Name
Humfrey Richard Talbot
11 September 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
13/11/1914
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
3rd Dragoon Guards (Prince of Wales' Own)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES TOWN CEMETERY
E1. 3.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
PEACE SHALL FOLLOW BATTLE NIGHT SHALL END IN MORN
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead, Individual Plaque St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead, Wellington College WW1 Roll of Honour, Berkshire
Pre War
Humfrey Richard Talbot was born on 11 September 1889 in Ceylon, the son of Gustavus and Susan Talbot. His father was a member of the Legislative Council for the island in the late 1880s. He was the youngest of five children.
He was educated at Wellington College in Berkshire, followed by the University of Frieburg, Germany, He was then gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, Kings Liverpool Regiment who were in India and was listed there on the 1911 Census. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 16 December 1912 and on 26 February 1913 he transferred to the 3rd (Prince of Wales') Dragoon Guards.
His parents lived at Marchmont House, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. His father was the first Member of Parliament for Hemel Hempstead in 1918, as well as Mayor of the town and a Justice of the Peace. Humfrey was also great nephew of the 18th Earl of Shrewsbury.
Wartime Service
Humfrey was a serving soldier at the outbreak of war and the 3rd Battalion Dragoon Guards, which was stationed in Cairo, returned to the UK and left Southampton on 30 October 1914 on SS Victoria, arriving at Le Havre the following day.
Five days later he was in trenches at Heronthage Wood, near Ypres. On 6 November the regiment were subjected to severe outbursts of rifle fire and heavy shelling and Humfrey was wounded along with two other officers, however they were not serious enough to stop him being back in the trenches on 13 October at Zillebeke, near Ypres.
He was killed in action on 13 November 1914 when his trench was hit by a shell and many men were killed or wounded. He attended to the wounds of his men, despite being injured himself but died of his head wounds, aged 25 and is buried in Ypres Town Cemetery, Belgium.
Additional Information
Probate was granted in London on 28 April to his father Gustavus Arthur Talbot Esq with effects of £1988 16s, later resworn as £2176 15s 10d. His father received a war gratuity of £40.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelheroes.com., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk., www.iwm.org.uk/memorials
