Monthly Archives: November 2014

Duncan Stuart Ross Macpherson

Duncan Stuart Ross Macpherson was the only son of Surgeon General William Grant Macpherson and his American wife, Elizabeth Anne Clunas. He attended Westminster for just a year before leaving for Fettes College in Edinburgh where his father had been educated. Father and son were clearly close. After training at Sandhurst, Duncan became a member of the Indian Army. His father, William, requested and received an appointment as Assistant Director of Medical Services to the 4th Quetta Division whilst Duncan was based at the Quetta Imperial Garrison.

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Major General Sir William Grant Macpherson

On the outbreak of war Duncan was attached to the Black Watch and served with them until November 1914. At that point he was transferred to the2/8th Gurkha Rifles. By this time his father was also serving in France, as Brigadier-General in the Army Medical Service Staff.

Duncan was killed in action on 23rd November at the defence of Festubert, near La Bassee, France. He had spoken to his father only a few hours prior to his death. William refused to discuss the death of his son. He continued to serve during the war until his forced retirement in June 1918.

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Herbert Philip Frith

Whilst there was an obituary published for Frith in The Elizabethan in 1914 it did not feature in the ‘Pro Patria’ section with the other war deaths. He died of wounds received in action in Lokoja in Nigeria. Although Frith features on the School’s War Memorial he is not included in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission list.

Frith was at school for a short time between 1905 and 1907 in Ashburnham House. The Elizabethan records his performance in a cricket match – bowled out for a duck – although he seemed to have shown some promise on the football pitch. After leaving Westminster he joined the Civil Service and was posted to Nigeria where he served as an Assistant District Officer.

On the outbreak of war he was attached to the West African Frontier Force. Although there were a number of allied campaigns fought against German colonies in Africa during the First World War the date and location of Frith’s death suggests that he was not fighting against German forces when he lost his life. Lokoja, where he was stationed, was a centre of British administration in Africa and the base for the West African Frontier Force. It is likely that Frith died trying to suppress a local uprising.

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Denis Duncan Philby

Whilst at school Denis Duncan Philby lived in the shadow of his older brother Harry St. John Bridger Philby. Harry Philby was Captain of the School and elected to Trinity College Cambridge with the junior Samwaies scholarship. A talented cricketer, Harry went on to become a well-known Arabist and father to Kim Philby, the infamous 3rd man.

The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers at Aldershot in 1914
The 2nd Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers at Aldershot in 1914

Comparatively we know little of Denis Duncan Philby’s short life. He joined Ashburnham House in 1903 but later moved to Grant’s, presumably so that he could board. He took part in a House debate stating vociferously that he disapproved of Oliver Cromwell’s policies, particularly those towards Ireland. The football report notes that he ‘was very good at pushing his way up the touchline and at times surprised us by scoring goals’.

He joined the army well before the outbreak of war, joining the Royal Dublin Fusiliers in 1910 (presumably there was some family connection with Ireland). He was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Munster Fusiliers on August 18th 1914 and went out to the Western Front a few days later.

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On the 27th August the 2nd Battalion was chosen to form the rear-guard to cover the retreat of the 1st Division during the Battle of Mons. The 2nd Battalion suffered large casualties losing 9 officers and 87 other ranks whilst many more were taken prisoner. They stemmed the German forces who were five or six times their strength for over a day, allowing their division to escape. When the scattered battalion reassembled on 29 August it was down to a mere 5 officers and 196 others. New recruits were co-opted over the next two months to bring the battalion back up to size.

The next action took place at Klien Zillebeke, near Ypres on November 12th, defending against the last major German offensive in the First Battle of Ypres. It was here that Philby was killed in action. He is buried in the New Irish Farm Cemetery in West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

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Gordon Stewart Ness

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Gordon Stewart Ness was at Westminster for only two years. In The ElizabethanGrant’s House recorded that they were ‘very sorry to have lost him when he left unexpectedly in the middle of the Election Term 1902′. We don’t know whether he then enrolled at another school, but in 1904 he matriculated at Clare College, Cambridge. He also joined the 4th Battalion of the Black Watch as a volunteer. In 1909 he began working at Lloyd’s as an underwriter.

Ness married Gladys Harrison in Kensington in the spring of 1914. Soon after (in fact, considerably less than 9 months after) a son was born, Anthony Patrick Ness on 5th June. After the declaration of war Ness joined the 1st Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers and went out to the Western Front on 11th September. He was killed in action at Ypres on 10th November 1914. Gladys Ness gave birth to his second child in June 1915, a daughter named Marguerite. Gladys never recovered from the loss of her husband and their children were raised by Ness’ sister, Catherine Ann Horsley.

Ness’ son went on to marry Lady Brigid Guinness, who had formerly been married to Prince Frederick of Prussia, grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II. His daughter, Marguerite, married Heinz Friedrich Eberhard, Baron von Westenholz. The School has been in touch with their son, Ness’ grandson, who kindly provided us with a photograph of his grandfather. Ness is commemorated on the school’s war memorial, the Menin Gate at Ypres, the Lloyd’s of London Arch on Leadenhall Street and at his home town of Braco Castle, Dunblane.

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Memorial to Gordon Stewart Ness in Braco
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George William Houghton Hodgson

The eldest of three brothers to attend Westminster, George Hodgson had a seemingly unremarkable time at the school. He was involved in the literary society, as well as being a decent cricket player, though seemed to concentrate more on his school work than anything else. The same can’t be said of his time at Cambridge, where he started at Trinity College in 1907. He spent a lot of time in his first 2 years coxing the third college boat, at which he was apparently so bad that “he has been thanked by the county council for so ably assisting their work of widening the river at that point”. An interest in Beagling, which he won trophies for, followed by some illness meant he did little coxing in his final two years.

He went straight into the army, having received his commission from the university, where he joined the Border Regiment in September 1911 as a second lieutenant. The years before the war were spent in England, but in 1914 his battalion was put under control of the 7th Division at Lyndhurst, before leaving for Belgium at the beginning of October. As with Tomlinson’s battalion, they assisted with the evacuation of Antwerp before moving to Ypres, where Hodgson spent the next month. He was made a lieutenant a few days after they arrived.

A military hospital in Boulogne, formerly a Casino, photographed in 1916 (IWM)
A military hospital in Boulogne, which was formerly a Casino, photographed in 1916 (IWM)

Both he and his younger brother were injured around the same time, though it was George who had the worst of it. While his brother was invalided home, he was taken to the military hospital in Boulogne, where he died of his wounds 4 days later, on the 6th of November 1914, aged 26. His service was distinguished after his death by mention in John French’s despatch the following January.

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William Whyte Stuart Flockhart

Detachment of the London Scottish after their action in defending the Messines Ridge, 31 October 1914 (IWM)

William Whyte Stuart Flockhart was a member of Home Boarder’s House between May 1900 and December 1903. We know very little about his time at the school – The Elizabethan mentions that Francis William Hubback ‘had no difficultyin beating’ Flockhart in a fencing match, but given that Hubback was several years older this is hardly surprising.

Flockhart was a Corporal in the The London Regiment. On 16th September 1914 his battalion, the London Scottish landed at Le Havre. They were mobilised at once and took part in the Battle of Messines on 31st October. Flockhart was killed in action on 1st November 1914, but his body was not found and he was classified as ‘missing in action’ for several months.

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John McAdam Craig

According to The Record of Old Westminsters John McAdam Craig was in Rigaud’s between 27th September 1900 and July 1905. However, following his death an Old Westminster wrote the following letter to The Elizabethan:

Passing through Dean’s Yard the other day, I noticed the Roll of Honour contained the name Lieut. J. M. Craig—followed by his regiment, and then-Rigaud’s. No mention whatever of his being a K.S. Surely the entry in the last column should be K.S. (Rigaud’s). I would not even allow Rigaud’s (K.S.). Any honour there may be in belonging to any particular house, or, indeed, in being an O.W. at all, is nothing compared with that of being a King’s Scholar. I only hope that the mistake was an oversight, but, remembering how the non-resident K. SS. were treated in my day, my hope is not very great. Mr. Craig was elected Q.S. at the last Challenge in Queen Victoria’s reign, and it is as a member of that same election that I make this appeal on his behalf. I am, Sir, Yours faithfully,

QUEEN’S SCHOLAR.

Our records show that Craig was indeed elected a Queen’s Scholar in 1900, but as he opted for a non-residential scholarship he was allocated to Rigaud’s House. Fewer and fewer pupils wished to board in College at this stage in the school’s history and although 40 boys sat The Challenge that year only 12 were prepared to become full Scholars.

As well as being a scholar, Craig was a talented sportsman. An early review of his footballing abilities in The Elizabethan noted that ‘though still very light, [he] playedin excellent style, and ought with care todevelop into a first-class centre half. This clearly was the case as Craig continued to playfootball for the school, earning full pinks and leading the Rigaud’s team to victory in the Inter-House competition two years running. He also played an active role in the Officer Training Corps and joined Sandhurst immediately after leaving the school.

Craig served in India before the war, arriving in Marseilles on 12th October 1914 with the 58th Rifles in the Indian division of the Expeditionary Force. Craig was in France for less than a month when he died from wounds received on 31st October at Bethune.

Craig is seated in the centre of the front row, holding on to the trophy.
Craig is seated in the centre of the front row, holding on to the trophy.
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