The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Captain G Y Gross
Inscription
"AND THE KING'S WORDS
SHALL THRILL THE HEART
SERVANT OF GOD WELL DONE"
Photograph by "International Wargraves Photography Project"
Captain Geoffrey Yates GROSS, 1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, (attached Royal Berkshire Regiment), killed in action, 9th April 1916, at Arras France.
Second son of Charles Gross, F.R.C.S., and Constance Gross.
18th January 1891, St John the Evangelist, East Dulwich, Southwark, baptism of Geoffrey Yates Gross son of Charles, (medical doctor), & Constance Gross, St Saviours Infirmary, East Dulwich Grove?
1911 Census - 11 Downe Terrace, The Hill, Richmond Hill, Surrey - Constance Gross, head, age 55, widow, boarding house keeper, employer, born Manchester, Lancashire; Geoffrey Gross, son, age 20, single, insurance clerk, Lloyds, born Dulwich, London; Gustav Robinow, boarder, age 36, single, merchant, canned goods, employer, born Germany, German resident; Kathleen Todd, age 24, boarder, secretary, school, born Aberdeen; Elizabeth Ferrier, boarder, age 37, married 8 years, 1 child, born Gosforth, Northumberland; Andrew Ferrier, boarder, age 7, born Java, British by parentage; Leslie Harvey, boarder, age 27, single, solicitor, born Windsor, Berkshire; Louisa Stratford, boarder, age 49, single, lady's companion, born Dagenham, Essex; Maria Isabella Webb, boarder, age 57, private means, born Essenden, Hatfield, Hertfordshire; Mary Playford, servant, age 46, widow, cook, boarding house, worker, born Esher, Surrey; Annie Buckle, servant, age 19, single, house maid, boarding house, worker, born Ham, Surrey; Theodore Pietsch, servant, age 19, single, waiter, boarding house, worker, born Germany, German resident.
Educated University of London.
October 1914, married Maud Mary Ashburnham.
9th October 1914, posted BEF.
8th July 1916, Probate - Gross Geoffrey Yates of 29 Inverna Gardens, Kensington, Middlesex. Captain H.M. Army died 9th April 1916 at Arras France. Probate London 8th July to Maud Mary Gross, widow. Effects £45 19s 10d.
Epsom College Obituary - was in Carr House from May 1904 to July 1909. He was Sergeant in the O.T.C. and captain of the shooting VIII in 1909. He had attained a responsible position in a big firm at Lloyds and his life seemed full of promise. He was a keen member of the Inns of Court O.T.C. and the Thames Rowing Club. On the outbreak of war he was given a commission in the Special Reserve Battalion of the Royal West Kents, and went out within a few months. He was wounded (reported killed) in November 1914, being hit by shrapnel in the knee. While home he was married, and rejoined his regiment at Chatham. On going out again in April 1915, he was with the 1st Battalion, and was given command of a company. All reports speak of him as a "fine soldier, most reliable and intelligent, a most capable officer in all ways, and his influence most beneficial." He had volunteered for a special task, and during the work was shot through the lung, and died before the doctor could reach him. Our sincere sympathy goes out to his you wife and his mother in their great loss. A life so full of promise has not been sacrificed in vain.
Buried at Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, I. A. 21. Pas de Calais, France. Commemorated at All Saints with St Andrew's Church, Woodford Wells, Woodford, Essex.
London Gazette 1st February 1916
The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), The under mentioned Lieutenants to be Captains. Dated 22nd December, 1915. Geoffrey Y. Gross.
1st Battalion War Diary - March to June 1916 - Arras
At Arras in the early morning of 9th April 1916, when it was misty, Captain GROSS and Lieutenant DOBIE, with CSM CROSSLEY, went out to inspect the wire in front of the fire trench. While they were doing so, the enemy suddenly opened fire. Lieutenant DOBIE fell dead into a crater, the others got back except Captain GROSS, who was left out wounded. CSM CROSSLEY, Sergeant A HAMMOND (No.6348.) and Lance Corporal F LIDDAMORE (No.1036.) crept out under fire and succeeded in dragging Captain GROSS back to the trench. He however died a few minutes later. In doing this CSM CROSSLEY was killed and Lance Corporal F LIDDAMORE got a bullet through his clothing. Sergeant A HAMMOND was untouched.
From Epsom College Archives, provided by Elizabeth Manterfield
1st Battalion, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment,
killed in action, 9th April 1916.
Geoffrey was born on 10 Aug 1890 at the St Saviours Union Infirmary, East
Dulwich Grove, Camberwell (GRO Ref: Sep 1890 Camberwell 1d 812a), the son of
Charles Gross and his wife, Constance nee Yates. His father was a doctor at the
Infirmary. Geoffrey was baptised on 18 Jan 1891 at St John the Evangelist, East
Dulwich.
The family was recorded living at the
Infirmary in the 1891 census. Charles was a 42 year old surgeon. Constance was
41. Geoffrey was 7 months old and had a 2 year old brother Charles. Sophia
Yates, 42, and a medical student, Wilson Ranson, were visiting the family. They
also employed a servant, a cook and a nursemaid.
In 1898 Geoffrey’s parents applied for places for their sons at Epsom College.
His father had been medical superintendent of St Saviour’s Infirmary for 13
years and then practised as a barrister at Elm Court Middle Temple and at 112
Westbourne Grove. He had become totally incapacitated through general paralysis.
His wife and children had to live on a temporary allowance provided by a
relation when they were not staying with friends. Charles junior was awarded a
Foundation Scholarship and Geoffrey was given a Council Exhibition. He was in
Carr House from May 1904 until July 1909. Up to 10 of these exhibitions could be
awarded to deserving cases which reduced their fees to £36 15s pa. Geoffrey’s
father had died in Tonbridge on 26 Aug 1899 leaving an estate valued at only
£797 10s. Geoffrey also won the Sterry Divinity Prize, a handsome bible. This
could be awarded by the masters to any boy who had not won another literary
prize but had achieved an “honourable position in the Divinity exam and was
deserving for uprightness, conscientiousness, loyalty and truthfulness.” He was
a sergeant in the OTC and passed his Certificate A
in 1909. He was also Captain of the shooting VIII in 1909 and played in
the rugby first XV in 1908-09.
Geoffrey in Carr rugby XV 1908-1909
He came 9th out 17boys in the Middle Fourth form in 1905, bottom of 24 boys in
Shell in 1906 so he retook the year and came 11 out of 24 in 1907. In1908 he
achieved second place out 20 boys in the Lower Fifth form. He was made a sub
prefect in1909 and came seventh out of 11 boys in the Upper Fifth. He attained
his Higher School certificate in 1909 and qualified for London matriculation
where he got a first division pass He was also a keen member of the Thames
Rowing Club.
On leaving school he was employed by CJ Browning and Co Ltd
On 5
Nov 1909 he applied to serve four years in the Territorial Force.. He was living
at 11 Dowe Terrace Richmond Hill Surrey. He was 19 years old, 5ft11½ins tall,
had a 35inch chest which expanded to 37¾ins. He had a good physical development
and normal vision. Private in the Inns of court OTC, where he attained his
Certificate A. He was found fit for the Territorial Force and joined at Lincolns
Inn. He served in the OTC from 5 November 1909 until 4 November 1913
In the 1911 census he was living with his widowed mother Constance, aged 55, at
Downe Terrace, Richmond, Surrey where she kept a boarding house. Geoffrey was
working as an insurance clerk with Lloyds.
He applied for
a commission in the Special Reserve Battalion of the Royal West Kent regiment.
At the time he was living at 12 Princes Square, Bayswater and he was still at
Lloyds.
Initially, he was
employed at a base in UK instructing recruits but was then posted to France.
He was hit by shrapnel in the left knee on 9 October 1914 whilst
attached to the 1 Berkshire Regiment and was included as killed in action in the
casualty list advertised in the Times. Captain Tindall Lucas wrote seeking
verification of Gross’s death because he had served with a Lieutenant Gross who
had been wounded in his left knee by a shell at Zonnebeke on 26 October 1914.
This man had walked 100 yds to the trench occupied by Major Finch and Captain
Tindall Lucas and they sent him off on a stretcher because he was in
considerable pain. They had no reason to assume he had died. Geoffrey also sent
a telegram seeking a correction, confirming that he had been slightly wounded
and was recovering at the Osborne Convalescent Home for Officers in UK. The
Times published a cancellation of the casualty notice on 4 Dec 1914.
Whilst Geoffrey was at home on sick leave he married Mary Maud Ashburnham (GRO
Ref: Dec 1914 Marylebone 1a 1497) before rejoining his regiment at Chatham.
He was with 3 bn RWKR when his promotion to Lieutenant was published on 13 April
1915, and on returning to France that month he was given command of D company in
the 1st Bn. He was appointed temporary Captain in the Queen's Own
(Royal West Kent Regiment) on 1 Nov 1915 and this was made permanent on
22 December 1915.
In March 1916 1 RWKR (part of 13 Brigade,5 Division) was holding the sector
northward from Scarpe near St Laurent-Blangy to the famous “Labyrinth” just east
of the road from Arras to Lens, the dividing line between subsectors being the
road from Arras to Bailleul (Bailleul south west of Douai not that in the Lys
valley.) The Battalion had relieved 12 Gloucesters in J2, formerly called
Chanticleer, sub-sector. This sector had become relatively quiet. There were
occasional heavy bombardments and some mining activity. D Coy was on the left
There was a thick ground mist at dawn on 9 April 1916 at Arras.
Geoffrey volunteered to go out to
inspect the wire in front of the fire trench, taking Company Sgt Major Crossley,
Lieut Dobie and a private with him. While they were doing so, the enemy opened
rapid fire at a 35 yard range. Lieutenant Dobie fell dead into a crater, and the
private was also killed. Geoffrey, who was left out wounded having been shot
through the lung. CSM Crossley summoned Sergeant A Hammond (No.6348.) and Lance
Corporal F Liddamore (No.1036). They crept out under heavy fire to where
Geoffrey lay and succeeded in dragging him back to the trench. However, he died
a few minutes later before medical assistance could get to him. In the course of
his rescue CSM Crossley,
who
had distinguished himself at Neuve Chapelle,
was killed and Lance Corporal F Liddamore got a bullet through his clothing.
Sergeant A Hammond was untouched. Hammond and Liddamore were awarded the
Distinguished Conduct Medal for their actions. The
four were buried the next day
and lie in the Faubourg D'Amiens Cemetery, Arras Pas de Calais, France.
Geoffrey is in grave number I. A. 21.
(Map Sheet51B G26 b.9)
All reports spoke of Geoffrey as a “fine soldier, most reliable and intelligent,
a most capable officer in all ways and his influence most beneficial”.
His widow, who was living at 29, Iverna Gardens, Kensington, applied for probate
on 8 July 1916. Geoffrey’s effects were valued at £45 19s 10d. He left a young
wife and child.
His belongings returned from the front included 2 leather cases, 1 pair of
regimental badges, a book of prayers, a counterfoil, 1 wristwatch without glass,
a whistle, a purse and a gold ring.
A plaque and scroll was sent to his widow on 20 Feb 1919
Geoffrey’s widow was left in difficult financial circumstances after his death.
During the war he had practically no income other than his army pay. He had
always supported his mother who was an invalid and his widow was anxious to
continue doing so and had a child to support but was badly in need of funds. The
solicitor clearing Geoffrey’s estate requested the War Office to pay his
gratuity could at once given the genuine need.
Geoffrey is remembered on the Lloyds memorial in London.
Sources
Census 1891,1911
This page was last updated on 25-Sep-2025.
Copyright © 2008 Janet & Richard Mason