Name
Gordon William Asquith
8 Sep 1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/12/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry
3rd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 108 to 111.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
NA
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted - Berkhamsted Collegiate School, Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring
Pre War
William Gordon Asquith (known as Gordon) was born on 8 Sep 1898 in Tring to Bentley Asquith, civil & sanitary engineer, and Annie (nee Thorpe).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Doris (born 1896), William Gordon and Bessie (born 1901) were living at Arnold House, 27, Park Road, Berkhamsted.
On the 1911 Census Gordon, his sisters Doris and Bessie and Vincent (born 1905)were living with their mother at Arnold House.
Gordon attended Berkhamsted School (Overton and Incents houses )from January 1909 to August 1916.
Wartime Service
Gordon attended Royal Military Academy in 1916 and gained a commission as 2nd Lieutenant on 1 May 1917 in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion. He was posted to 2nd Battalion and went to join them on 20 Oct 1917 at Ypres.
2nd Lieut. Asquith was killed during an assault on the Passchendaele Ridge on the 1st/2nd December 1917. After proceeding only fifty yards, his Company, led by Captain Lambert, experienced devastating losses.
The following extract is from the 2nd KOYLI War Diary: ‘C’ Company left the tape in perfect order. After going some 50 yards they came under heavy machine-gun fire and all the officers and senior NCOs became casualties (Captain Lambert, 2nd Lieutenants T.S. Goode and C.S. Allen wounded, 2nd Lieutenant G.W. Asquith missing). The fire appeared to come from directly from our front and flanks. In spite of this they pushed on. Sergeant Hayward was then in command of the company and reports that he went a distance of 500 yards. At one point he crossed the PASSCHENDAELE /WESTROOSEBEKE road about V.30.b.0.08 and found some derelict field guns and shelters, the occupants of which were killed. He then found himself in front of a line of trees, which were held by the enemy in force. Sergeant Hayward, the only remaining company leader, took stock of the situation and decided to remain under cover where he was with the seven men who had miraculously accompanied him thus far.
From the Bucks Herald 15th December 1917: MISSING - We regret to hear that Mr. Bentley Asquith, of Park Road, has received information that his son, 2nd Lieut. Gordon W. Asquith, of the K.O.L.Y Infantry, is reported missing after an engagement with enemy on December 2. The official notification states that Lieut. Asquith is not reported wounded, and it may therefore be surmised that he is a prisoner in enemy hands. Much sympathy is felt with Mr. Asquith and his family in their period of anxiety. Lieut. Asquith received his commission about six months ago on coming up from Sandhurst, and was only sent to France some six weeks back, when he attained his 19th birthday.
Gordon’s remains were not recovered and he is remembered on Tyne Cot Memorial.
Additional Information
Gratuity and arrears of £35 was paid to his father
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
