LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Private Cecil Gordon Gaston
"C" Coy 1st/23rd Bn. London Regiment
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
Pte
Cecil G Gaston
23rd London Regt
France
May 25 1915
The Parish magazine in its issue of May 1915 records Cecil Gaston serving
with the 23rd C.O.L. "at the front". (1)
The June issue records his death. (1)
The Regimental Records of the London Regiment give the following details.
His full name were Cecil Gordon. He enlisted at Clapham Junction and was
resident in Steyning, Sussex. The date his date of death is given as 26th
May (not 25th) and he was serving as No.2860 23rd County of London
Regiment. (2)
Notes on sources
1. The Parish magazine of St Mary and Saint Nicholas, Leatherhead, issues
of May and June 1915.
2. Soldiers who Died in the Great War (London Regiment) - Royal
Fusiliers Museum, HM Tower of London.
N.B. The War Diary reference for 23rd C.O.L. in the Public Record Office,
Richmond, Kew is WO 95–2744.
Further research
Private
GASTON, CECIL GORDON
Service Number 2860
Died 26/05/1915
Aged 25
"C" Coy. 1st/23rd Bn. London Regiment
Son of the Late Thomas and Selina Gaston.
Commemorated at LE
TOURET MEMORIAL
Location: Pas de Calais, France
Cemetery/memorial reference: Panels 45 & 46. |
source: courtesy of Douglas Banks/Ancestry |
Note date discrepancy 25 v 26
THE MEMORIAL
The Le Touret Memorial commemorates over 13,400 British soldiers who
were killed in this sector of the Western Front from the beginning of
October 1914 to the eve of the Battle of Loos in late September 1915 and
who have no known grave. The Memorial takes the form of a loggia
surrounding an open rectangular court. The names of those commemorated
are listed on panels set into the walls of the court and the gallery,
arranged by regiment, rank and alphabetically by surname within the
rank. The memorial was designed by John Reginald Truelove, who had
served as an officer with the London Regiment during the war, and
unveiled by the British ambassador to France, Lord Tyrrell, on 22 March
1930.
Almost all of the men commemorated on the Memorial served with regular
or territorial regiments from across the United Kingdom and were killed
in actions that took place along a section of the front line that
stretched from Estaires in the north to Grenay in the south. This part
of the Western Front was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting of
the first year of the war, including the battles of La Bassée (10
October-2 November 1914), Neuve Chapelle (10-12 March 1915), Aubers
Ridge (9-10 May 1915), and Festubert (15-25 May 1915).
Cecil Gaston enlisted at Clapham Junction when he was
working in Leatherhead and joined the London Regiment with service
number 2860.
1/23rd
Battalion The London Regiment fought in France and Flanders
from March 1915 until the end of hostilities in 1918, being involved in
actions at Festubert, Loos, the Somme in 1916 and 1918, Messines, Ypres,
Cambrai, Lille and Tournai. Casualties were heavy, 237 being killed
and 262 wounded at Givenchy during the Battle of Festubert (15-25 May
1915).
Here
are the relevant entries in the War Diary of Cecil's Battalion. The
Appendix that follows tells us of the action on 25/26 May 1915 that
began so well and ended so badly, in which Cecil died:
The
War
Diary of the 1st/23rd Bn, London Regiment: file WO-95-2744
BEUVRY
23/5/15 Divine Service under Company Arrangements
BEUVRY
24/5/15 Battallion left at 2pm by Companies & relieved 22nd Bn London
Regt in trenches at GIVENCHY. C Company fire trenches, D Coy in support,
A&B Coys in reserve. Bn Hdqrs at WINDY CORNER.
GIVENCHY
25/5/15 Orders received in afternoon that Battn was to attack German
trench at J7 200 yards S. Casualties 499 including 3 Officers killed and
10 wounded.
GIVENCHY
26/5/15 Battn relieved from captured German trench by 20 Bn The London
Regt & commenced to leave trenches at 3pm. Marched to LE QUESNOL &
billeted.
Lieut F Bentwistle appointed to command No.1 Coy (A&B Coys
amalgamated).
LE
QUESNOL 27/5/15 Names of 122 men received from Division as buried.
LE
QUESNOL 28/5/15 Battn addressed by Gen Sir CC Munro, accompanied by
Major-Gen Barter, GOC 47th (London) Division.
APPENDIX
1
Report on Operations May 25-26 1915
To Brig Genl Commanding 142nd Infantry Bde
From OC 23rd Bn The London Regiment
29/5/15
Sir
I
have the honour to report as follows on the operations on the 25–26 inst.
in which this Battalion took part and to bring the undermentioned names of
Officers, NCOs and men to your notice for your consideration. [not in
file]
The
assault was ordered for 6.30 pm and at this hour No. 13 & 14 platoons
'D' Coy [led by Lieut. Wood and C.S.M. Hammond] went over the parapet as
one man and captured their allotted section of the enemy trench at the
cost of about 14 casualties.
There
was a very great congestion in our communication trenches at this time as
there was some difficulty in feeding the supporting platoons into SCOTTISH
TRENCH. This was remedied by advancing the supports across the open from
NEW CUT to SCOTTISH TRENCH.
Two telephone wires were sent out with the leading platoons & I was in
communication with the captured trench three minutes after it had been
taken.
The
battalion advanced by double platoons at regular intervals and by about 8
pm the whole battalion was in the captured trench.
At
about 8.45 pm I received a message that the captured trench was being
badly enfiladed by rifle and machine-gun fire from the left. Our machine
guns went into action from UPPER CUT but were unable to prevent this fire
continuing.
The
telephone line then broke down & though several efforts were made to
run out another line, the wire was always cut.
During
the whole night very heavy casualties were suffered by the Battalion,
as they were being enfiladed from both sides. In fact the shrapnel and
H.E. fire from the right was enfilading our section of the trench at an
angle of about 5° from the rear.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 4 September 1915
[Miss Burley, assist. secretary of the Leatherhead Institute, had received
a letter about the death of Lance Corporal Fred Clemetson from his brother
Sgt H Clemetson.] According to what the newspaper article added it appears
that Cecil Gaston may have been the first member of the Leatherhead
Institute to die in action:
Lance-Corpl. Clemetson is the first member
of the Leatherhead Unionist Club on active service to be killed in
action, and the second member of the Leatherhead Institute to fall, his
friend Pte. Cecil Gaston, having been killed some time ago.
Surrey Mirror
Friday 31 December 1915
ROLL OF HONOUR.
BRAVE SURREY MEN FALLEN IN THE WAR.
LEATHERHEAD AND DISTRICT.
Pte. Cecil Gaston (killed in action).
Dorking and Leatherhead
Advertiser
Saturday 22 April 1916
RED CROSS SOCIETY
LEATHERHEAD DIVISION.
... Since the outbreak of war 43 members of Surrey 17 had joined the Army,
not including those members who had joined under Lord Derby's scheme and
who had not yet been called up. Three had been killed in action, namely, Cecil
Gordon Gaston, William
Albert Bussey, and Joseph
James Lewis.
Three members of the Women's
Detachment Surrey had been posted as V.A.D. nurses to British military
hospitals in France. There was one Red Cross hospital in the Leatherhead
Division, the Red House, Leatherhead, kindly lent by Mr. Burton, and
opened October, 1914. The number of beds had been increased to 35. Dr.
Dove was commandant, and Miss Bramwell, late Sister St. Bartholomew’s
Hospital, had succeeded Miss Cave as matron. She was assisted by three
fully-trained nurses and by the members of the Women’s Detachment Surrey
22.
The members of the Men's
Detachment Surrey 17 acted in relays as orderlies both by day and night,
and one was permanently in residence. Mr. Burley had succeeded Mr. Wallace
as secretary to the hospital, and Canon Hunter had kindly been acting as
chaplain.
The patients admitted during 1915
had been British or members of the Overseas Forces, and included wounded
from France and Gallipoli. Many of the cases had been very severe, but all
had done well. In September, 1915, the Red House Hospital was affiliated
to the County of London War Hospital at Horton, which had since supplied
it with patients. In accordance with the requirements the authorities, a
considerable sum had been expended on fire appliances for the hospital.
Lessons in chair caning and basket making had given great pleasure to the
wounded men at the Red House, and their progress had been rapid.
The members of Surrey 17 had been
four occasion to Clandon and once Epsom to detrain wounded during 1915,
and did excellent work, which was much appreciated. The Leatherhead
Division was still maintaining five beds in the Red Cross Hospital at
Netley. i.e., the Leatherhead Bed, the Randalls Bed, the Mickleham Bed,
the Dalewood Bed, the Bookham and Effingham Bed. The collections on "Our
Day" amounted to,£309 7s. 9d., this result being due to the skilful
organisers in the eight parishes of the Division.
His life
Cecil Gaston's birth in Steyning, Sussex was registered in
Q3 of 1889. In the 1911 Census he was described as an Outfitter's
Assistant.
His father was Thomas Gaston born 22 June 1851 in
Brighton, Sussex, a Painter & Decorator, the son of Edward
Gaston (1825-1886)
and Caroline Hopkins (1826-1858), both of Brighton.
His mother was Selina Gaston née Ireland born 20 September
1850 in Balcombe, Sussex. She was a daughter of William Ireland
(1810-1862) and Elizabeth Gibb (1815-1879).
Thomas and Selina were married on 2 August 1875 at St
Peter's, Brighton.
His siblings were Laura Elizabeth b 1876, Cecilia Mabel b
1885, Alexander Thomas b1887 and Harold Edgar b 1893.
In Cecil's lifetime they lived in the High Street,
Steyning, Sussex (1891 & 1901 Census records). The 1911 Census adds
that they lived at Bank House in that street.
The only record traced so far of where Cecil lived in
Leatherhead is curious as he was serving in the Army and died in 1915 -
but is listed in the Lodgers pages of the 1915 Electoral Register,
lodging with Mrs Tinsley at 1 Linden Villas, Linden Road, Leatherhead.
As we have seen Cecil was a member of the local Red Cross
in Leatherhead. He was also involved with other local organisations,
such as the Church Lads Brigade. Press reports link him with further
activities, for example:
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 10 February 1912
Billiards. On Monday
evening ... The Leatherhead Unionist Club visited the Oxshott Billiard
Club and won by 33 points follows: ... C. Gaston 399 ...
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 25 October 1913
[CG Gaston was among those
attending] the funeral of Mrs Shoolbred, widow of the late Mr John
Shoolbred, who was for many years a well-known tradesman in the town.
Remains brought from Raynes Park by motor hearse.
Surrey Advertiser
Saturday 29 November 1913
INSTITUTE ENTERTAINMENTS
The annual entertainments in aid of the funds of the Leatherhead
Institute took place on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and were again
very successful. The feature of each evening was the performance of a
farcical comedy entitled. "Peacock's Holiday," in which the following
acquitted themselves with great credit: ... Cecil Gaston ...
Cecil's attendance at Mrs Shoolbred's funeral in 1913
suggests the possibility that Cecil, who was described in the 1911
Census as an Outfitter's Assistant, had worked at Shoolbred's, a
menswear shop for many years under that name in the town.
After WW1
His father had died in 1912. Selina, his mother died in
1924.
As well as Leatherhead, Cecil is named on memorials in his
birthplace, Steyning, Sussex.
Cecil Gaston is also remembered on these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of
Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead
Parish Church
Church Lads Brigade Memorial
Tryptich, All Saints Leatherhead
Surrey
in the Great War
St
Andrews Church, Steyning, Sussex
Steyning Grammar School
On Tuesday November 11 [2014] at 11am the
whole of Steyning Grammar School held a two-minute silence in
remembrance of those who have died in both the wars and recent
conflicts.
World War 1, 1914-1918
John Alliss, Thomas Bolton, Douglas Bowley, Richard Copeland, Harold
Cruttenden, William Dancy, Edward Duke, Cuthbert Packard, Cecil Gaston,
Rupert Gates, Ingram Golds, Basil Graves, Carl Hansen, George Hansen,
Claude Hoadley, Victor Waterfall, Noel Mitchell, T B R Kilner, Leslie
Longley, Richard Longley, W Minchin, Bertram Smart, Nevil Smart, Arthur
Tickner, Walter Gray.
West
Sussex County Times
the website editor would like to add further
information on this casualty
e.g. more photos of him, and of any recollections within his family
last updated: 8 Aug 20: 3 Sep 20