Name
Merrick Orville Prismall
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
20/12/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Flying Corps
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ISLEWORTH CEMETERY
Spec. Memorial.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Edmunds College Memorial, Old Hall Green
Biography
He spent the summer
of 1917 as an Observer with 3 Sqn and was killed in a flying accident at
Grantham when his aircraft nose-dived into the ground. Unknown cause, no blame
attached to anyone.
The following text was transcribed from the The Edmundian (1814-1819) – The contemporary magazine of St Edmund’s College:
Yet another of our boys has met his death in a flying accident. Merrick Prismall, without any effort, without even any realization of it was an outstanding figure in his time with us, from 1905 to 1907. He was a well made, well set up boy, of inexhaustible cheerfulness, more than the average common sense, the instincts of a sportsman (the term is used in its highest sense), and a manner that was most disarming to anything approaching sourness or dull solemnity. ‘Bookishness,’ be it said frankly was not in his line, but there was so much in him to compensate. Between the spirited boy and his masters there are bound to be occasional differences. With Merrick such differences were as nearly an unalloyed pleasure as such things can he,
After leaving the College, he went, aged 18, on a journey of exploration, visiting Queensland, North Australia, the back blocks of New South Wales, the Orange Free State, and Cape Colony.
In 1914, after having served for a short time with the Windsor troop of the Berkshire Yeomanry, he served in the 2nd South African Mounted Rifles, at Estcourt his thigh was shattered by gun shot. He served through the Moritz Rebellion, and later, under General Botha, through the German South West African Campaign. Arrived at Windstock he applied for service in France, and was commissioned to the R.F.A. Early in 191.6 he went to France, and was wounded at the Somme.
In February of last year he joined the Royal Flying Corps, and served for six Months as an observer.
He returned to England in September, and on October 3rd he was married to Miss Marie Conerford, of Woodford Green, Essex.
On December 20th he was killed in an aeroplane accident near Grantham.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Di Vanderson, The Edmundian (1814-1819) – The contemporary magazine of St Edmund’s College, Iain Duncan
