Old Bedfordian Casualties

German mounted patrol in East Africa [Wikimedia]

Sunday 14th February 1915: The number of casualties suffered by Old Boys of Bedford Grammar School continues to increase. This month the following obituaries have been received:

Captain Edward Raymond Lloyd of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who was officially reported as wounded on September 5th last, died of wounds on December 3rd, in hospital at Cambrai. The elder surviving son of Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. Lloyd, of Bedford, he was first commissioned in the 1st Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1902; he subsequently transferred to the 2nd Battalion, then serving in Egypt, of which corps he was successively assistant adjutant and adjutant. He was specially mentioned in Sir John French’s recent despatches. A good all-round sportsman, he represented his School in the Public Schools Boxing Competition held at Aldershot in 1899, and was a keen follower of the hounds and a frequent rider in point-to-point hunt steeplechases. He was also a good shot both with gun and rifle. From The Times, 12th February 1915

Second-Lieutenant Philip Maurice Ramsay Anderson of the Royal Irish Regiment, who has died of wounds received in action on February 14th, was the eldest son of Mr R. A. Anderson, Sir Horace Plunkett’s chief assistant in the work of the Irish Agricultural Organisation Society. Lieutenant Anderson’s youngest brother Alan, of the same regiment, was killed at Le Pelly, at the beginning of December. His brother Philip, who was at home on leave from his employment in South America, was immediately gazetted to the vacancy in the battalion. The two brothers were educated at Bedford, and were Public School boxing champions. From The Times, 27th February 1915

Richard Edward William Kay-Mouat; I should like to draw your attention to poor old Kay-Mouat’s death at Longido, German East Africa, on November 4th.[1] He was in my troop, and was quite close to me when it happened. He pluckily left his cover to help a fellow who was wounded, and in doing so met his death.

Lieutenant William Knox Humfrey was shot through the head on August 26th. He had gone back to the firing line to save one of his men who was wounded, and whilst carrying him he was killed. The man was saved, and wrote to Mrs Humfrey, as also did a Corporal who helped to bury him.

Source: The Ousel, 10th March 1915 [Z447/22]

[1] The British force attempting to conquer German East Africa was defeated by a force half its size at the Battle of Kilimanjaro on November 3rd 1914.