Charles Stewart Cautherley

Name

Charles Stewart Cautherley
20/09/1880

Conflict

First World War

Date of Death / Age

26/04/1918
37

Rank, Service Number & Service Details

Lieutenant
Hertfordshire Regiment

Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards

1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals

Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country

POELCAPELLE BRITISH CEMETERY
LIII. C. 5
Belgium

Headstone Inscription

HE BRAVELY SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY

UK & Other Memorials

Ind. Plaque, St John the Baptist Church, Royston,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford,
Giggleswick School - WW1 Tablet,
Giggleswick School - WW1 Book of Remembrance,
Scottish National War Memorial

Pre War

Wartime Service

He landed on France on 18th September 1914 as Lance Corporal 481, Honourable Artillery Company (HAC), but HAC records show a series of rapid promotions: Acting Corporal (20th March 1915), Lance Sergeant (14th June 1916), Sergeant (poss. 18th June 1915), H(?) (5th July 1915), Rejd.(?) 10th August 1915, Company Sergeant Major (CSM) (11th October 1915), Commissioned (19th October 1915) Herts Regt. The appointment to CSM is also confirmed in his HAC Service Medal and Award Record.

He served with the HAC until 19th October 1915 when he was commissioned to Lieutenant with the Hertfordshire Regiment. 

The Hertfordshire War Diary mentions Charles twice:

18-4-16. 2/Lieuts. Marchington & Cautherley [Charles Stewart CAUTHERLEY] joined the Bn.

9-4-18. Bn marched to EU & entrained at EU station at 7am detraining at ARQUES at about 4pm. Bn marched to billets at ST. MARTIN AU LAERT (Nr ST. OMER). Lieut. C.S. Cautherley [Charles Stewart CAUTHERLEY] rejoined Bn from Provost, 1st Army.

His sister, in the information supplied when making enquiries into his death (detailed below), confirmed that he was in the UK between October 1915 and April 1916 and the Herts War Diary notes that he joined them in France on 18th April 1916, so appears that he was in the Herts Regiment for about six months before returning overseas. 

The Giggleswick School Register – 1499 – 1921 Second Edition recorded that he was ‘wounded’ suffering from shell shock in 1916 while in France. Research by others suggests that this was in September 1916 and that he returned to the Battalion soon afterwards. However, there is nothing in the War Diary to confirm this, and events such as leaving or returning officers was usually noted, so more information on this, especially the dates would be welcomed.

It seems probable that he was with the Herts. at St Julien(*1) during their darkest day - casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded.  This was 100% of its Officers and about 75% of its Other Ranks.

His sister believed his service included some temporary detachments from the Herts Regiment for special service as Acting A.P.M. (Assistant Provost Marshal) to different Divisions, and again that is confirmed, in part, by the above War Diary entry. 

The War Diary entry for the date prior to his death and that date reads:

25-4-18. [The Battle of the Lys - the Second Battle of Kemmel]. At 2.30am enemy opened up very heavy bombardment with H.E. & Gas shells on battalion front & heavily attacked our line about 6.0am. Our line was driven in and forced back on to the GHQ line, the enemy coming in very large numbers. One platoon of the left front Coy got back to the GHQ line but the other three platoons were forced back onto the Bn on our left holding the VOORMEZEELE (sic) defences and were therefore lost to the Bn. The right Coy extricated themselves after being nearly surrounded & withdrew fighting to the GHQ line. The enemy quickly came onto the GHQ line but were well held there & after suffering many casualties withdrew to cover some 500 yards away. The platoon in the BRASSERIE post was closely pressed by the enemy & withdrew to the GHQ line but an immediate counter attack was launched by B Coy & the post was successfully recaptured together with two prisoners & a machine gun. Several enemy were killed in the post & our casualties were very slight. The latter part of the day passed quietly except for successful sniping of the enemy & the Coys were able to be reorganised in the GHQ line. Major M. CLAYTON, D.S.O., 1st Cambs Regt, assumed command of the Bn at 10.0am.

26-4-18. Enemy made no further attacks but the GHQ line was very heavily shelled from time to time but very few casualties were caused. More casualties inflicted in the enemy by sniping. 

Neither entry helps very much with what happened to Charles. His sister believes that he was Acting Captain at the time of his death.

He was initially posted as missing and only later confirmed as dead. There were several efforts made to find out more, although the order in which they were made, and the replies received is not entirely clear.

The was an enquiry about Charles on 7th January 1919 (probably), which indicated that he was still regarded as ‘Missing’, at least by some. This was possibly Mrs Gott, an aunt, who wrote via the B.R.C.S. (British Red Cross Society) Enquiry Office, 2nd Northern General Hospital Leeds, to make inquiries about Charles’ death, but the dates of the responses gathered suggest an earlier enquiry.  The following information was sent in reply to her:

"From Serjeant A. W. Allen (22/6/1918) (spelling and grammatical errors uncorrected):

In reply to your letter dated 7.6.18 concerning Lieut. Cautherly, the only information I can give you is this.

I was in a tight corner so I sent a message to Lieut. Cautherly to that effect, the runner returned saying he got within a few yards of him and he saw a Bosch fire point blank at him killing him right out. I should believe him before anyone else, as I am perfectly sure there wasnt anybody else near him at the time.

The runner’s name is Pte. J. Holland and, who, I am very sorry to say has died through gas poisoning. I am sorry I haven't answered your letter before this the fact is I have had an operation and haven't been able to move as it was in the stomach. I am pleased to say I am feeling pretty well again now.

Now I will conclude trusting my information is satisfactory and please accept my sympathy for the loss of your most gallant nephew."

From the British Red Cross Enquiry Department (20/6/1918) sent two witness reports in correspondence on behalf of the Earl of Lucan who was the director of that department from September 1916 to the close of work in March 1919.

"Dear Madam, 

With regard to your inquiry for the above officer, we have to-day received this report which is given to us by L/Cpl. R.E. Norton, 1st Herts. now in the Grove Road Military Hospital, Richmond, Surrey, who states:-

“Lt. Cautnerley belonged to C. Coy. I saw him shot at point-blank range about 10 yards from me by a German rifle bullet. We were holding a communication trench in front of Vermezelle at about 6:00 a.m. on a morning in April. The Germans were attacking and it was just before we retired. Pte. Holland of C. Coy. his runner was right alongside him and got away unwounded. He told me that Mr. Cautherley was shot through the head, and I believed that he was killed outright. I saw him myself roll over, but he disappeared into the trench, so I could not see if he moved after he was hit. The other runner L/Cpl. Cockman was killed at the same time.

I knew Lt. Cautherley well. He was in No.1 Composite Battn. of the 39th Div. (which included the 11th Sussex)”

You will notice that part of this report is “hearsay” information and I much regret to say that we are informed that Pte. Holland has been killed so we can obtain no confirmation of this account from him.

Yours faithfully, for the Earl of Lucan."

Both Private John Holland and Lance Corporal Robert Norton both stated that they saw Charles shot through the head at close range. Holland died a few weeks later from gas poisoning and is buried in Harpenden. Holland was a Company Runner and appears to have survived, the other runner, Lance Corporal Richard Cockman MM, was killed at the same time as Cautherley and was also recorded on the Tyne Cot memorial.  However, in a third account Corporal Francis Blows claimed he had seen Cautherley hit by a shell and believed he had been killed.  

And then in a fourth account this is what Captain Grinling wrote about his death(*2): 

"About 24th April 1918: In line between Voormezeele and Mount Kemmel. The Battalion formed part of the line which held the Germans back at this point. There were very few officers serving with the Battalion, but Lieuts. Blanchflower, Sworder and Hensman who had gone through the March Offensive were still with us. I remember that one Officer did excellent work in keeping back the attacking Germans remaining until the last moment, so long in fact that he was caught in a dug-out and I believe killed. I cannot recall his name (this was Charles Cautherley), but he had not been in the Battalion very long. This was near ST. ELOI before the Battalion retired to the final line when the Boche was held up."

Whichever is the correct version, Charles died and his body was missing and not identified when buried or recovered, and so his name was added to the Tyne Cot Memorial. Where it remained until 2024 when, after some dedicated research, it was established to the CWGC’s satisfaction that he was in fact the “Unknown Officer of the Hertfordshire Regiment”, buried in the Poelcapelle British Cemetery, Plot LIII. Row C. Grave 5, Belgium

The rededication of the headstone took place on the 21st March 2024.(*3)

In addition to all the other documents referred to above, there are two HAC record cards written in different hands (one is his sister’s) together with a letter from his dated 22nd May 1919. The purpose of the cards is not clear. They may relate to an enquiry or possibly an application for the 1914 Star, by his sister, although his medal records note that she did this on the 4th June 1919. However, the letter is in response to correspondence and a message from Col. Lord Desbigh(*4) and also includes notes of clarification for the contents of the cards, which was very helpful with Charles’s service history. The letter, written from 21 South Parade Chelsea SW3, reads:

“Dear Sir,

I am greatly pleased to have the “Special Order” by Col. Lord Desbigh(*2) & shall greatly value it & his message of sympathy. I have filled in the card as well as I can but as it is rather cramped I have enclosed herewith a fair copy.

Yours very sincerely

Louise Edith Cautherley”

And the clarifications read:

“Service in H.A.C. in UK (prob.) from March 1909 to 18 Sept. 1914

Service overseas in H.A.C. 18 Sept 1914 until 20 Oct. 1915

Other Regts. Hertfordshire Regt.in UK (prob.) Oct. 1915 until April 9th or 10th about 1916

Over Seas. April 1916 until 26 Apl. 1918. During some part of this time he was temp. detached from the Herts Regt for special service as Acting A.P.M. to different Divisions but returned to the Regt. on or about Apl. 11.1918 & was killed in heavy fighting at Vormezeele by Ypres on the morning of the 26 April 1918 it is presumed as no trace of him has been found since & his brother officers & his men all report him killed then. His rank was Lieut but at the time of his death held Act. Rank of Capt.

Additional Information

His connection to Royston was through his father and extended family, and there is a memorial plaque inside St John the Baptist Church, situated below a more general Cautherley family plaque, that reads: “IN LOVING MEMORY OF CHARLES STEWART CAUTHERLEY OF THE HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY AND THE HERTFORDSHIRE REGIMENT WHO SLEEPS NEAR YPRES FRANCE AND FLANDERS, SEPTEMBER 20TH. 1914, APRIL 26TH. 1918.”

Charles was the Grandson of Revd. Samuel Cautherley (the vicar of the Parish for 33 years) and the nephew of George Cautherley. 

His name appears on the Scottish National War Memorial, for reasons not yet explained. Here Charles appears as Charles Stewart Cautherly(sic) Lieut - Scots serving in Brigade of Guards and English Regiments – The Hertfordshire Regiment

In the Soldiers' Effects Register his pay owing was recorded as £140 6s 0d. plus a War Gratuity of £13 10s 0d, which was authorised to go to his sister on 17th September 1919.

*1 St Julien (St Juliaan)

The 1st Hertfordshire Battalion were in support of an attack on the Langemarck Line and a general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and the planned assault began. It had three objectives to achieve known as Blue, Black & Green and units of the 116th Brigade easily captured the first two objectives, preparing the way for the forward companies of the Hertfordshire battalion, to take the third objective. 

They had marched from Vlamertingue to their assembly position arriving by midnight on the 30th/31st July 1917. A general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July. At 05.00am the Hertfordshires left their assembly positions to attack their objective, which lay over the crest of a ridge.

As they made their way forward, they came under heavy fire from both German machine guns and snipers but after eliminating a German strongpoint moved up towards St. Juliaan, which was only lightly held. The Battalion crossed the Steenbeek with some difficulty and two of its supporting Tanks became bogged down in the mud. Things then went from bad to worse. A pre-arranged artillery barrage never materialised due to the guns being unable to move forward over the muddy terrain and the German barbed wire defences, which were fifteen feet deep in some places, were found to still be intact. It was soon realised that ground could only be won by section "rushes" supported by the unit’s own fire.

The Cheshire Regiment were on the right of the battalion but the Black Watch, who were due to cover the left flank, had been seriously delayed. This left the Hertfordshire Regiment seriously exposed, the Germans exploited this by bringing a hurricane of fire down upon the stricken troops. This was followed by a German counterattack and by 10.30am it was clear that the objective could not be achieved. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded.  This was 100% of its Officers and about 75% of its Other Ranks.

*2 www.antonygibbonsgrinling.co.uk/paintings/war/war2.htm

*3 In 1923 the remains of an unnamed officer of the Hertfordshire Regiment were recovered from a field burials some 400m south of Voormezele. The partial identification was possible from his uniform and buttons. This body was buried at Poelcapelle British Cemetery. Research has shown that it was Lieutenant Cautherley's grave and his name was removed from the memorial at Tyne Cot. His headstone was dedicated on 23/3/2024.  The inscription on the this grave's headstone previously read "Unknown Officer, Hertfordshire Regiment".  His headstone now bears his rank, name, regiment, date of death and the inscription "He Bravely Sacrificed His Life For His Country".  Link to BBC report.

• At the time of writing the rededication ceremony can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMmlA2WmWoA. 
• A report on the HAW attendance at his grave's rededication http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/archive/hertfordshire-men-women-individuals-stories/c-s-cautherley-headstone-rededication/
  

*4 Lord Denbigh was Colonel commandant of the Honourable Artillery Company from 1903 until 1933.

Acknowledgments

Jonty Wild, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk.