Basic Details
Surname
Welby
Forenames
Richard William Gregory
Gender
Male
Information stated on memorial
Served or died
Died
Honours
Mentioned in Despatches (posthumously)
Notes
His biography on the college website states: ‘Richard William Gregory was born at Denton Manor, Grantham, elder son and heir of Sir Charles Glynne Earle Welby 5th Bt CB, formerly MP for Newark; by his wife Lady Maria Helen, sister of Frederick William Fane, 4th Marquis of Bristol and elder daughter of the late Lord Augustus Hervey. Richard was educated Eton and Christ Church, Oxford.
On 23 February 1910 he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant, and promoted Lieutenant on 24 May 1911. He went to France with his battalion, which formed part of the 4th (Guards) Brigade, on 12 August 1914, took part in the retreat from Mons, and was killed in action at Cour de Soupir, the battle of Aisne 16 September 1914.
The Officer commanding his Battalion wrote: “We have been fighting a hard battle and had a very severe action on Tuesday when Dick Welby was wounded in the shoulder. We were very short of officers owing to our heavy casualties and every officer of Dicks coy had been killed or wounded. He very pluckily insisted on remaining at duty during the following day; on the third day we got a terrible shelling and poor Dick was killed. I can‘t tell you how we all deplore Dick‘s loss nor how gallantly he did his duty to the end“ Lieutenant Welby was mentioned in F M Sir John (later Lord) French‘s Despatch of 8th October (London Gazette 19th October) 1914.
Primary Service
Our References
Service (Primary - Our reference)
Unit (Primary - Our reference)
Rank / Title (Primary - Our reference)
Death and Burial details
Country of death
France
Town of death
Cour de Soupir
Country of burial
France
Town of burial
Soupir, Near Yailly, Ainse
Year of death
1914
Month of death
September
Day of death
20
Age at death
25
Manner of death reference
Killed in Action