The Roll of Honour, Volume 1 : A biographical record of all members of His…
1909. He took a leading part as an officer in Worksop College Cadet
1332 words | Chapter 61
Corps, and trained for a commission in the Army Special Reserve at York
in 1913 and at Aldershot, obtaining the highest place in the respective
examinations. Gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the King’s (Liverpool) Regt.
(Special Reserve), 4 April, 1914, he was shortly afterwards given the
command of a fort at Crosby, in the north of England. Subsequently he
went to the Front in command of a hundred men, being specially selected
for the post, and was mortally wounded near Ypres, 24 Oct. 1914, and
died two days later. The following account of the action is taken from
information given by officers and men of his regt.: The Liverpools
were required to take a village occupied by the enemy, between Ypres
and Roulers. Advancing to the attack they found that all the houses
were filled with Germans, who greeted them with a devastating fire.
After four days’ fighting the position was taken, but at a terrible
sacrifice of life. Of the officers, five, including the Col., were
killed, and six wounded, only a Capt. and a subaltern being left.
Lieut. Denny ‘gallantly led a charge not only once, but a second time
against some houses strongly held by the enemy,’ and fell mortally
wounded in the second charge, with his last words urging on his men.
His three brothers, Edward Maynard Coningsby Denny, 2nd Lieut., Duke
of Cornwall’s L.I.; Mowbray Charles Maynard Denny, Lieut., 11th King’s
Liverpool Regt.; and Michael Maynard Denny, Sub-Lieut., H.M.S. Royal
Sovereign, are all (1916) on active service.
[Illustration: =Barry M. R. Denny.=]
=DENNY, ROBERT EDMUND BARRY=, Private, No. 28612, 50th Gordon
Highlanders, 16th (Canadian Scottish) Battn., Canadian Expeditionary
Force, 2nd _s._ of Edmund Barry Denny, of Barkwith House, co.
Lincoln, L.R.C.S.I., L.R.C.P.E., by his wife, Emily Barclay, dau.
of Henry Colclough Allen, and gdson. of the late Rev. Henry Denny,
of Churchill Rectory, Tralee, B.A. [3rd son of Sir Edward Denny, of
Tralee, 3rd Bart., M.P.]; _b._ Wragby, co. Lincoln, 19 March,
1891; educ. Sutton Valence School, Kent; after which he was a medical
student for some time at the London Hospital, but went out to British
Columbia in May, 1913. There he enlisted, with a brother, immediately
on the outbreak of war, coming to England with the first Canadian
Contingent. Both were offered commissions in Dec. 1914; his brother
accepted, but he declined. He left for France with his regt. in Feb.
1915, came safely through the famous charge for the wood near St.
Julien, but was seriously wounded by a shell, while on observing
patrol, at Festubert, and died in hospital at Bethune, 22 May, 1915,
having been recommended for a commission a few days previously. He
was buried in Bethune R.C. Cemetery; _unm._ One comrade wrote of
him: “He was one of the most courageous of comrades and I have seen
him perform several deeds worthy of recognition”; and another: “He
was wounded doing his duty as a soldier should, and evidences of his
coolness and bravery under heavy fire were numerous. I once assisted
him (at great personal risk to himself but very little to me) to
bandage a wounded comrade. The King has lost a good soldier, and we a
good pal.” Two of his brothers--Henry Allen Maynard Denny, 2nd Lieut.,
9th Battn. Lincs. Regt. (previously 50th Gordon Highlanders, Canadian
Scottish), and Thomas Hamilton Denny, Lieut., 6th Devon Regt.--are now
(1916) on active service, and the third, Arthur de Courcy McGillycuddy
Denny, is at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.
[Illustration: =Robert E. Barry Denny.=]
=DENTON, MARK=, Private, No. 13262, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards,
eldest _s._ of Arthur Denton, of Victoria Street, Moor Top,
Ackworth, near Pontefract, by his wife, Jane; _b._ Higham, near
Barnsley; educ. Moor Top; enlisted 21 Oct. 1914, and was killed at
Vermelles, Flanders, 19 Oct. 1915, while on sentry duty. He _m._
at High Ackworth, 25 Dec. 1913, Martha (2, Leight Street, Moor Top,
Ackworth, Yorks), dau. of William Reeve, of Leight Street, Ackworth,
and had a son, Frank. _b._ 9 June, 1914.
=DENYER, CHARLES PETER=, C.P.O. 186636, H.M.S. Arethusa; killed in
action in the Heligoland Bight, 28 Aug. 1914.
=DERING, FREDERICK CHARLES=, E.R.A., 1st Class, 269692, H.M.S.
Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=DERISLEY, FRANK MARTIN=, L.-Corpl., No. 73211, C Coy., 28th
Battn. (2nd Canadian Rifles), 6th Brigade, Canadian Expeditionary
Force, _s._ of Harry Derisley of Old Buckenham, Norfolk, Farmer,
by his wife, Julia Jane, dau. of William Fincham; _b._ East Farm,
Docking, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, 12 Jan. 1886; educ. National School,
Palgrave, Diss; went to Canada in March, 1911, and settled in Rouleau,
Sask.; joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force at Moose Jaw, Sask.,
in Oct. 1914, and died 6 Nov. 1915, of wounds received in action the
previous day; _unm._ His company officer, Capt. F. G. D. Quick,
wrote “he died of wounds on 6 Nov. 1915. Corpl. Derisley was severely
wounded at noon on the 5th, being struck in the head by a bullet.
He was taken to hospital and died at 1.30 a.m. next morning without
regaining consciousness. He was buried on 8 Nov. in the Cemetery at
Bailleul, Belgium. Corpl. Derisley enlisted at Moose Jaw in Oct. 1914,
and has been in my company ever since. His loss is felt keenly by
myself and all the other officers, N.C.Os. and men in the company, in
which he was a general favourite. He was an excellent soldier, and was
held in the highest esteem by all his comrades.”
[Illustration: =Frank Martin Derisley.=]
=DERISLEY, HERBERT=, L.-Corpl., Middlesex Regt., _s._ of
Harry Derisley, of Old Buckenham, Attleborough, Norfolk, by his wife,
Julia Jane, dau. of William Fincham, Farmer; _b._ Valley Farm,
Hillington, King’s Lynn, 23 Jan. 1884; educ. Palgrave, Diss and Eye
Grammar School, Suffolk; was a Draper; volunteered and joined the
Middlesex Regt., Jan. 1915; went to France Oct. 1915, and was killed in
action 1 June, 1916; _unm._ Buried in the Military Cemetery,...
His brother, L.-Corpl. R. M. Derisley, died of wounds, 5 Nov. 1915.
[Illustration: =Herbert Derisley.=]
=DERRICK, TOM=, Private, No. 2044, 2nd Battn. Royal West Kent
Regt., 4th _s._ of Joseph Derrick, of Curry Mallett, Taunton,
Farmer, by his wife, Ellen, dau. of Thomas Edwardes; _b._ North
Curry, near Taunton, co. Somerset, 12 Feb. 1857; educ. Hatch; joined
the Navy, 30 Oct. 1875; invalided out 3 Sept. 1880; then worked as a
Cab Proprietor, enlisted 3 Dec. 1914, after the outbreak of war, and
was killed on the railway near Chatham, 30 June, 1915, while on sentry
duty. He _m._ at Plymouth, 30 July, 1876, Louisa E. (5, Gloucester
Place, Plymouth), dau. of Edward Lawrence, of Plymouth, Dockyard
Pensioner, and had three children: Thomas Herbert Hartman, _b._
5 May, 1880; James Henry, _b._ 30 Nov. 1885; and Mabel Ellen,
_b._ 29 Dec. 1886.
[Illustration: =Tom Derrick.=]
=DESMEULES, JOSEPH EDGAR=, Private No. 32/792, 1st Field
Ambulance, Canadian Expeditionary Force, _s._ of Nazair Desmeules,
of Chambord Lake, St. Johns, P. Quebec, Canada, by his wife, Eleanore;
_b._ St. Irene, P.O., 8 Oct. 1890; educ. Chambord Lake;
volunteered for service overseas, on the outbreak of war; came over
with the first Canadian Contingent; went to France in Feb., and died,
28 April, 1915, of wounds received in action at Langemarck; _unm._
[Illustration: =Joseph Edgar Desmeules.=]
=des VŒUX, FREDERICK WILLIAM=, Lieut., 2nd Battn. Grenadier
Guards, yst. _s._ of the late Sir G. William des Vœux, G.C.M.G.,
by his wife, Marion Denison, yst. dau. of Sir John Pender. G.C.M.G.,
and nephew of the late Sir Charles Champagné des Vœux, 6th Bart.;
_b._ at Government House, Hong Kong, China, 29 Nov. 1889;
entered the Navy, 1905, as a cadet on H.M.S. Britannia, but owing
to ill-health, left that Service in 1909, his admiral (Lord Charles
Beresford) expressing his regret in writing, and saying “he felt sure,
if he had remained in the Service, he would have made a very brilliant
officer.” He joined the 3rd Battn. Grenadier Guards, as 2nd Lieut. from
the special reserve, 28 May, 1910, and was promoted Lieut., 25 Oct.
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