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")
Date of birth: 21.6.1875. Son of T. Barnett, Nyton House, Chichester. b. 1875.
Modern II—I.
St. John’s College, Cambridge; B.A. (Third Class Natural Science
Tripos) 1896; MB., B.C., 1902; St. George’s Hospital; M.R.C.S.,
L.R.C.P. 1901; D.P.H. R.C.P.S. Lond. 1903; Inspector Public Health
Department, Cairo, 1905—07; Medical Officer of Health, Hong Kong;
Solicitor 1909; Medical Officer of Health, Isle of Ely.
Great War,
Captain A.S.
Appointed Captain 18.1.1915
'Suicide whilst of unsound mind'.
A newspaper account stated that he suffered from varicose veins, which had not been cured by an operation, leading to insomnia due to severe pain. He was also very worried about being able to carry out his duties. He was found hanged early on Sunday morning.
He had previously been a Medical Health Officer in Cambridge, Hong Kong and Egypt.
Grantees of Will: Rev Arthur Thomas Barnett and Harold Thomas Barnett.(Brothers of deceased).
Service Record: National Archives Ref:WO 339/19776
.jpg "View original memorial book page")
Born on 27 December 1891, son of Henry Warren Davis and Christobel Warren Davis, of The Warren, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.
Army III—II. School Prefect. House XI Football.
Mentioned in Despatches.
Gazetted Second Lieutenant into the Welsh Regiment on 14 February 1912, and was a Lieutenant with the 1st Battalion, Welsh Regiment at the outbreak of war, which moved to France in January 1915.
In the Second Battle of Ypres, on 18 April 1915, he was sent out in charge of a party of bombers from B Company, to destroy a Trench Mortar, and was killed while stooping down to aid a wounded man during the assault at Hill 60.
The History of the Welsh Regiment records; ‘Lieutenant Davis was a great loss—a fine sportsman and an excellent bomber and shot, he was developing into an invaluable sniping expert.’
Biography
NB: The Malvern College memorial entry mistakenly records the date as 18 Apr 1916 and not 18 Apr 1915.
Son of E. W. M. Lloyd, Hartford House, Winchfield, and Eleanor E. Lloyd, of Hartley Wintney, Hants. b. 1894.
Upper V—Science I. Minor Scholar.
Apprenticed to an Architect.
Great War, Private 1914, 2nd Lieutenant 8th Lincoln Regt.; Lieutenant 123rd Field Coy. Royal Engineers.
'Wynell Lloyd showed a good deal of sturdy common-sense and determination at School. He was not popular in the ordinary sense of the word, but those who knew him best discovered the true value of his character, and he was one of those who merit and obtain the trust of others. On leaving School he took up the profession of an architect. Immediately after the outbreak of war he enlisted and served in the ranks for some months, and then gained his commission in the Lincolnshire Regiment. But feeling he could turn his special talents and training to better account in the Royal Engineers, he applied for a transference.' (Malvernian, Jun 1918).
At the proceeding of a Court Martial on 4th May 1918:
Corporal R. Prior stated that when Lieutenant Lloyd came on parade he noticed that Sapper Robert Bell was not wearing his putties. He brought the accused out in front of the parade, and Lloyd asked him why he was not wearing his putties. Bell said that they hurt his legs. Lloyd dismissed him and told him to go and put his putties on. While inspecting the rear of the two ranks, Lloyd was shot in the forehead and fell to the ground. Sapper Robert Bell was seen in a trench with a rifle.
The accused stated that he slipped when getting out of the trench to rejoin the parade, after failing to find his putties. His rifle flew forward and exploded. He had forgotten to remove the round placed in the barrel earlier in the day, when he went hunting for hare or partridge.
It was stated that the accused was a good shot and had shot game before, especially rabbits.
CSM Foster said that Bell told him "When I set out to accomplish a thing, I do it, there it is. I have done the section a good turn. You'll think of Bob Bell in years to come." He added that he was not aware of any ill feeling between Lieutenant Lloyd and the accused.
In mitigation it was stated, he had enlisted on 9 January 1915, and been in France since December 1915.
Sapper Robert Bell was sentenced to death by shooting with no recommendation for mercy. He was shot at 4.12 am on 22 May 1918.
Court Martial details at Woodyatt site
Born 16th August 1885. Son of Charles Tuff, J.P. (formerly MP for Rochester) and Marian Tuff (nee Gill), Westfield, Singlewell, Gravesend.
Army IV—I. School Prefect. XI Football 1902,03; Shooting VIII; Lieutenant in Corps.
Farmer of Coombe Manor near Rochester; Lieutenant 3rd Batt. Royal West Kent Regt. 1914.
Great War, mobilised 1914; Captain. "D" Coy. 3rd Bn. Attd 1st Bn. Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment).
He joined the battalion in the Field on the 2nd December 1914.
He returned from leave on the 1st March 1915, was sick with Dyspepsia on the 14th March, and rejoined the battalion 10 days later on the 24th March and took over command of D Company.
He was shot through the head and killed instantly at about 3am while leading his company in the attack on Hill 60 near Zillebeke on the night of April 18th-19th. His body was seen in the left crater by 2nd Lieut Doe who wrote 'I never saw such a sight as at that left crater. Hardly a portion of ground could be seen for dead and seriously wounded men who could not be removed owing to the communication trench being blocked with wounded.' He was among six officers killed on that night in his battalion.
'He was killed at Hill 60, near Ypres, on April 18th. A boy of strong sturdy character, who was farming in Kent at the outbreak of the war. He received a commission in the East Kents, and after some months of service was killed in action at the head of his company.' (Malvernian, Jun 1915).
He was previously commemorated on the Ypres Menin Gate memorial (P 45/47) but his grave has now been found as per below:
'Captain Tuff is now known to be buried in Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery. His remains were found on Hill 60 after the Great War and moved there. The grave was marked as being that of a Captain of the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment). Two researchers noticed this grave and independently submitted enquiries to CWGC hoping to have identified this as being Captain Tuff’s grave. The case then came to JCCC for final adjudication.
A rededication service will be held at the graveside on 14 May 2019.' (Information kindly provided via email in January 2019 by Rosie Barron of the Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre at the Ministry of Defence.)
Service record:WO 339/28442 War diary extracts
Unit war diary Mar-May 1915:WO 95/1553/3 , Extract
1914 Oct 1 - 1915 Feb 28: WO 95/1553/2
1914 Aug 1 - 1914 Sept 30: WO 95/1553/1