The Roll of Honour, Volume 1 : A biographical record of all members of His…
1914. His body was brought home and buried at St. Margaret’s Cemetery,
3484 words | Chapter 29
Rochester. Capt. Browne, who was _unm._, was mentioned in F.M. Sir
John French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915 for “gallant and distinguished
service in the field.”
=BROWNE, HAROLD VERNON=, Capt., Queen’s Own Dorset Yeomanry, yr.
_s._ of Leonard Gilbert Browne, of Hoburne, Christchurch, co.
Hants, formerly of Buckland Park, South Australia, by his wife, Helen
Mary, dau. of Henry Strong Brice; _b._ Buckland Park, 25 Aug.
1885; educ. Hazlewood, Limpsfield and Wellington College. He resided
from 1909–14 at Cheriton Manor, Templecombe, and after that at Preston
House, Iwerne Minster. In 1908 he joined the Dorsetshire Yeomanry and
became Lieut. 4 Oct. 1913, and Capt. July, 1915. On the outbreak of
the war he volunteered for foreign service, and was sent on special
service in July, 1915, from Egypt to Gallipoli, and was military
landing officer at Suvla Bay all through the August landing. He was
killed by a shell on the beach while doing his work of landing troops,
7 Sept. 1915, and was buried there. His commanding officer at Suvla Bay
wrote: “I, like all who came in contact with him, had learnt to be very
fond of and admire him. He was a splendid man and a brave soldier, who
did not seem to know such a thing as fear or danger, and he met his
death, I think and trust, a painless one, when nobly doing his duty,
and actually giving an order in connection with it. He was a true and
good soldier and died a soldier’s death.” He was a very fine all-round
athlete, he played in the school cricket eleven at Wellington, and
afterwards for Dorset County, was a first-class golfer and lawn tennis
player, hunted regularly with the Blackmore Vale Hounds, and rode in
many point-to-point races and steeplechases. Capt. Browne _m._
at St. Peter’s, Eton Square, 24 June, 1908, Doris (Preston House,
Iwerne Minster, Blandford), elder dau. of John Tillard, of Blakeney,
co. Norfolk, and had three sons and one dau.: Anthony Harold Scott,
_b._ 21 April, 1909; Peter Francis William, _b._ 1 Jan. 1912;
Nigel Philip, _b._ 20 Jan. 1913; and Ursula Patricia, _b._ 24
Nov. 1915.
[Illustration: =Harold Vernon Browne.=]
=COLLIS-BROWNE, ALFRED ULICK=, Lieut., 1st. Battn. King’s Own
Yorkshire L.I., yst. _s._ of William Alfred Collis-Browne, of
Monteagle, Godalming, Major (ret.) 5th Battn. Rifle Brigade; _b._
Byfleet, co. Surrey, 13 June 1889; educ. Killcott, Godalming;
represented the R.M.A. at Association Football, 1908; joined the
Yorkshire L.I. in South Africa, 1910, and was promoted Lieut. 27
July, 1914. On the outbreak of war he proceeded with his regt. to the
Front, was appointed Machine Gun Officer, and was killed in action
whilst making a reconnaissance of a trench at Ypres, 13 April, 1915.
He was buried at Zonnebeke, near Ypres; _unm._ The Adjutant of
his battn. wrote: “He was one of the pluckiest fellows I ever knew.
Only a fortnight ago, in an action we had, the captain in the trenches
reported how splendidly he worked his guns, and the good effect it had
on his men, by whom he was greatly beloved.” He was mentioned in F M.
Sir John French’s Despatch of 31 May [London Gazette, 22 June], 1915.
=BROWNING, FRANK HERBERT=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 10905, H.M.S.
Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BROWNING, JAMES ALEXANDER=, Major, 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen’s
Bays), yr. _s._ of Edward Campbell Browning, of Rushden House,
co. Northants, by his wife, Alice Louisa, dau. of C. Pratt Barlow;
_b._ Onslow Square, London, 25 June, 1878; educ. Eton and
Sandhurst; obtained his commission, 11 May, 1898, and was promoted
Lieut. 16 Aug. 1899; Capt. 14 Sept. 1901, and Major 5 July, 1911. From
1906–09 he acted as Adjutant to the Queen’s Bays and was A.D.C. to the
Inspector-Gen. of Cavalry in the early stages of the South African
War, and in 1901–02 he took part in the operations in the Orange River
Colony, the Transvaal and Cape Colony, for which he received the
Queen’s medal with five clasps. On the outbreak of the European War he
went to France with the Expeditionary Force, and was killed by a shell
at Messines, 31 Oct. 1914, while in command of his regt. He was buried
at Wulverghem, and was mentioned in F.M. Sir John French’s Despatches
[London Gazette, 22 June, 1915], for gallant and distinguished service
in the field. Capt. Browning _m._ at St. Mary’s Church, Higham
Ferrers, co. Northants, 21 March, 1903, Lilian Brenda (Stonycroft,
Aldershot), only dau. of Capt. Basil John Fisher, U.S.A., and had two
sons: Geoffrey Alexander, _b._ 21 March, 1907; and Peter Campbell,
_b._ 18 March, 1910.
[Illustration: =James A. Browning.=]
=BROWNLEE, JAMES ALEXANDER=, Petty Officer (N.S.), 185918, H.M.S.
Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BROWNLOW, MARK=, E.R.A., 2nd Class, 271387, H.M.S. Good Hope;
lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BROYD, ERNEST JOHN=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 9569), 203287, H.M.S.
Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BRUCE, ALFRED=, Private, No. 1239, 1/4th Battn. King’s Own
Yorkshire L.I. (T.F.), 2nd _s._ of the late William Bruce, by
his wife, Alice Annie (40, Chatsworth Place, Harrogate); _b._
Aldboro’, Borobridge, co. York, 17 May, 1893; educ. Grove Road Board
School, and Technical School, Harrogate; entered the service of the
Educational Offices, Wakefield, where he was on the permanent clerical
staff, but after the outbreak of war enlisted in Sept. 1914. and was
accidentally drowned with six other soldiers at Gainsborough in a
pontoon accident, 19 Feb. 1915; _unm._ He won the West Riding
County Minor Scholarship in May, 1904, and passed the Oxford Junior
Examination at the age of 14.
=BRUCE, GERVASE RONALD=, Midshipman, R.N., _s._ of Percy
Robert Bruce, of Downhill, co. Londonderry, and Clifton Hall, Notts,
Major, South Notts Hussars, by his wife, Aletheia Georgina, dau. of the
Right Hon. Sir Richard Horner Paget, of Cranmore Hall, Somerset, 1st
Bart., P.C., and grandson of Lieut.-Col. Sir Hervey Juckes Lloyd Bruce,
of Downhill, near Coleraine, and Clifton Hall, Nottingham, 4th Bart.,
late Coldstream Guards; _b._ London, 19 Jan. 1899; educ. Osborne
and Dartmouth Colleges; mobilised from Dartmouth. Aug. 1914, and was
killed in action in the Battle off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, by
the sinking of H.M.S. Monmouth, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BRUCE, JOHN ELLIOTT LIDDERDALE=, R.A., Major, Royal Garrison
Artillery, 2nd _s._ of Col. Elliott Armstrong Bruce, of Stenhouse,
Barnstaple, Indian Army [grandson of Sir William Bruce, of Stenhouse,
7th Bart.], by his 1st wife, Mary Rebecca, dau. of the Rev. William
Dawson; _b._ Rangoon, 10 Jan. 1870; educ. Carshalton House,
Carshalton, Surrey; St. Paul’s School and Woolwich Academy; gazetted
2nd Lieut. Royal Artillery, 15 Feb. 1889, and promoted Lieut. 15 Feb.
1892, Capt. 19 July, 1899, and Major, 7 Aug. 1909; was D.A.A.G. for
Royal Artillery in India, 29 March, 1906, to 31 May, 1907; Staff Capt.,
India, 1 June, 1907, to 16 March, 1908, and Brigade Major, India,
17 March, 1908, to 28 March, 1910; served (1) in Burma as Orderly
Officer, 1891, with the Wuntho Expedition (mentioned in Despatches
[London Gazette, 9 Feb. 1892] (medal with clasp); (2) with the
Waziristan Expedition, 1894–5 (clasp); (3) in the operations in the
North-West Frontier, India, 1897–8, with the Tochi Field Force (medal
with clasp); (4) in South African War, 1900; took part in operations
in the Transvaal, Orange Free State, and Cape Colony, March to Sept.
(Queen’s medal with three clasps); (5) on North-West Frontier, India,
1908, as D.A.Q.M.G. (12–31 May) to Field Force during operations in the
Mohmand country; and (6) with the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
at the Dardanelles, 1915; took part in the landing, 25 April, and was
killed in action there 29 May following, being mentioned in Gen. Sir
Ian Hamilton’s Despatches [London Gazette, 5 Aug. 1915]. Major Bruce
_m._ at Tilford, Surrey, 12 Sept. 1900, Charlotte Mabel, yst.
dau. of the late T. J. G. Johnstone, of the Ceylon Civil Service, and
had two sons: John Charles Douglas, _b._ 2 Aug. 1902; and Henry
Malcolm, _b._ 28 Feb. 1904.
[Illustration: =John Elliott L. Bruce.=]
=BRUCE, JONATHAN MAXWELL=, Major, 107th Pioneers, Indian Army,
eldest _s._ of Richard Isaac Bruce, of Quetta, Teddington, C.I.E.
late Commissioner in the Punjab (who received the thanks of the Indian
Government on several occasions for distinguished frontier service),
by his wife, Lilla, dau. of the Rev. John Beavor Webb, Rector of
Dunderrow, co. Cork, and gdson. of Jonathan Bruce, of Miltown Castle,
co. Cork; _b._ Dharmsala, India, 22 June, 1873; educ. Haileybury
and Sandhurst; obtained his commission, 16 Jan. 1895, and was promoted
Lieut. 16 April, 1897, Capt. 16 Jan. 1904, Double Company Officer 8
March, 1908, and Major 16 Jan. 1913. He saw active service on the
North-West Frontier of India in 1897–8, taking part in the defence and
relief of Malakand, the action at Landaki and the operations in the
Mahmund Country, receiving the medal with two clasps. Major Bruce was
killed in action at Festubert, 24 Nov. 1914, and was buried at Bethune.
He _m._ at St. Alban’s Church, Teddington, 14 Sept. 1905, Mabel
Waldron (Kenilworth, Seymour Road, Hampton Wick), 3rd dau. of Henry
Trengronse, of Hampton Wick, J.P., and had two daus.--Mary Aileen,
_b._ 5 May, 1908, Barbara Maxwell, _b._ 11 March, 1910.
[Illustration: =Jonathan Maxwell Bruce.=]
=BRUCE, WILLIAM ARTHUR McCRAE=, Lieut., 59th Scinde Rifles,
Frontier Force, Indian Army, only _s._ of Col. Andrew McCrae
Bruce, of Roch d’Or, Sanares, Jersey, C.B., Unemployed Supry. List,
Indian Army; by his wife, Margaret Hay; _b._ 15 June, 1890;
educ. Mr. Bickerstith’s Preparatory School, Netherwood, Hastings; Mr.
Reynold’s Preparatory School, Cliff House, Southbourne, Hants; Victoria
College, Jersey, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Was a
King’s Indian Cadet, and after passing out of Sandhurst in the autumn
of 1909 was gazetted 2nd Lieut. on the unattached list for the Indian
Army 29 Jan. 1910, and sailed for India in H.M. Troopship Plassy, on 11
Feb. from Southampton. On arrival in India he was ordered in join 5th
Northumberland Fusiliers, to which regt. he was attached; after serving
with them for one year he was posted to the 59th Scinde Rifles F.F. at
Kohat, Punjab, and joined on 8 March, 1911. In 1911–12 he took part
with his regt. in one or two small affairs against Wuzeerie Raiders.
In 1912, he passed in musketry and signalling. In the autumn of 1913,
he marched with his regt. from Kohat to Qullundur, arriving there on
17 Dec. 1913. In June, 1914, Col. Fenner, commanding the regt. wrote
of him: “A big, fine and promising young officer of excellent ability.
As Transport and Signalling Officer, has performed his duties with
marked success. Personally popular, good at games and a fine rider. He
is good tempered, has tact, judgment, self-reliance, reliability and
common sense. His influence with officers and men is good, he is active
and temperate.” In 1914, he was granted eight months’ leave to England
where he arrived on 10 April. On the outbreak of war he was ordered
to rejoin his regt. and sailed for India in H.M. Trooper Dongola on
10 Aug. On arrival in Egypt he was ordered to disembark and proceed
to Cairo and await the arrival of his regt. With his regt, he arrived
in Marseilles about 17 Sept. and in Oct. joined the fighting line. He
took part in all the work done by his regt. until he was killed on 19
Dec. 1914. Major I. L. Leede, commanding the 59th Scinde Rifles F.F.
wrote on 20 Dec. 1914: “I am deeply grieved to have to write and tell
you that your son Lieut. Bruce was killed yesterday, during a night
attack. He met his death in a German trench which we had taken, he was
shot through the chest and killed instantly.... Until Col Fenner was
killed, your son was my company officer, and I was very fond of him
indeed, and I am more grieved than I can say to have to tell you of his
death. I consider him to have been a young officer of most exceptional
promise, and I have seen him under fire off and on for two months. Will
you please accept the very sincere sympathy and condolence of the whole
regt.” Capt. Anderson of 59th Scinde Rifles F.F. writing on 20 Dec.
1914, to Gen. J. R. B. Atkinson, said. “A N.C.O. of mine got back last
night. He had been with Bruce, who was the first man into his part of
the trench, and died most gallantly holding it. He (the N.C.O.) says
he told his men to retire, but they said the Sahib had ordered them
not to, so they died there.” Lieut. C. J. S. Le Cornu, 56th Punjab
Rifles F.F. with the 33rd Div. Sig. Coy., writing on 27 Dec. 1914,
said: “I had a long talk with Anderson, the Adjutant. He said to me:
‘If you are writing to Bruce’s people do tell them how very fond we all
of us in the regt. were of him, and that he died doing an extremely
plucky thing....’ He was leading a bombing party, ... and the men who
were with and near him that night cannot speak too highly of him....
Every single officer and man in the 59th I saw to-day had a word of
sympathy for you, and they one and all said how very pluckily your son
had died.” Capt. Scales, attached to the 59th Scinde Rifles, who was
very severely wounded in the same attack, wrote on 9 Jan. 1915: “Your
son was with me just a minute or two before we left our trenches to
attack the German trenches, he was in splendid spirits and ready for
anything.... His loss will be felt by everyone in the regt. as he was
the best of good fellows, and absolutely fearless.”
=BRUMPTON, ERNEST WILLIAM=, Gunner, R.M.A., 5923, (R.F.R., B.
547), H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BRUNS, THOMAS JOHN=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 13363, H.M.S. Hogue;
lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BRYANT, CHARLES WILLIAM=, Ordinary Seaman, J. 10225, H.M.S.
Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BRYANT, HENRY EDWARD=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 4220), S.S.
102908 H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of
Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BRYANT, JOHN WILLIAM=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 8959), 207950, H.M.S.
Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BRYANT, RICHARD=, Chief Armourer, 168951, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost
in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=BRYANT, THOMAS HENRY=, Armourer’s Crew, M. 7291, H.M.S. Hogue;
lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=BINGHAM-BRYDEN, EDWARD CARRUTHERS=, Private, No. 1137, D Coy.,
4th Battn. Australian Imperial Force, only _s._ of the late
Edward Carruthers Bryden, of Birklees, Goulburn, New South Wales,
Dental Surgeon, by his wife, Anna Maria (Birklees, Goulburn, New South
Wales), dau. of the late Henry Bingham, of Annagh House, co. Mayo
[2nd _s._ of Robert Augustus Bingham, of Bingham Castle, co.
Mayo]; _b._ Birklees, Goulburn, 30 July, 1894; educ. Goulburn
and afterwards at an Agricultural College, and when war broke out was
on a station learning farming previous to taking up land for himself;
volunteered for Imperial service at the end of Aug. 1914; left for
Egypt with the main force on the Euripides, 19 Oct. 1914; took part
in the landing at the Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915, and was killed in
action there the following day; _unm._ His company officer wrote:
“He was in my company and under me since we left Sydney. I wanted
you to know he died as a true soldier. His body was buried on the
battlefield.”
[Illustration: =E. C. Bingham-Bryden.=]
=BUCHANAN, DUNCAN ALLAN=, Private, No. 1837, 1/8th Argyll and
Sutherland Highlanders (T.F.), eldest _s._ of Thomas Watters
Buchanan, of Oak Bank, Oban, Sheep Farmer, by his wife, Jane Cooper,
dau. of the late William Allan, of Morningside, Edinburgh; _b._
Colisnacone Farm, Glencoe, co. Argyle, 19 Dec. 1894; educ. Oban High
School; prior to the outbreak of the war was in the employment of
Messrs. Hosack & Sutherland, Lawyers at Oban, but volunteered his
services immediately and enlisted in the Cycle Corps of the 8th Argyll
and Sutherland Highlanders, going with his regt. to Flanders in May.
On 11 June, 1915, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were in the
trenches near Festubert, and as the men were short of rations, parties
of ten from each platoon were organised to go to the rear for the
purpose of obtaining food. No. 16 platoon, of which Buchanan was a
member, went first. The firing trench was only between 50 and 100 yards
from the enemy, and the men had to run about 100 yards across the open
to get into the communication trench. When they were about half way
across the Germans opened fire. Buchanan was badly wounded by a bullet
in the thigh. He was brought home and died in Netley Hospital 6 July,
following, from haemorrhage caused by the rupture of an artery. In all
the letters from officers and comrades, also the nurses and orderlies,
reference was made to his brightness and to his cheerful obliging
disposition under all circumstances. He was _unm._
[Illustration: =Duncan Allan Buchanan.=]
=BUCHANAN, JAMES HERBERT=, Lieut., 4th (Extra Reserve) Battn.
Princess Victoria’s Royal Irish Fusiliers, attached 1st Battn.
Leinster Regt., only _s._ of George Buchanan, of Prospect House,
Ballyward, Banbridge, co. Down, retired teacher and farmer, by his
wife, Elizabeth, dau. of Robert Ochiltree; _b._ Ballyward, 12
Aug. 1892; educ. Excelsior Academy, Banbridge, and Queen’s University,
Belfast, where he studied with a view to entering the ministry of the
Presbyterian Church. While at Queen’s University he was for three years
a member of the O.T.C. and rose to the rank of Sergt. On 24 June, 1914,
he was gazetted 2nd Lieut., being posted to the 4th Battn. Royal Irish
Fusiliers. After joining he spent some time training at Carrickfergus,
was promoted Lieut. 2 Nov. 1914, and on 16 Feb. left for France with
a draft of 200 men. They arrived on the 18th and spent five days at
the base. He was then attached to the Leinster Regt. and served with
them in the trenches until 15 March, when he received his fatal wound.
Writing of his death his Captain said: “On the evening of 14 March he
led his men against a German trench, and with great valour took it and
held it till morning when it was found to be untenable. At daylight
the order was given to retreat, and while assembling his men he was
shot twice through the body by snipers.” He was carried to the Field
Hospital where he died next morning (16 March, 1915) at 11 o’clock and
was buried the same evening in the officers’ cemetery at Dickebush. A
commanding officer wrote: “To say that Lieut. Buchanan was loved by his
men is not enough, they idolised him.”
[Illustration: =James Herbert Buchanan.=]
=BUCHANAN, WILLIAM=, Petty Officer, 1st Class, 166810, H.M.S.
Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.
=GRAY-BUCHANAN, CECIL GORDON=, Trooper, 2nd Light Horse,
Australian Imp. Force, yst. _s._ of Lieut.-Col. (Hon. Col.)
James Ross Gray-Buchanan, of Eastfleld, Cambuslang, and Scotstoun,
co. Lanark, late Commanding 3rd and 4th Battns. The Cameronians, and
previously for many years with the 26th Cameronians; by his wife,
Kate, dau. of James Farie, of Farme, co. Lanark, and grandson of
Thomas Gray-Buchanan, of Ardoch and Scotstoun; _b._ Eastfleld,
Rutherglen, 9 Sept. 1886; educ. Cargilfield School and Fettes College,
Edinburgh; joined the Australian Light Horse on the outbreak of war,
and was killed in action at the Dardanelles, 14 May, 1915. The Col.
commanding the regt. wrote that he had had the opportunity of observing
him on a good many occasions, both on shipboard and in Egypt, and his
service was ever a credit to himself and his family and that he was
seen to fall gallantly doing his duty to the last.
[Illustration: =Cecil Gordon Gray-Buchanan.=]
=GRAY-BUCHANAN, CLAUDE=, Capt., 35th Sikhs, Indian Army, eldest
_s._ of Lieut.-Col. Michael Rowand Gray-Buchanan, of Ettrick
Dale, Isle of Bute, by his wife, Frederica, 7th dau. of Henry Stuart,
of Montford, Isle of Bute [and granddau. of Rear-Admiral Lord George
Stuart, C.B., 7th _s._ of John, 4th Earl, and 1st Marquis of
Bute], and grandson of Thomas Gray-Buchanan, of Ardoch and Scotstoun:
_b._ Timaru, New Zealand, 17 Feb. 1878; educ. Harrow and
Sandhurst, out of which he passed first in 1898; when he was attached
to the 1st Battn. Hampshire Regt. as a probationer for the Indian
Army. He served with that regt. at Lundi Kotal (Khyber Pass) and on
the North West Frontier of India from October, 1898 to October, 1899,
when he was appointed to the 35th Sikhs, and promoted Lieut. 30 Oct.
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