The following members lost their lives during World War I (1914-18).
Click on each member to find out more.
The accounts of those commemorated on the World War I war memorial in Gray’s Inn Chapel have been compiled by the Archive from:
- the relevant entry in the ‘War Book of Gray’s Inn’ (privately published 1921)
- the information given by each member at the time of his admission, with call dates if any
- any additional or variant information provided by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) on their website
- any further information from other sources
Members who lost their lives
In the rare contradictions between the accounts of the War Book and the CWGC, both are given, with the War Book entry marked ‘sic’.
- Eardley Apted
Lieutenant Eardley Apted
Lieutenant Eardley Apted was educated at Cranleigh School and called to the Bar in 1913. On the outbreak of war he joined the Inns of Court OTC as private. He was first commissioned to the 69th [sic] Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment and then to the 11th Battalion in France. He was killed on 31 July 1917, in the trenches at Zillebeke, being truck by a bullet in the forehead, after having been slightly wounded earlier in the day. His Colonel described him as an officer “who commanded his company with quite remarkable skill, his powers of organisation having been quite marvellous.” He was 33 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 7 January 1908: Apted, Eardley, of Doods Brow, Reigate in the County of Surrey; the second son of Oliver Cromwell Apted of the same address, Architect and Surveyor.
Called to the Bar: 4 June 1913
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 9th Bn attd 11th Bn; d 1 Aug 1917; Ypres Memorial, Menin Gate; 2nd son of Alderman Oliver Cromwell Apted and Prudence Apted, of Doods Brow, Reigate, Surrey; also educated at Holmesdale School; between the 9th and the 11th Bns, attached to the Training Reserve at Watford, and was also engaged in the Recruiting Campaign in Mid-Surrey.
- Walter Douglas Aston
Captain Walter Douglas Aston
Captain Walter Douglas Aston was educated at New College, Worthing, and at London University. He became Foundation Scholar of Downing College, Cambridge. He was awarded the Whewell Scholarship for International Law, and became Fellow of Downing, and afterwards held there the offices of Steward, Librarian and Lecturer in Law. He was called to the Bar in 1910. He joined the forces in April 1915, receiving his commission as Second-Lieutenant in the 2/1st Cambridge Regiment, being promoted Captain in 1917. He was mortally wounded on 1 November 1917, when gallantly leading his men, in the face of heavy shelling, in an attack on the German trenches. He died in hospital on the following day at the age of 35. A brother officer described him as one “whose example of living was of the highest, and whose influence was that of a Christian gentleman in the very best sense of the word.”
Admitted to the Inn: 1902 Nov 17: Aston, Walter Douglas, of Walton Lodge, Grafton Road, Worthing, in the County of Sussex, and of Downing College, Cambridge; the eldest son of Walter Aston of the same address, Chemist.
Called to the Bar: 20 April 1910
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery; son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Aston, of “Riversdale,” Shelley Road., Worthing; husband of C. O. Aston, of 1228, Ohio St., Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A. Born at Tarporley, Cheshire
- Arnold Harding Ball
Lieutenant Arnold Harding Ball
Lieutenant Arnold Harding Ball was the third son of the late W E Ball LLD, also a barrister of Gray’s Inn. He was educated at the City of London School, and was called to the Bar in 1910. He received his commission in the 5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment (T.F.) on 30 December 1915 and went to the front on 30 September 1916, remaining in the fighting area on the Somme and in Flanders until 9 April 1918, when he was killed while on duty in the trenches by a German shell. He was twenty-nine years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1907 Apr 9: Ball, Arnold Harding, of Brasted, in the County of Kent; the third son of William Edmund Ball, of the same address, Barrister-at-Law.
Called to the Bar: 26 Jan 1910
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Cambrin Military Cemetery; son of Mr. W. E. Ball, LL.D., and Mrs. M. A. Ball, of Brasted, Kent; husband of Sylvia N. Roe (formerly Ball), of Dudwell House, Burwash, Sussex
- Philip Leo Beard
Lieutenant Philip Leo Beard
Lieutenant Philip Leo Beard was called to the Bar in 1909, and practised at Birmingham until 1914, when he received his commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. He died of wounds received on active service in France on 9 September 1916, being then 34 [sic] years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1906 April 30: Beard, Philip Leo, of Grafton House, Balsall Heath Road, Edgbaston in the City of Birmingham; the youngest son of John Beard, of Balsall Heath Road, Birmingham.
Called to the Bar: 26 Jan 1909
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 15th Bn; d aged 33; Abbeville Communal Cemetery; son of John and Martha Beard, of Birmingham; husband of Winifred A. Beard, of Westwell Hall, Ilfracombe, Devon
- William George Beaumont-Edmonds
Second-Lieutenant William George Beaumont-Edmonds
Second-Lieutenant William George Beaumont-Edmonds was called to the Bar in 1909. On 2 September 1914 he enlisted as a private in the Queen’s Westminster Rifles, and in 1915 received the King’s Commission as Second-Lieutenant in the 22nd County of London Regiment. He proceeded to France, and on 17 September 1916 was killed in action at High Wood, near Longueval, by an enemy shell exploding in the trenches where he was setting a splendid example to his men during a severe bombardment. He was then 33 years of age. Admitted to the Inn: 1906 Nov 12: Beaumont-Edmonds, William George, Clerk in Offices of the London County Council, of 27 Tierney Road, Streatham Hill in the County of London; the elder son of William Alexander Beaumont-Edmonds of the same address, Accountant.
Called to the Bar: 23 June 1909
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Merchant Taylors’ School, London; Thiepval Memorial; son of Elizabeth Beaumont Edmonds of 27 Tierney Road, Streatham Hill, and the late William Alexander Beaumont Edmonds [without hyphen]
- Frederic Ernest Bodel
Captain Frederic Ernest Bodel MC
Captain Frederic Ernest Bodel MC was a graduate in Laws of the Victoria University, Manchester, and was called to the Bar in 1908. In September 1914 he received his first commission in the 8th (Irish) Battalion Liverpool Regiment as Second-Lieutenant, being subsequently promoted Captain. He served also in France in the Trench Mortar Battery of the 55th Division and was awarded the Military Cross “for bravery when in command of his battery in the front line.” He was killed in action on 31 July 1917 at the age of 36.
Admitted to the Inn: 1902 Nov 4: Bodel, Frederic Ernest, of 187 Stanley Road, Bootle, Lancashire; the eldest son of the Revd James Bodel of the same address, Minister of the Presbyterian Church of England.
Called to the Bar: 27 Jan 1908
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Ypres Memorial, Menin Gate; son of the Rev. James Bodel, BA, and Cassie Bodel, of Liverpool; Northern Circuit
- Francis Moull Storer Bowen
Lieutenant Francis Moull Storer Bowen
Lieutenant Francis Moull Storer Bowen was educated at Brentwood School, and became an undergraduate of London University. He joined the 9th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment in 1914 as Second-Lieutenant and was later transferred to the 1st Battalion Enniskilling Fusiliers, serving in Egypt from January 1916. He was later drafted to France, where he was seriously wounded on 1 July 1916 in the severe fighting at Beaumont-Hamel, most of his comrades being killed or wounded. He was reported to be missing, his death not being confirmed until later. He was 32 years of age, having been called to the Bar in 1908. He was one of four brothers who served in the war.
Admitted to the Inn: 1901 April 3: Bowen, Francis Moull Storer, of Eastfield Lodge, Brentwood; the second son of Henry Storer Bowen of Lincoln’s Inn, Barrister.
Called to the Bar: 1 July 1908
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel; Queens Own (Royal West Kent Regiment); Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers; son of Henry Storer Bowen and Beatrice Bowen, of Littlebourne, Canterbury
- Thomas Brownrigg
Lieutenant Thomas Brownrigg
Lieutenant Thomas Brownrigg was educated at Belvedere College, Dublin, and was admitted as a student at Gray’s Inn in 1913. In 1915 he joined the Inns of Court OTC as a private, and was gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the 15th Middlesex Regiment, with which unit he served in France from May 1916 to February 1917, when he joined the Royal Flying Corps. He served in France as a pilot for nine months, being shot down twice in one day. He returned home to recover from his injuries, and was then engaged in instructional work in England, where he was drowned when flying on active service on 21 August 1918. His machine crashed during foggy weather in the sea off Southbourne. He was one of three brothers, all with meritorious war records. He was 28 [sic] years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1913 April 22: Brownrigg, Thomas, of The Royal University of Ireland, of 13 Waterloo Road, Southampton, in the County of Hants; the eldest son of Joseph Brownrigg of 18 Waterloo Road, Southampton, Civil Servant (retired)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: died aged 29; 37th Training Depot Station; Southampton Old Cemetery; son of Joseph and Annie T. Brownrigg, of Highcliff House, Cedar Road., Southampton. Born in Dublin
- John Icely Cohen
Captain John Icely Cohen
Captain John Icely Cohen was educated at Bradfield College and Queens’ College, Cambridge. In September 1914, he was gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the East Lancashire Regiment, and was subsequently promoted Captain in the 12th Devon Regiment. He served in 1915 in the Ypres fighting, his battalion being almost wiped out. Having recovered from shell-shock, he again returned to France in 1916, and was mortally wounded on 11 August 1917 by a German shell near Poperinghe, Ypres. Before losing consciousness, he recommended for notice the assistance given to him by one of his men who had endeavoured to rescue him. He was reported to be a very reliable and conscientious officer. He was admitted as a student by Gray’s Inn in 1915, and was 25 years old.
Admitted to the Inn: 1915 Nov 25: Cohen, John Icely, BA Camb: 2nd Lieut. 3rd East Lancashire Regiment, of 5 College Avenue, Mannamead, Plymouth; the only son of Joseph Cohen of 5 College Avenue, Mannamead, deceased
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 3rd Bn ELR; Dozinghem Military Cemetery; son of Eleanora Cohen, of Mannamead, Plymouth, and the late Joseph Cohen
- John Charles Edward Douglas
Major John Charles Edward Douglas
Major John Charles Edward Douglas was educated at Radley and Merton College, Oxford. He was called to the Bar in 1900, and was in considerable practice at Shanghai, which he gave up when war was declared, and left with a contingent in November 1914 for home. He received a commission as Captain in the 10th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, and after nine months training proceeded to France. He came safely through the heavy fighting at Loos in October 1915, when all his senior officers were killed. He was then promoted Major, but on 18 December 1915, when going the rounds with his sergeant, was picked off by a German sniper hidden in a chimney-stack and killed. He was 39 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1897 Nov 20: Douglas, John Charles Edward of Merton College, Oxford; the second son of Rear Admiral A L Douglas.
Called to the Bar: 27 June 1900
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord; son of Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., LL.D., J.P., and of Lady Douglas
- Arthur Dunnage
Second-Lieutenant Arthur Dunnage
Second-Lieutenant Arthur Dunnage was admitted as a student in 1911. He was educated at Fauconbridge and Woodbridge Schools and Merton College, Oxford. He enlisted in 1914 in the Public Schools Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers and was first commissioned in May 1915 in the 3rd Battalion Rifle Brigade. He went out to France in November 1915, and was killed on 1 September 1916, when leading his company into action, being then 25 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1911 June 19: Dunnage, Arthur, of Merton College, Oxford and Woodbridge in the County of Suffolk; the eldest son of Colonel Arthur James Dunnage of the same address
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 5th Bn attd to the 3rd Bn; Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval
- George Thomas Ewen MC
Captain George Thomas Ewen MC
Captain George Thomas Ewen MC was educated at Manchester Grammar School. He acted as a Barrister’s clerk for some years in Manchester. Subsequently he was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in 1913.
He received a commission in October 1914 as Second-Lieutenant in the 3rd Manchester Regiment, and was afterwards transferred to the 1st Manchesters in France. He fought at Neuve Chapelle and was mentioned in despatches for distinguished bravery in the field. He took part in further engagements, including the second Batttle of Ypres, and was awarded the Military Cross for having, “near Ypres on 26 April 1915, after the machine-gun officer was wounded, taken charge of the guns and displayed great gallantry and resource in collecting them under heavy fire, and bringing them into action, which materially assisted in holding the line gained.”
In December 1915 he was sent to Mesopotamia with the Indian forces and took part in several battles. On 8 March 1916 he was killed at Es Sinn, being severely wounded when in the trenches, and then ordering his men to save themselves when they offered to help him. Captain Ewen was a well-known mountaineer and member of the Alpine Club, and a fearless leader of men. He was 37 years of age when he fell in action.
Admitted to the Inn: 1911 Jan 9: Ewen, George Thomas, of 11 Wilton Road, Chorlton cum Hardy, in the County of Lancaster; the eldest son of George Ewen, of the same address, Printer
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Basra Memorial
- Ernest Alfred Faunch
Second-Lieutenant Ernest Alfred Faunch
Second-Lieutenant Ernest Alfred Faunch was educated at Parmiter School and became a Higher Division clerk of the Local Government Board. He was called to the Bar in 1908. In December 1915 he enlisted as a cadet in the Royal Garrison Artillery, and was promoted Second-Lieutenant in the 112th Battery [sic] in 1916. He was killed in action on 4 May 1917 near Angres, France, at the age of 37, and rests in Lieven Communal Cemetery.
Admitted to the Inn: 1906 Jan 15: Faunch, Ernest Alfred, Civil Servant Local Government Board (Statistical and Local Taxation Department) of 10 York Road, Ilford in the County of Essex; the eldest son of George Simmonds Faunch of the same address, Civil Servant.
Called to the Bar: 17 Nov 1908
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 212th Siege Bty; Basra Memorial
- Herbert Marion Finegan
Captain Herbert Marion Finegan
Captain Herbert Marion Finegan was educated at Stonyhurst and at the University of Liverpool, where his record was brilliant, for he won every Law prize, including the University Law Scholarship. He was an ardent and capable Irish Nationalist, and Vice-President of the Irish Society in Liverpool. He was President of the Guild of Undergraduates, and holder of the University Championship for the half-mile, mile and two miles. He entered as a student at Gray’s Inn in 1913, and gained the Bacon Scholarship of the Society.
He was a subaltern in the 8th (Irish) Territorial Battalion King’s Liverpool Regiment when war commenced, and was promoted Captain in 1914. He went to France in 1915 with his unit. On 16 June 1915 he led his men in an attack upon trenches occupied by Prussian Guards at Festubert, saying, Come on, Irish, let us show what we can do,” and was there immediately shot, dying a few moments afterwards, “ leaving to his race an imperishable glory and an everlasting inspiration of noble and heroic deeds.” He had prophesied that he would either go home with a Victoria Cross, or stay in France with a wooden one, and he kept his word. He laid down his life for his country at the age of 24.
Admitted to the Inn: 1913 March 31: Finegan, Herbert Marion, of the University of Liverpool, of 158 Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool; the eldest son of James Herbert Finegan, of 158 Upper Parliament Street, Doctor of Medicine
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: d between 16 and 18 June 1915; Le Touret Memorial
- Alfred Harold Fry
Second-Lieutenant Alfred Harold Fry
Second-Lieutenant Alfred Harold Fry was educated at Harrow and King’s College, Cambridge, where he was Foundation Scholar. He was 16th wrangler in 1917. He was in the Inns of Court OTC when war broke out, and in 1914 received his omission in the 22nd London Regiment (The Queen’s). He was drafted to France in December 1915, and on 10 October 1916 was severely wounded during the battles of the Somme, dying in hospital at Le Touquet on 30 October 1916, aged 30 years. He was called to the Bar in 1912.
Admitted to the Inn: Ad Eundem 1913 Feb 20: Fry, Alfred Harold, MA King’s College, Cambridge, Barrister at Law of Lincoln’s Inn, of 8 South Eaton Place in the County of London; the fourth surviving son of Francis James Fry, of Cricket St Thomas, Chard, in the County of Somerset, a Director of J S Fry and Sons Limited
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: ‘”C” Coy, 1st/22nd Bn; Etaples Military Cemetery; Son of Francis James and Elizabeth Fry, of Cricket St. Thomas, Chard, Somerset; husband of Margaret Fry, of 5 South Eaton Place, Eaton Square, London
- Frank William George
Second-Lieutenant Frank William George
Second-Lieutenant Frank William George
Second-Lieutenant Frank William George was called to the Bar in 1913. When War broke out he enlisted in the 6th Battalion Gloucester Regiment, and was later commissioned to the 5th Battalion Dorset Regiment, which he accompanied to Gallipoli in July 1915. He was killed on that peninsula on 22 August 1915, aged 34 years.
Admitted to the Inn: 1907 Jan 19: George, Frank William, Bank Clerk, of 44 Millbrook Road, Southampton, in the County of Hants; the eldest son of William George of Southbrook, Bere Regis, Wareham in the County of Dorset.
Called to the Bar: 4 June 1913
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Helles Memorial; son of the late William and Angelina George, of Southbrook, Bere Regis, Wareham
Note: George was a distant cousin, through his mother, of the novelist Thomas Hardy, who not having a high opinion of most of his closer relatives, intended to make him his heir, and paid his fees to the Inn (with thanks to Philip Ventham for drawing this to our attention)
- Henry Cullen Gouldsbury
Captain Henry Cullen Gouldsbury
Captain Henry Cullen Gouldsbury was a Native Commissioner and Justice of the Peace in Northern Rhodesia. He was admitted a student in 1912. He joined the King’s African Rifles in 1915 and died early in 1916, on active service. He was 34 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1912 April 18: Gouldsbury, Henry Cullen, of Mporokoso, Tanganyika District, Northern Rhodesia; the eldest surviving son of Charles Elphinstone Gouldsbury, of The Norfolk Hotel, Harrington Road in the County of London
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: East African Unattached List and 2nd King’s Rifles; 27 August 1916, aged 35; Tanga European Cemetery; son of Charles Elphinston Gouldsbury and Maud Gouldsbury; husband of Constance Gouldsbury, of 2 Northcote House, Gipsy Hill, London, England. Born at Darjeeling
Note: his surname appears on the memorial as ‘Goldsbury’
- Norman Ernest Jasper Harding
Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Ernest Jasper Harding
Lieutenant-Colonel Norman Ernest Jasper Harding MB studied at University College, Liverpool, and graduated at Edinburgh University. He entered the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1901, and was seriously wounded in the Boer War. He went to France with No 12 General Hospital on the outbreak of war in 1914, and served there until 1916, when he took his unit to India. He died of cholera on active service at Colaba Military Hospital on 10 August 1916, when 41 years of age. He was admitted as a student of Gray’s Inn in 1911.
Admitted to the Inn: 1911 Oct 16: Harding, Norman Ernest Jasper, Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps, of Freetown, Sierra Leone; the eldest son of the late Jesse Ham Harding, of Redonda, West Indies
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Kirkee 1914-18 Memorial
- Herbert Philip Hilton
Captain Herbert Philip Hilton
Captain Herbert Philip Hilton was educated at Malvern College and admitted as a student in 1907. He had served in Robert’s Horse throughout the Boer War, and in 1900 was given a commission in the 3rd Middlesex Regiment by Lord Roberts. He rejoined the Army shortly after the outbreak of War, and was killed in action in Belgium on 16 February 1915.
Admitted to the Inn: 1907 Nov 16: Hilton, Herbert Philip, Captain in the Middlesex Regiment, of 15 Southwell Gardens, Kensington, in the County of London; the eldest son of Ernest Frederick Hilton of the same address
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: d aged 42; Ypres Memorial, Menin Gate; husband of Hylda Swan (formerly Hilton), of 7, Elysium Row, Calcutta, India
- Godfrey Hudson MC
Major Godfrey Hudson MC
Major Godfrey Hudson MC was educated at Victoria College, Jersey, and Trinity College, Cambridge. In September 1914 he enlisted in the Inns of Court OTC and obtained a commission in the 6th Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment in November 1914. In 1916 he was transferred to the Machine-Gun Corps, being promoted Captain in 1917 and Major in 1918. In 1915, before going to France, he was bracketed equal for the Richards Prize at Gray’s Inn. On 4 August 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross “for conspicuous gallantry during operations. He carried out a dangerous reconnaissance with 2 other officers, who were both killed. He advanced to the enemy’s trenches in front of a captured position, and brought back valuable information.”
During the fierce enemy advance on 12 April 1918 Hudson led his Machine-Gun Company forward near Doulieu. Only a few men, but no officers, returned. He was instantaneously killed, having again displayed magnificent courage. His body was never found. He was only 24 years of age when he fell. He kept up his legal studies during the war, taking his text books with him wherever he went, smuggling them, for the purpose of study, into the limber of his gun carriage at night. He was admitted as a student in June 1914, and there is no doubt that his legal career would have been as remarkable as his military history.
Admitted to the Inn: 1914 June 30: Hudson, Godfrey, of Trinity Hall, Cambridge, of 15 Styles Way, Parklangley, Beckenham, in the County of Kent; the second son of Edward Francis Williams Hudson, of 15 Styles Way, Parklangley, Clerk in Holy Orders
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Ploegsteert Memorial; son of the Rev E F W and Constance L Hudson, of Saunton, N Devon; 1st Class, Law Tripos, Cambridge University 1914
- Walter Hirsch Hurstbourne
Second-Lieutenant Walter Hirsch Hurstbourne
Second-Lieutenant Walter Hirsch Hurstbourne (Hirschbein) was educated at the City of London School, where he had a brilliant career. He obtained an open scholarship at St John’s College, Oxford. In 1910 he was admitted a student of Gray’s Inn. He was on the staff of The Daily Mail in 1913, and afterwards on The Times.
In June 1915 he joined the Inns of Court OTC. He received his commission in the 4th Wessex Brigade Royal Field Artillery, and was drafted to France in November 1916. He was killed in action at Wytschaete on 23 June 1917 while doing observation work as “liaison” officer to his battery. He was then thirty years of age. His Commanding Officer described him as “a model officer, whose military future was assured. His charming personality and great literary gifts made him most popular,” and “his death was a distinct loss to the unit and to the Army.”
Admitted to the Inn: 1910 Jan 21: Hirschbein, Walter Hirsch, of St John’s College, Oxford, of 127 Brondesbury Villas, Kilburn in the County of London; the second son of Isaac Jacob Hirschbein of the same address. Note: Name changed by Deed Poll of August 31, 1915, to Hurstbourne
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery; son of Minnie Hirschbein, of 2 Inglewood Mansions, West End Lane, Kilburn, London, and the late Isaac Jacob Hirschbein
- Frederic Hillersdon Keeling
Sergeant-Major Frederic Hillersdon Keeling
Sergeant-Major Frederic Hillersdon Keeling was educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he obtained First Class Honours in the History Tripos. He was a founder of the Cambridge University Fabian Society and an active politician. He was admitted as a student at Gray’s Inn in 1907 but was never called to the Bar.
At the outbreak of War he was assistant editor of The New Statesman. He enlisted in August 1914 in the 6th Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, and became Sergeant-Major of the Grenadier Company. He was awarded the Military Medal in 1916. He was killed on 18 August 1916 by a German sniper when leading a bombing charge along a German trench in Delville Wood.
His Commanding Officer said that “he did magnificently in the fight, and the party he was reading did particularly valiant work; he was one of the bravest of men. His influence and brilliance were felt throughout the battalion, for he was an immense factor for good among the non-commissioned ranks, and a link between officers and men. Three times he was asked to take a commission, but he always refused, replying that he thought he was doing more useful work where he was.” He was 31 years of age when he fell in action.
Admitted to the Inn: 1907 Oct 23: Keeling, Frederick Hillersdon, of Trinity College, Cambridge; the eldest son of Frederic John Keeling of 27 St Mary’s Terrace, Colchester in the County of Essex, deceased
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Thiepval Memorial
Note: his middle name appears on the memorial as ‘Hillersden’
- Laurence Henry Kenny
Second-Lieutenant Laurence Henry Kenny
Second-Lieutenant Laurence Henry Kenny was educated at the City of London School, being called to the Bar in 1911. In September 1914 he joined the Inns of Court OTC and was gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion Suffolk Regiment in December 1914. He was drafted to France in December 1915, and was reported missing after a midnight trench raid on 25 June 1916 at Suzanne de Bray, near Cambrai, being then 34 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1908 May 16: Kenny, Laurence Henry, at present holding office under the London County Council (Education Department Executive) of 3 John Street, Bedford Row in the County of London; the second son of James Henry Kenny of [blank].
Called to the Bar: 26 Jan 1911
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 10th Bn attached to the 8th Bn; d 29 June 1916; Thiepval Memorial
- James Keogh
Captain James Keogh
Captain James Keogh was educated privately and at St Charles’ College, Kensington, being called to the Bar in 1903. He was a District Auditor of the Local Government Board. In January 1915 he joined the 3rd Home Counties Field Ambulance as Hon Lieutenant and Quarter-Master and was promoted Captain in 1916. He served in France and Salonica, being four times mentioned in despatches. He died in January 1919 on active service at Batoum, aged 40.
Admitted to the Inn: 1899 Nov 17: Keogh, James, of 50 St Marks Road, North Kensington, in the administrative County of London; the fourth son of John Lynch Keogh of the same address, Major in Her Majesty’s service (retired).
Called to the Bar: 26 Jan 1903
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: James Lynch Keogh, 83rd Field Ambulance; d 18 January 1919; Batumi British Military Cemetery, Georgia; husband of Violet Mary Keogh of Larksfield, Englefield Green, Surrey
- Nissim Lisbona
Private Nissim Lisbona
Private Nissim Lisbona was educated at the Manchester Grammar School and Manchester University, where he graduated as MA. He was called to the Bar in 1908, and practised in Manchester until September 1914, when he joined the 20th (Public Schools) Battalion Royal Fusiliers. He went to France in 1915, and served in the trenches. Later he became attached to the headquarters of the Royal Engineers for legal duties. In July 1916 he rejoined his battalion, at his own request, and took part in the engagement at High Wood. He was afterwards posted as missing with a large number of other officers and men. His body was found later and buried. He was 34 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1905 March 8: Lisbona, Nissim, BA Victoria University of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, of 184 Cheetham Hill Road, Cheetham, Manchester aforesaid; the youngest son of Moses Lisbona of the same address, Merchant.
Called to the Bar: 13 May 1908
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: d 20 July 1916; Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval; son of Moses and Mazal Lisbona
- Geoffrey Masters
Lieutenant Geoffrey Masters
Lieutenant Geoffrey Masters was educated at Colfe Grammar School, and was subsequently in the service of the Commercial Union Assurance Company, being called to the Bar in June 1914. At the outbreak of war he was a private in the London Scottish Battalion, and went out with his unit to France in September 1914. He was invalided home at Christmas 1914 and, having recovered, was commissioned in February 1915 to the 9th Royal Fusiliers, and became an instructor of snipers. He was killed by rifle-fire while leading his company in an attack near Arras on 9 April 1917. His Colonel wrote: “He was one of the best officers we had, and a fine example of manliness and cheerfulness to his men at all times.”
Admitted to the Inn: 1911 Oct 16: Masters, Geoffrey, of St Margarets Road, Brockley, in the County of London; the second surviving son of Richard Masters of Blackheath in the County of London, deceased.
Called to the Bar: 24 June 1914
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Feuchy Chapel British Cemetery, Wancourt
- Maung Maung
Private Maung Maung
Private Maung Maung, a native of Burma, was admitted as a student in 1911. In 1916 he voluntarily enlisted in the 18th Battalion London Regiment (London Irish Rifles) and served in France in the Battles of the Somme. He was discharged as medically unfit after some months’ duty in the trenches and then returned to Burma, where he was employed in recruiting work. He was accidentally drowned when on duty in August 1917, being then 26 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1911 Jan 4: Maung Maung of Myaungmya, Burma, India; the only son of Maung Aung Zau [or Zan], KSM of Myaungmya, District Judge
- Albert Barr Montgomery
Captain Albert Barr Montgomery
Captain Albert Barr Montgomery was educated at Perth High School, Australia, and subsequently became an undergraduate of London University, being admitted as a student at Gray’s Inn in 1914. In July 1915 he joined the Inns of Court OTC as a private, and received the King’s Commission in September 1915, in the 1/7th Worcester Regiment. He went to France with his battalion in March 1916 and was promoted captain just before he was severely wounded by shrapnel when leading his company in an attack on concrete blockhouses at Alberta Farm, St Julien, near Ypres, on 17 August 1917. He died at the age of 25 in hospital in Vlamerlinghe. He was mentioned in despatches in November 1917.
Admitted to the Inn: 1914 Oct 13: Montgomery, Albert Barr, School Master, Grammar School, Guildford, West Australia, of Perth, Western Australia; the second son of Alexander Montgomery, of Mines Department, Perth, Western Australia, Civil Servant
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: d aged 26; Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No 3; born Launceston, Tasmania; son of Alexander and Lisa Alberta Montgomery, of Perth, Western Australia
- Sylvester North East O’Halloran
Captain Sylvester North East O’Halloran
Captain Sylvester North East O’Halloran, who had volunteered as a private in the South African War in 1900, joined the 9th Essex Regiment [sic] as Lieutenant in December 1914, and served as Area Commandant in France, being promoted Captain in 1916. He was killed at the age of 49, at Monchy-le-Preux, on 9 August 1917, when gallantly leading his company across the German wire entanglements, his last words being: “Go for it, boys, when the barrage lifts,” his company being terribly cut up in the advance. He was educated at Cranleigh School, and was called to the Bar in May 1912.
Admitted to the Inn: 1909 April 30: O’Halloran, Sylvester North East, Bank Clerk, of 18 Pembridge Mansions, Moscow Road, in the County of London; the only son of Christopher O’Halloran of Colombo, Ceylon, Merchant, deceased.
Called to the Bar: 1 May 1912
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 2nd Essex Regiment; Arras Memorial
- John Ridley Prentice
Second-Lieutenant John Ridley Prentice
Second-Lieutenant John Ridley Prentice, an undergraduate of the University of London, was admitted as a student in 1913. He was an officer in the Regular Forces (Suffolk Regiment), and was killed in action on 18 June 1915 at Zillebeke, when serving with the British Expeditionary Force. He was 22 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1913 Oct 31: Prentice, Johann Wolfgang Goethe, of 10 Bryanston Mansions in the County of London; the youngest son of Thomas Ridley Prentice, of Hampstead, in the County of Middlesex, Musician and Author, deceased. Note: Name changed to John Ridley Prentice by Deed Poll of May 11, 1914
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 3rd Bn; Ypres Memorial, Menin Gate; son of T Ridley Prentice and Esther Ridley Prentice, of 6 The Flats, Stanmore, Middlesex
- Leslie William Whitworth Quin MC
Captain Leslie William Whitworth Quin MC
Captain Leslie William Whitworth Quin MC was educated at Temple Grove and Felsted Schools. After serving in Child’s Bank he went to South America, where he acquired a good business position. In October 1915 he returned home, joined the Inns of Court OTC and was commissioned in April 1916, to the 27th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers on active service. In October 1916 he was awarded the Military Cross because “he led a raiding-party with great courage and skill, maintaining his position for one and a half hours, setting a splendid example to his men.” He was promoted Captain in 1917, and was killed by a German sniper on 24 April of that year. His commanding officer said that “he died, as he had always lived, a magnificent pattern to all of us, and simply gave his life for his regiment.” He was only twenty-three years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1910 April 23: Quin, Leslie William Whitworth, of 7 Nevern Road, Kensington, in the County of London; the only surviving son of Richard James Quin, of 7 Nevern Road, Barrister-at-Law
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 3rd Bn attd 27th (Tyneside Irish) Bn; Arras Memorial; son of Mary Charlotte Quin, of 41, Barkston Gardens, Kensington, London, and the late Richard James Quin
- Cyril William Renton
Lieutenant Cyril William Renton
Lieutenant Cyril William Renton was formerly in practice as a solicitor and was called to the Bar in 1913. When war was declared he joined the Inns of Court OTC and became musketry instructor, being then 41 years of age. Later he succeeded in being sent to France, where he went through six months active service, returning home after he had been wounded. He died on 19 July 1917 aged 44, after two months illness, following wounds received in action. He served overseas in the 20th County of London Battalion. Admitted to the Inn: 12 Sept 1913: Renton, Cyril William, formerly a Solicitor, of 8 Warwick Court in the County of London; the elder son of Edward Renton of Hampstead in the County of Middlesex, deceased.
Called to the Bar: 17 Nov 1913
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Screen Wall I.7102, Streatham Park Cemetery
- William Kingsley Reynolds
Lieutenant William Kingsley Reynolds
Lieutenant William Kingsley Reynolds was educated at Rugby, and Merton College, Oxford. He was engaged in a business until the outbreak of war, when he enlisted as a private in the Public Schools Battalion. In October 1914 he obtained his commission in the 6th Battalion Leicester Regiment. In July 1915 he was promoted Lieutenant and was posted to the 1st Battalion Leicesters in France. On 10 September 1915 during heavy shelling of the trenches at Wieltje, near Ypres, he gallantly went to the assistance of a wounded sergeant. He was instantly killed by a German shell. He was a first-class all-round athlete and a most promising officer. He was admitted as a student in 1911, and was 24 years of age when he fell in action. He was an only son.
Admitted to the Inn: 1911 March 30: Reynolds, William Kingsley of Merton College, Oxford, and of Birstall Holt, Leicester; the only son of William George Waterhouse Reynolds, of the same address
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 3rd Bn attd 5th Bn; St Jean Churchyard Memorial, Poelcapelle British Cemetery; son of William George Waterhouse Reynolds and Ida Maud Reynolds, of Birstall Holt, Leicester
- Cosmo George Romilly
Lieutenant Cosmo George Romilly
Lieutenant Cosmo George Romilly was educated at Marlborough and New College, Oxford. He was a great grandson of Sir Samuel Romilly, who was Treasurer of Gray’s Inn in 1803. He was called to the Bar in 1913, and joined the South Wales Circuit.
He received his commission as Second-Lieutenant in September 1914 in the 13th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, and was drafted to the 1st Enniskillen Fusiliers in Gallipoli in May 1915 as Lieutenant. He was in all the terrible fighting on that peninsula, being recommended for mention in despatches for great gallantry throughout the night of 1 July for bringing up reinforcements three times under heavy fire, and thus saving a critical situation. He was killed by an enemy sniper on 11 August 1915 whilst out with a trench-digging party.
His superior officer wrote that “he was an excellent officer, with great power of .leading men. Fear was unknown to him; he was always calm and practical in emergency and a very lovable comrade.” Before the War, during his short experience of circuit, Romilly had shown great promise as an advocate, and it was considered that he would maintain the great legal traditions of his distinguished ancestors. He was 25 years old when he laid down his life for his country.
Admitted to the Inn: 1910 June 15: Romilly, Cosmo George, of The Drewitts, Haywards Heath, in the County of Sussex; the sole surviving son of Charles Edward Romilly of the same address, Gentleman.
Called to the Bar: 4 June 1913
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Twelve Tree Copse Cemetery; son of Charles Edward and Gerda Romilly; husband of May Louise Romilly, of Eastbridge, Crondall, Hants
- Charles Frederic Rorke
Private Charles Frederic Rorke
Private Charles Frederic Rorke was an Advocate of the Supreme Court of the Transvaal and later of the Union of South Africa. He was farming in South Africa when he enlisted in the Divisional Signalling Company for service in the operations in German East Africa, where he died at Morogoro on 1 October 1916. He was called to the Bar in 1899, and was 51 years of age at the time of his death on active service.
Admitted to the Inn: 1895 April 29: Rorke, Charles Frederic of Pretoria, South African Republic, the second son of the late Richard Forrester Rorke late of Pietermaritzburg in the Colony of Natal late Captain in Her Majesty’s 11th Regiment.
Called to the Bar: 14 June 1899
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: South African Signal Service; Morogoro Cemetery; son of Richard Rorke (Capt. 77th Foot) and his wife Caroline Margaret Holliday; husband of Margaret Rorke, of Vereeniging, Transvaal
- Reginald Henry Simpson
Lieutenant Reginald Henry Simpson
Lieutenant Reginald Henry Simpson was a Second-Lieutenant in the Westminster Dragoons when war broke out. He was promoted Lieutenant in October 1914 and was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the regiment, when he was killed in action at Pilckem, near Ypres, on 9 July 1915, being then 24 years of age. He was admitted as a student in 1913.
Admitted to the Inn: 1913 Oct 31: Simpson, Reginald Henry, of West Lea, Mirfield in the County of York; the eldest son of John Henry Simpson of West Lea, Mirfield, Solicitor
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 4th Bn; d 7 July 1915; Ypres Memorial, Menin Gate; son of John Henry and Julia Hannah Simpson, of West Lea, Mirfield, Yorks
- Daniel Pike Stephenson
Lieutenant Daniel Pike Stephenson
Lieutenant Daniel Pike Stephenson of Kingston, Jamaica, was a Rhodes Scholar and undergraduate of Lincoln College, Oxford. He was admitted as a student at Gray’s Inn in 1912. He enlisted as trooper in King Edward’s Horse in August 1914, receiving his commission in the 4th Staffordshire Regiment in that month. He was later attached to the 1st Cheshire Regiment in France. He was killed on 24 May 1915 when leading a grenade party in re-taking a trench from the Germans. He was a fearless soldier and a born leader of men, and was recommended for the Military Cross. He was 25 years of age when he fell.
Admitted to the Inn: 1912 Jan 17: Stephenson, Daniel Pike, a Rhodes Scholar, Undergraduate of Lincoln College, Oxford, of Kingston, Jamaica; the eldest son of Daniel Stephenson of Kingston, Jamaica, deceased
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Pike-Stephenson; Boulogne Eastern Cemetery
- Arthur John Newman Tremearne
Major Arthur John Newman Tremearne
Major Arthur John Newman Tremearne was educated at Melbourne University, became a scholar and prizeman of Christ’s College, Cambridge, and received the degrees of MA, LLM, MSc. He saw active service in the first Victoria contingent in the South African War of 1899, and was there wounded.
He served subsequently in West Africa, where he gained great knowledge of the Hausa language, which led to his obtaining the Hausa scholarship at Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he became University Lecturer in that language. His published work in anthropology and folklore was considerable.
Between 1909 and 1913 he was second in command of the 22nd London Regiment (The Queen’s). He was attending the meeting of the British Association in Australia when war broke out, and immediately returned to England to join the 8th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. He was shot through the heart when storming the German trenches at Loos on 25 September 1915, being then 38 years old. He was a clever, skilful soldier and leader of men. He was called to the Bar in 1912.
Admitted to the Inn: 1908 Jan 10: Tremearne, Arthur John Newman, an Assistant Resident in Northern Nigeria, West Africa; the eldest son of John Tremearne of Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Australia, Surgeon.
Called to the Bar: 26 Jan 1912
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: ‘”D” Coy 1st/22nd Bn attd 8th Bn Seaforth Highlanders; Loos Memorial; son of Ada Tremearne, of Melbourne, Australia, and the late John Tremearne. M.R.C.S. (England); husband of Mary Tremearne, of Tudor House, Blackheath Park, London; M.A., Christ’s College (Cambridge), LL.M., M.Sc.
- Elias Tremlett DSO
Lieutenant Elias Tremlett DSO
Lieutenant Elias Tremlett DSO was educated at Crediton Grammar School and University College London, obtaining the London University Law Scholarship in 1913. He was called to the Bar when serving in 1914, having previously won the Holt Scholarship and the Arden Scholarship at Gray’s Inn.
In September 1914 he joined the Public Schools Battalion, and was commissioned in December 1914 in the 9th Battalion Devon Regiment. In November 1915 he was drafted to Egypt in the 4th Battalion Worcester Regiment, with which unit he was transferred in 1916 to France and promoted Lieutenant. In October 1916 he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps. On 3 May 1917 he was awarded The Distinguished Service Order (DSO).
“He organised a bombing attack, and succeeded in working his way down 500 yards of the enemy’s trench. Throughout the attack he showed admirable coolness and greatly stimulated the men under his command.”
On 22 May 1917 this gallant officer was killed by a heavy enemy shell, which came over and burst in the immediate vicinity of a group of officers and men talking in a quiet sector of the line. He lies in the British Cemetery at Mory Abbey near Bapaume. He died at the age of 27.
Admitted to the Inn: 1910 Oct 31: Tremlett, Elias, of 147 Fellowes Road, South Hampstead, in the County of London and of Hollacombe, Crediton, in the County of Devon; the youngest son of William Tremlett of the same address, farmer.
Called to the Bar: 7 Nov 1914
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 208th Coy Machine Gun Corps; Mory Abbey Military Cemetery, Mory
- Alfred Coplestone Walden-Vincent
Captain Alfred Coplestone Walden-Vincent
Captain Alfred Coplestone Walden-Vincent was an undergraduate of Pembroke College, Cambridge, being called to the Bar in 1913. He was appointed Second-Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment on 1 September 1914, was promoted Captain on 31 December 1914, and served with the Battalion in Gallipoli, where he was wounded on 21 August 1915. He subsequently served in France and was killed in action near Albert on 26 August 1916, then being 27 years of age [sic].
Admitted to the Inn: 1908 Nov 21: Walden-Vincent, Alfred Coplestone, of Swadelands, Lenham, near Maidstone, in the County of Kent; the third son of Edmund Walden-Vincent, of the same address, Retired Merchant.
Called to the Bar: 16 April 1913
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: d 26 Sept 1916, aged 26; Courcelette British Cemetery; son of Edmund and Maria Emilia Walden Vincent, of 65, West Hill, St. Leonards-on-Sea
- Henry Percy Weber
Second-Lieutenant Henry Percy Weber
Second-Lieutenant Henry Percy Weber, a native of Demerara, British Guiana, was admitted a student in 1905. He joined the forces as Second-Lieutenant in the 7th King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment in December 1915. He was killed at Nieppe on 16 November 1916 when leading his platoon over the parapet of the trenches in a raiding-party through the German lines. He was called to the Bar in 1909, and was 31 years of age when he fell in action.
Admitted to the Inn: 1905 Nov 7: Weber, Henry Percy, of 4 Ravensbourne Park, Catford in the County of Kent, formerly of Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana, South America; the sixth son of Arthur Weber of Demerara aforesaid, deceased.
Called to the Bar: 23 June 1909
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 3rd attd 7th Bn; Martinsart British Cemetery
- Eric Crawcour Wilson
Lieutenant Eric Crawcour Wilson
Lieutenant Eric Crawcour Wilson was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School and was in the service of the Anglo South American Bank in Paris when war commenced. He joined the Inns of Court OTC as a cadet in December 1914 and in April 1915 was gazetted Second-Lieutenant in the 2nd Royal West Kent Regiment. In November 1915 he went to India, being transferred in December 1915 to Mesopotamia, where he served in many engagements and took part in the entry into Baghdad. He was killed near Mosul by a shell, after three years campaigning, on 28 October 1918, aged 27. He was called to the Bar in 1913. Admitted to the Inn: 1910 March 11: Wilson, Eric Crawcour, Bank Clerk of 92 Aldborough Road, Seven Kings, Ilford, in the County of Essex; the eldest son of William Alfred Wilson of thesame address, Merchant.
Called to the Bar: 4 June 1913
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery; son of William Alfred and Elizabeth Emily Wilson, of St. Breock, Woodford Bridge, Essex
- Colin Bassett Wrong MC
Lieutenant Colin Bassett Wrong MC
Lieutenant Colin Bassett Wrong MC was educated at Queen’s College, Demerara, and admitted as a student at Gray’s Inn in 1914. When war commenced he promptly enlisted in a Scottish regiment, and quickly received his commission in the 8th Bedfordshire Regiment. He was drafted to Salonica where he won the Military Cross in 1917 for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He assisted in dragging a severely wounded man back a distance of 1500 yards under heavy fire, displaying great courage and coolness throughout. He was promoted Lieutenant in the 11th Battalion Munster Fusiliers, and served in Egypt and Palestine. He met his death in the course of the stubborn and successful fighting against the Turks near Jerusalem on 28 December 1917. He was 23 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1914 Jan 14: Wrong, Colin Bassett of Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana; the eldest son of Richard Bassett Wrong of Georgetown
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: 6th Bn RMF; d aged 21; Jerusalem War Cemetery; son of Mrs. L. Wrong, of 128 6th Street, Albert Town, Pembrokeshire
- James Dawbarn Young
Lieutenant-Commander James Dawbarn Young
Lieutenant-Commander James Dawbarn Young RNVR was educated at St Albans Grammar School, and adopted the profession of a surveyor on leaving school. He was called to the Bar in 1906, and practised successfully on the South-Eastern Circuit. He was Examiner in Law to the Surveyors’ Institution and author of several legal works.
In 1914 he joined the Royal Naval Reserve as Sub-Lieutenant, and was engaged in mine-sweeping. He was promoted Lieutenant and appointed to the command of a motor launch in the Dover Patrol, in which he did most effective work, including services of a very dangerous character. He was killed in the daring and gallant cutting-out expedition on Zeebrugge on 23 April 1918. It was his task, in a small craft, utterly unprotected against fire, to lay flares at the end of the Mole to act as navigation marks for the blockading ships. He laid one flare successfully, but the German guns blew it to pieces. He dashed in to lay another, but a salvo caught his little ship and sank her. He died riddled with shrapnel and his country lost a very gallant officer. He was then 41 years of age.
Admitted to the Inn: 1902 March 25: Young, James Dawbarn, Undergraduate of London University, of Woodlands, North Hill, Highgate, London, the second son of Andrew Young of the same address, Valuer to the London County Council.
Called to the Bar: 24 April 1907
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Saunderton Churchyard