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 H. C. Knight, 1 Baron Grove, Mitcham. b. 1892.
Upper IV A—Upper Shell.
Great War, Captain 3rd Bn. attd. 1st Bn. East Lancashire Regt., Special Reserve.
The below unit war diary describes in great detail the operations of the 11th April where Capt H E C Knight is among the list of 'Missing'. 10 other officers and over 200 other ranks were also casualties (ie over a quarter of the battalion).
Unit War Diary:WO 95/3061/1
There is a photo of him on the 'Past on Glass' site https://pastonglass.wordpress.com/about/ Photo
Thanks to Jonathan Bracken, a researcher on the site.
Son of Stuart and Ethel MacRae, Handley House, Newark, and Rhu Lodge, Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Argyllshire. b. 1894.
Middle IV A.
Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (T.F.) 1911.
Great War, mobilised 1914, transferred Black Watch; Captain 83rd Sqdn. Royal Air Force.
'At the outbreak of war he was in the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, which he left shortly afterwards to join a battalion of the Black Watch. He had for a long time wished to fly, and in October 1915 he joined the R.F.C. He got his wings on February 1st , 1916, and went to France the following month for eight months. He was gazetted Flight Commander in January 1917, and, after instructing in England for fourteen months, again went to the front last March, and was killed on April 11th. A boy of kindly, generous disposition, he was extremely popular at School, and it is very clear from the accounts which have reached us that he proved himself an extremely efficient airman.' (Malvernian, Jul 1918).
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