Regiment: Royal Lancaster Regt.
Died: 01 July 1916 aged 20 in France. Killed in action at the Somme.
Battle: Battle of the Somme. Cemetery: Sucrerie Mil Cemetery Colincamps I H 11
Born: 6th October 1896. Son of Hon. Col. Hugh Mesnard Melly, V.D., and Eleanor Lawrence Melly, Quinta, Greenheys Road, Liverpool.
Army III—I.
Passed into R.M.C. Sandhurst, but did not enter.
Great War. 2nd Lieutenant 1st Bn. King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment).
'From here he passed into Sandhurst, but war broke out just before he was due to join. He, therefore, chose to accept an offer of joining the Special Reserve of the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). He went out with a draft to France and was wounded in the foot on (27th) April, 1915 (at Ypres). Later on he received a commission and proceeded again to the front. He was killed on July 1st while leading his men on to assault the second line of German trenches. His Major writes: "He was very happy in his life in the Regiment. He was a brave, fearless and capable officer." ' (Malvernian, Jul 1916).
Killed in action at Serre on the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
'Green Trench, near Serre. 1st July 1916. At 8.46am leading sections of the Batn advanced from the assembly area. Directly the advance commenced the Batn came under heavy machine gun fire and there seems no doubt that a large number of casualties occurred before reaching our own front line. The advance still continued, however, a large number of casualties being sustained in no man's land from both machine gun and shell fire. Only a small number of the two left companies reached the German front line.
2nd Lieut Melly was among the 7 officers killed in his battalion, and a further 13 officers were wounded. Only 120 men were left at the end of the day.' (Unit War Diary).
There is a memorial plaque at St John The Evangelist Church, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port.IWM
Service record:WO 339/24244
Unit war diary:WO 95/1506/1