LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Private Frank Cyril Jeeves
1st/9th Bn London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles)
Town Memorial P4.R4.C1
Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption, L&DLHS
PteF. Cyril Jeeves
Victoria Rifles
Gommecourt
July 1 1916
Frank Cyril Jeeves was another victim of 1 July 1916 - "The first day of the Somme" - with some 60,000 others.
The Minutes of the War Memorial Sub-committee meeting on 27 August 1920 states that Cyril Jeeves (and another who does not appear) "and whose names are not on the Shrine [The Ladies' War Shrine]" should be included as old inhabitants of Leatherhead. (1)
The Regimental Records (2) give his full names as Frank Cyril Jeeves, Rifleman, No.4062 Queen Victoria Rifles, 9th (County of London) Bn. The Queen Victoria Rifles were an old established London Territorial unit. He had enlisted in London (residence: Epsom).
What happened to the Rifles on 1 July 1916 is told in their War Diary (3). On the night of 30 June/1st July, the battalion moved into position. What followed is roughly this: –
6.25 a.m. - Barrage
7.20 a.m. - Smoke (four minutes too early)
7.25 a.m. - Lead companies out
7.30 a.m. - Initial objectives reached, but no contact with Bn. on right. Running out of bombs. Germans pressing hard.
11.00 a.m. - SHORTAGE OF BOMBS CRITICAL
7.20 a.m. - Smoke (four minutes too early)
7.25 a.m. - Lead companies out
7.30 a.m. - Initial objectives reached, but no contact with Bn. on right. Running out of bombs. Germans pressing hard.
11.00 a.m. - SHORTAGE OF BOMBS CRITICAL
The Rifles had managed to get into the second line of enemy trenches, but:
2 p.m. - Driven back to German 1st (i.e.
front) line "A few wounded managed to struggle in"
4.30 p.m. - Survivors in German trenches still fighting
7 p.m. - Survivors managed to get back to our own lines
4.30 p.m. - Survivors in German trenches still fighting
7 p.m. - Survivors managed to get back to our own lines
Whereupon the Battalion consolidated in its original position, having lost:
Officers: Dead 6 -Wounded 5 - Missing 5
Other Ranks: Dead 51 - Wounded 296 - Missing 188
Total: Dead 57 - Wounded 301 - Missing 193
Other Ranks: Dead 51 - Wounded 296 - Missing 188
Total: Dead 57 - Wounded 301 - Missing 193
With 551 casualties the battalion had lost half of its full strength.
On 2nd July the Battalion was relieved by the 2nd. London Regiment and withdrew to billets in Bayencourt.
Notes on sources
1. Records of Leatherhead and District History Society, ref LX 622.
2. Soldiers who Died in the Great War (London Regiment): Museum of the Royal Fusiliers, HM Tower of London.
3. File W0 95–2963 War Diary of the Queen Victoria Rifles, 9th (County of London) Bn., Public Record Office, Richmond, Kew.
Further research
Rifleman
JEEVES, FRANK CYRIL
Service Number 4062
Died 01/07/1916
Aged 20
1st/9th Bn. London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles)
Son of the late Charles and of Ann Selina Jeeves, of 17A, Caldecote St.,
Newport Pagnell, Bucks.
Commemorated at THIEPVAL
MEMORIAL
Location: Somme, France
Cemetery/memorial reference: Pier and Face 9 C.
His Army papers show he joined the London Regiment as a Private with service number 391291. He was then assigned to the London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles) as a Rifleman with the service number 4062.
The People
Sunday 6 August 1916
MISSING
LONDON REGT
The following members of the London Regt. were among those reported
missing in last night's list of casualties:-
...
Jeeves, 4062 F.C. (Newport Pagnell)
...
His life
The birth of Frank Cyril Reeves was registered at Epsom in Q2 1896. In the 1911 Census he was described as an Office Boy in the Building Trade. His father's brother was Frank J Jeeves, a Butler who he would have known well as he lived with the family in Leatherhead when Frank Cyril was a little boy.His father was Charles Jeeves, a Coach & Motor Trimmer, born in Sandy, Bedfordshire, registered at Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, Q2 1863, a son of Charles Jeeves (1826-1871), a Porter with the Great Northern Railway, born Sandy Bedfordshire and Mary Jeeves (1827-1877) born Sandy, Bedfordshire. Her antecedents are not presently known.
In his youth Charles was bound over for riot:
Gaol Record detail for: Charles Jeeves
Record ID: 40338
Commital Year: 1880
Reference Doc: BLARS PRIS2/2/2
ID in Reference Doc: 1754
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Occupation: Coach Builder
Education: Imperfect
Offence: Riot
Trial/Conviction Date: 05/07/1880
Place of Trial/Conviction: Bedford Assizes
Type of Gaol: Bedford Gaol
Sentence: Bound over on his own recognizance of £20 to appear and receive judgement when called upon
Discharge Date: 07/07/1880
Record ID: 40338
Commital Year: 1880
Reference Doc: BLARS PRIS2/2/2
ID in Reference Doc: 1754
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Occupation: Coach Builder
Education: Imperfect
Offence: Riot
Trial/Conviction Date: 05/07/1880
Place of Trial/Conviction: Bedford Assizes
Type of Gaol: Bedford Gaol
Sentence: Bound over on his own recognizance of £20 to appear and receive judgement when called upon
Discharge Date: 07/07/1880
His mother was Ann Selina Figg, born Askett, Monks Risborough, Buckinghamshire, 14 March 1856. She was a daughter of Francis Figg, an Agricultural Labourer b Monks Risborough and Hester Figg, a Lace Maker b Monks Risborough.
Charles and Ann were married on 19 April 1888 at St Mary's, the Parish Church of Hornsey, Islington, London; the Marriage Register entry was:-
Charles Jeeves, 26, Bachelor: Coach
Builder, 75 Joseph's Road: Father - Charles Jeeves deceased, Railway
Porter
Ann Selina Figg, 32, Spinster: Hornsey House, High Street: Father - Francis Figg deceased, Labourer
Ann Selina Figg, 32, Spinster: Hornsey House, High Street: Father - Francis Figg deceased, Labourer
His siblings were Herbert William born about 1890 and Florence Mabel born about 1893. Herbert served as a Telegraphist with the Royal Engineers, becoming a Corporal.
Frank lived at:
3 Waterloo Place West side of Church Walk,
Leatherhead, Surrey (1901 Census)
3 Waterloo Place, Church Walk Leatherhead, Surrey (1911 Census)
3 Waterloo Place, Church Walk Leatherhead, Surrey (1911 Census)
Frank was not married.
After WW1
In September 1928 the death of Frank's father Charles at the age of 65 was registered in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. That he is referred to as 'late' in the CWGC record is not an anachronism as the Thiepval Memorial was not unveiled until 1932.Ann, his mother died at the age of 85, registered in September 1941 in North Bucks District, Buckinghamshire. Two years earlier, in the 1939 England & Wales Register, there were these sad entries:
19 Caldecote Street, Newport Pagnell (had
they moved from 17A or was it a renumbering?):
Ann S Jeeves b 14 March 1856 widowed Bedridden invalid
Florence M Jeeves b 19 April 1892 unmarried Bedridden invalid
Annie E Cummings b 5 Aug 1871 Nurse Housekeeper
Ann S Jeeves b 14 March 1856 widowed Bedridden invalid
Florence M Jeeves b 19 April 1892 unmarried Bedridden invalid
Annie E Cummings b 5 Aug 1871 Nurse Housekeeper
Frank Jeeves is also remembered on these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead Parish Church
Surrey in the Great War
Newport Pagnell Memorial Cross
the website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, and of any recollections within his family
last updated 9 Aug 20: 29 Sep 20