educ.
National School there; enlisted in 1st Battn. 26 Nov. 1906, and was
transferred to the 3rd Battn. in Oct. 1907, serving with it in Egypt,
1907, to April, 1911, and with the Expeditionary Force in France, Aug.
1914, to Feb. 1915. He was shot through the head by a sniper while
building a dug-out close to the brickfields near La Bassée, 22 Feb.
1915, and was buried at Cuinchy; _unm._ His N.C.O. spoke highly of
him.
[Illustration: =Charles George Day.=]
=DAY, HENRY JOHN=, Chief E.R.A., 1st Class 268182, H.M.S. Good
Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=DAY, JOHN VICTOR=, Rifleman, No. 5018, Machine Gun Section, 1st
Battn. Rifle Brigade, _s._ of Edmund Brassey Day, of 1, Green
Road, Whetstone, co. Middlesex, Tramcar Driver, by his wife, Lydia
Mary, dau. of Jabez Craddock, of Bradgate, Napier Road, Wembley,
Middlesex; _b._ Kensal Green, 6 July, 1896; educ. North Finchley;
joined the Rifle Brigade, 20 March, 1912; went to the Front with the
4th Division, served nine months in France and was present at the
Battle of Hill 60, also at Neuve Chapelle, and was killed in action
in France, 6 July, 1915; _unm._ A comrade, Rifleman H. Rayner,
wrote to his father: “Victor was killed in action after we had made an
attack and taken the enemies’ trenches. Your son got his machine gun in
position and did very good work with it, but it was the next day that
he was killed, when the enemy gave us an eight hours’ bombardment; a
big Jack Johnson burst on top of the trench, killing about six.” He
was buried at Talana Farm [Map reference, Sheet 28, B 18 c, 9-4]. His
eldest brother, Edmund Day, Sergt., 2nd Battn. Bedfordshire Regt., was
very dangerously wounded at Richebourg l’Avoue, 10 May, 1915.
[Illustration: =John Victor Day.=]
=DAY, JOHN WILLIAM=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 9629), S.S. 2346, H.M.S.
Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=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._
[Illustration: =Maurice Charles Day.=]
=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._
[Illustration: =Charles William Deadman.=]
=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.”
[Illustration: =Maurice James Dease, V.C.=]
=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._
[Illustration: =C. N. C. de Crespigny.=]
=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._
[Illustration: =John Cyril Deed.=]
=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._
[Illustration: =Frederick H. Deighton.=]
=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.”
[Illustration: =Henry Creswell Delamain.=]
=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._
[Illustration: =Ernest Delaney.=]