The following is a list with biographies of the 462 people who attended Malvern College and died due to the First World War. Altogether 2,833 are known to have served. There is also a corresponding page commemorating the 249 casualties in the Second World War.
There was not a month from August 1914 to November 1918 that an Old Malvernian did not become a casualty, with 6 killed on the first day of the Battle of Loos on the 25th September 1915 and 13 killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on the 1st July 1916.
The vast majority of casualties occurred in France and Belgium with 31 names recorded on the Menin Gate at Ypres, and 23 at Thiepval. There were also 23 casualties in Turkey due to the Gallipoli Campaign, and 16 in Iraq, including 2 near Kut.
They were in a wide range of regiments including 26 in the Royal Field Artillery, 13 in the Royal Engineers, 12 in the Worcestershire Regt, 11 in the Canadian Inf, 11 in the East Kent Regt (The Buffs), and 5 in the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force.
Most were officers with 133 Captains, 126 2nd Lieutenants, 114 Lieutenants, 26 Majors, and 15 Lieutenant Colonels.
29 received the MC, 10 the DSO and 1 the DCM, as well as 3 knighthoods (the CB, CMG, and MVO).
The information below is based primarily on the memorial books held at Malvern College which Ian Quickfall, and now Paul Godsland, the Malvernian Society archivists, have arranged to be digitised with the official memorial web site still in development.
Further information was also obtained from 'The Malvern College Register 1865-1924' edited by H.G.C Salmon, 'The Malvernian' school magazine, 'A History of Malvern College 1865 to 1965' by Ralph Blumenau, and 'Malvern College: A 150th Anniversary Portrait' by Roy Allen.
Information was also obtained from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, the Unit War Diaries and Service Records held at the National Archives in Kew, and various online commemorative websites whose links have been provided.
The main battles have tried to be identified in which Old Malvernians died in. Many though were killed in the general attrition of Trench Warfare which is so vividly described in the book 'Nothing of Importance' by Bernard Adams.
Below is a map showing the locations of the 246 cemeteries where Old Malvernians are buried or commemorated in. The markers are coloured yellow for one casualty, orange for between 2 and 9, and red for 10 or more. The name of the cemetery and number of casualties can be seen by hovering over the marker, and the list of names seen by clicking on the marker. Their full biographies and pictures can be seen by clicking on 'Further Info'.
The records can be filtered and/or sorted by name, house, age, regiment, battle, date, place etc by clicking on the appropriate drop down box and then the 'Search' button below the map. The original memorial book entry can be seen by clicking on the person's picture.
Son of J. J. Muir. b. 1896.
Upper IV B—Science I. School Prefect. Head of House. XI Cricket; XXII Football; Fives Pair. Cadet Officer.
Great War, 2nd Lieutenant 6th Bn. attd. 3rd Bn Worcestershire Regt. 1914.
'He left us only last Christmas. Here he earned the respect and affection of all who knew him by the genuine simplicity of his character and a certain natural dignity. He was not one of those to whom a soldier's career would in itself be likely to make any great appeal, but a high sense of duty impelled him to try, despite his short sightedness, to obtain a commission. This he gained in the 6th (Reserve) Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment. He went to the front in March with the 3rd Battalion, and was killed in action in Flanders on June 6th.' (Malvernian, Jul 1915).
Unit War Diary extract of 16th June 1915:
'The orders to the Battalion were to support and consolidate the positions gained by the 9th Inf. Bde. In the captured trenches about “Y” wood and to the North of Hooge, and help them consolidate. After an examination of the position had been made, it was decided that immediate support was not necessary. After the assault by the 9th Infantry Brigade, the 7th Infantry Brigade had orders to occupy their assembly trenches and this was done. The H.A.C. at once followed the battalions Royal Fusiliers and 1st Lincs and helped them to consolidate, but after communication with them in captured trenches it was found that immediate support to the H.A.C. which had been ordered, was not necessary, so battalion remained in the assembly trenches vacated by the 9th Inf. Bde., remaining there under heavy shell fire, and a good many casualties occurred. [Killed: Capt EW Buckler, Lt B Muir, Lt RN Loring; Wounded 11 officers. Rank and File: Killed 30, Wounded 255, Missing 24. Total 309]'.