Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookhibitioner, and a member of the O.T.C.); gazetted 2nd Lieut., 4th Battn. Bedfordshire Regt., 15 Aug. 1914; went to Flanders 10 April, 1915, where he was attached to the 1st Battn., and was killed in action near Ypres, 26 April, 1915; _unm._ He was buried at Zillebeke, near Ypres. =FAWLEY, FRANCIS HENRY BUCKLEY=, Private, No. 1862, Honourable Artillery Company, _s._ of Henry John Buckley Fawley, of 35, Queen Elizabeth's Walk, Stoke Newington, N., Journalist, by his wife, Emily, dau. of the late James (and Eliza) Smith, of Lordship Lane, Wood Green, N., formerly of Sittingbourne, Kent; _b._ Harringay, London, 16 Aug. 1895; educ. Finsbury Park College, London, was on the clerical staff of the Metropolitan Electric Tramways Company; joined the H.A.C. after the outbreak of the war in the beginning of Sept. 1914, went to France, 23 Jan. 1915, and was killed in action near Ypres, 15 May, 1915. He was buried in the grounds of the Chateau of Elzenwalle, near Voormezeele; _unm._ His Sergt. wrote: "He was killed on the night of the 15th inst. He lived for some hours after he was struck, and was quite conscious when I last saw him.... His pluck was wonderful; he knew he was mortally wounded yet possessed himself like the gentleman and man he was; never giving a sign of any pain--his main concern being for the safety of his comrades.... We all liked him and shall miss him greatly." [Illustration: =Francis H. B. Fawley.=] =FAY, WALTER EDWARD=, Rifleman, No. 2407, 18th Battn. (London Irish Rifles) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of the late James Charles Fay (died 13 Nov. 1915), by his wife, (--) (79, Limerstone Road, King's Road, Chelsea, S.W.); _b._ Fulham, S.W., 24 July, 1894; educ. St. Mark's College, Chelsea; enlisted after the outbreak of war 2 Sept. 1914, and died of wounds received in action at the Battle of Loos, 27 Sept. 1915; _unm._ =FEATHERSTONE, ALFRED CHARLES=, Rifleman, No. 2472, 1/8th (Leeds Rifles) Battn. West Yorkshire Regt. (T.F.), eldest _s._ of Alfred Charles Featherstone, of West Normans, Park Avenue, Castleford, by his wife, Jane Harriet, dau. of Alfred Watson, of East Hardwicks, Yorks; b. Castleford, co. York, 30 April, 1891; educ. King's School, Pontefract; entered the employ of the London City and Midland Bank at Morley, Yorkshire, when 16, and at the outbreak of the war was holding the post of Assistant Cashier. He enlisted 21 Sept. 1914; sailed for France, 15 April, 1915, and was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle, 12 May, 1915, and was buried in Rue de Bacquerot, France; _unm._ His officer wrote: "He was one of the most popular men in the company, and we all feel his loss very keenly." [Illustration: =Alfred C. Featherstone.=] =FEATHERSTONE, CECIL FREDERICK=, Lieut., 3rd, attached 2nd, Battn. East Surrey Regt., eldest _s._ of Frederick Featherstone, of Mount Pleasant, Plough Lane, Purley, member of London Stock Exchange, by his wife, Minnie Elizabeth, dau. of Thomas W. Dean; _b._ Lewisham, 13 Feb. 1897; educ. Holmwood, Bexhill-on-Sea (1906-1910), where in 1907 he joined the School Cadet Corps, which was affiliated with the 2nd Home Counties Royal Engineers (T.F.). In 1911 he went to Dover College, where he won prizes in English, Latin, and other subjects, and joined the O.T.C., in which he had reached the rank of Sergt., when gazetted 2nd Lieut. to the 3rd (Special Reserve) Battn. of the East Surreys, 16 Dec. 1914. Joining his regt in Jan. he left for France on 20 March, 1915, was attached for a while to C Coy. 1st Battn. Dorsetshire Regt., and later transferred for duty to the 2nd Battn. East Surrey Regt., being confirmed in his rank as 2nd Lieut. 9 April, 1915. He was killed in action, being shot through the heart while bravely leading his men in the repulse of the German attack on the British trenches near Ypres, 25 April, 1915. He was buried in the Officer's Graveyard, 1½ miles east of Zonnebeke; unm. Sergt. Buckingham, of the East Surreys, gave the following graphic account of the incidents from 17 to 27 April: "Our headquarters were at Zonnebeke, near Ypres. About 3 p.m. on the 17th an order was given to pack up and move. There was some heavy shelling at the time, and it took about one hour to get everything on to the transport. We were then given another 150 rounds ammunition to carry and about 4.30 the order to move was given. We took a road to the left of Ypres. Our company officer, Capt. Fuller, was sick, so he was not with us, but Lieut. Rottman took charge. We had only three officers--Lieuts. Rottman, Featherstone and Ward--and we reached our destination, about a mile from Langemark, about 7 p.m. We were then under heavy shell fire. A, B and C Companies were put into position and we were to be the supports. We were in position all that night, but nothing happened. As it was getting daylight we retired a bit further back--this was the 18th--but had to stand to nearly all day as there was heavy rifle fire and shells. About 5 p.m. we pushed forward, going through the Canadians and some French infantry who had been pushed back, and we had to retake their trenches, which we did without much trouble. The French were made secure and got their trenches, and we took the Canadian's and had orders to stop in them. We worked all night repairing the breastworks with sandbags, the officers and sergts. relieving one another for a rest. At dawn on the 19th the enemy started with their trench mortars, which were dropping just in rear of our trenches. We were expecting a big shelling then, but they must have been laying their guns or had brought more up for we were only getting a shell here and there and were pretty quiet and remained so until the afternoon of the 20th. From the 17th to the 20th we had no casualties amongst the officers and not many men. On the afternoon of the 20th the bombardment started, but they did not have a good range that day. At night the Middlesex brought our rations up and a working party, who made us a bit stronger. They left us about 3 a.m. on the 21st. Toward dawn we were bombarded again, this time a little closer. As it got lighter we saw about half a dozen German aeroplanes coming towards our trenches, they flew up and down dropping smoke bombs, and the shells were dropping all round us, so we had to lay close up to the parapets. Here we stayed all day, this night--21st, or rather early 22nd--no rations could be brought to us and no working party, so we dug ourselves right in as messages came that we were to hold on at all cost. We still had all our officers. As day dawned it was a bit quiet. That night we had our rations and hot soup brought up and were told we were going to be relieved the next night, 23rd. On the morning of the 23rd it was still quiet, but about 3 p.m. they started something terrible, only taking our regiment. They were then using gas shells and breaking our parapets and shelling the roads. Again a message came to hold on and that we would not be relieved, we then lost a few men. This lasted all day. |