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.
.jpg "View original memorial book page")
Son of B. Cass, Secunderabad, Deccan. B. 1891.
Lower V—Lower VI. House Scholar. Shooting VIII; House XI Cricket.
Assistant Manager, Oxford University Press, Indian Branch; later with Lyon, Lord & Co., Bombay; 2nd Lieutenant, General Reserve of Officers.
Great War, Sergeant 1914, 2nd Lieutenant 2nd Bn. South Wales Borderers.
'On leaving school he trained with the Inns of Court O.T.C., and before going to India in 1912 as Assistant Manager of the Indian Branch of the Oxford University Press, he was gazetted Second Lieutenant in the Special Reserve of Officers. On the outbreak of war he volunteered his services as Sergeant pending his being gazetted to a regiment, and served in France throughout the autumn and winter. He was gazetted Second Lieutenant 3rd South Wales Borderers in February, and in May, having been attached to the 2nd Battalion of that regiment, joined in at the Dardanelles, where he fell on June 19th.' (Malvernian, Jul 1915).
Medal card: WO 372/4/47955
Son of Colonel Lyster-Smythe, Barbavilla, Collinstown. b. 1897.
Lower IV—Matriculation Class.
Great War, 2nd Lieutenant 3rd Bn Gordon Highlanders; Captain R.A.F.
'A keenness for all things engineering, and a thoroughly fearless disposition, marked him out for the Flying Corps. At first, however, he obtained a commission in the Gordon Highlanders, transferring later to the R.A.F., where he took part in the Palestine campaign and rose to the rank of Flight Commander. He was drowned, whilst bathing, at Jaffa, on June 19th.' (Malvernian, Dec 1919).
He was drowned while bathing at Jaffa.
Flight Global
Son of Mrs. Priestley, Edgbaston. b. 1895.
Middle IV B—Modern II. House XI Football.
In business.
Great War Private 6th Royal Warwickshire Regt. 1914; Lieutenant R.G.A.
'He enlisted in September 1914, in the 6th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and went to France in March 1915. In September 1915 he obtained a commission in the R.G.A., and in the spring of 1916 he again went to France, and from then until he was sent home in March 1918, suffering from gas poisoning, he was in the thick of the fighting both on the Somme and at Passchendaele. A wonderful tribute has been received from his C.O. of his bravery and goodness, and from all sides his mother has been comforted by hearing of the respect in which he was held by his men. He died at Streatham Hall Military Hospital, Exeter, on June 19th.' (Malvernian, Jul 1918).