Name
William Lawrence Breese
24 Feb 1882
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/03/1915
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Horse Guards
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY
I. A. 56.
France
Headstone Inscription
He Gave His Life a Ransom For Many
UK & Other Memorials
Bengeo School Memorial – Location TBC, Trinity College Cambridge, Cambs., Crypt Chapel Harrow School, Harrow Greater London
Pre War
William Lawrence Breese was born on 24th February 1882, in New York, to parents William Breeze (Stockbroker, NY) and Marie Louise. In 1901 he was living with his mother and stepfather Henry V Higgins at 1, Upper Berkeley Street, London.
He was educated at Bengo and Harrow and was for short time at Trinity College Cambridge. On 23rd March 1908 he married Julia Kean Fish in St James Church, New York. An article in the Washington Post, dated 13th December 1907, regarding the wedding, states that he has large mining interests in Alaska and that he was educated in England where his mother has lived for many years.
In 1910 he is shown as living San Mateo, California, where his second son, Hamilton Fish, was born, his first son, William Lawrence, was born the previous year. His Certificate of Naturalisation, dated 24th December 1914, states he was a gentleman living at 43 Clarges Street, London, with his two sons.
Wartime Service
William obtained a Second Lieutenant commission in Royal Horse Guards (Blues) 1915 and arrived in France on 6th January 1915 on Special Duties attached to Headquarters Staff and had only been with his unit for two months when he was killed.
He had a declared interest in Quick Firing Guns and Explosives. Both his Register of Soldiers Effects and his medal roll state that he was killed in an accident. The accident happened while experimenting with explosives near St Omer, France.
Additional Information
His wife, Julia F. Breese, of Garrison-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.A. ordered his headstone inscription: "He Gave His Life a Ransom For Many".
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Ann Hacke, Terry & Glenis Collins
