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.
Born: 7th April 1884, Hill Crest, Theydon Bois. Son o
f Charles Henry and Annette Emily Gardom, Hylands, Forest Road, Walthamstow and Longfield Cottage, Tadworth, Surrey.
Lower V-VI. School Prefect. XL Cricket.
Stock Exchange.
12th Bn. attd. 1st Bn Essex Regiment.
Gold Medal Skater of the National Skating Association in 1911.
'At the outbreak of the war he joined H. M. forces, and was sent out to the Dardanelles as Lieut, of the 12th Bn. of the Essex Regt. Reported as missing in August last, under circumstances which seemed to admit of no real doubt as to his fate, he was not officially reported as killed until January of this year. He was a boy of singular charm and cheeriness of manner, and extremely popular at school.' (Malvernian, Mar 1916).
War Service:
England: 6th August 1914 to 16th Sep 1914.
Embarked from Southampton: 17 Sep 1914.
Exhaustion: 6 Dec 1914.
Returned to Duty: 9 Dec 1914.
Appointed temp 2nd Lieut and left for England: 9 Jan 1915.
Gallipoli Campaign. 1915.
Following is a statement concerning his death from Cpl W. Challis:
'Mr Gardom was in charge of my platoon on the 6th August. We were ordered to take a T.T. (Turkish Trench) at No Man’s Land in front H. 12 Achi Baba. I saw Mr Gardom jump into the T.T. with three men. Only one of the four returned and he told me that the other two men and Mr Gardom were killed, Mr Gardom being shot in the arm and mouth and again just as he was actually jumping into the trench. '
greatwarliveslost.com
Service record:WO 339/19869
.jpg "View original memorial book page")
Son of Major F. L. C. Thomas (O.M.), Yapton, Camberley. b. 1893.
Upper IV B.
R.M.C. Sandhurst; Essex Regt. 1914; Lieutenant 1915.
'F. G. B. Thomas, the son of Major Thomas (O. M.), was only at Malvern a very short time, as the climate did not suit him. He was with the 1st Essex at the landing at Gallipoli, and was wounded on May 6th. He subsequently re-joined his regiment, and was reported Missing, believed killed in the attack on the Turkish trenches before Krithia, on August 16th, 1915. He was only 22.' (Malvernian, Nov 1919).