Name
Edward Lawrence Sprunt
28 Aug 1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
16/06/1915
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
1510
Honourable Artillery Company
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Mentioned in Despatches
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 9.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted, Family plaque, St Peter's Church, Berkhamsted, Berkhamsted Collegiate School Memorial, Berkhamsted, Jesus College War Memorial, Oxford, St Columba's Church Memorial, Oxford
Pre War
Edward Lawrence Sprunt was born on 28 Aug 1892 in Hampstead, London, the son of John and Jane Sprunt and one of eight children. He was baptised on 25 September 1892 at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Camden, London.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at 20 Lyndhurst Gardens, Hampstead. No occupation was given for his father but he had previously been described as a General Shipping Merchant.
Edward was educated at Berkhamsted School, Herts from 1903 to 1910 (Bees House), followed by King Edward VI School, Berkhamsted.
By 1911 the family had moved to Montgomerie, Doctors Commons Road, Berkhamsted and his father's occupation was then given as General Merchant in City of London.
He attended Jesus College, Oxford and was a member of the University of Oxford Officers' Training Corps.
Wartime Service
Having been a member of the Officers' Training Corps Edward was offered a commission on the outbreak of war, but was eager to go the Front as soon as possible and enlisted on 18 September 1914, joining the Honourable Artillery Company as Private 1510 in the Stretcher Bearer Section. He served throughout the winter of 1914-15. Later he was again offered a commission and the war office instructed his Colonel to send him home to take it up. After getting his discharge he went back to the Colonel and said he had heard there was to be a battle the next day and, as he did not wish to leave on the eve of it, he asked permission to remain and see his comrades through it.
The same evening, the battalion went up to the trenches and were under fire for about 36 hours with fierce fighting on 16 June 1915, losing about half its number. At about 2 am on 17 June near Chateau Hooge, Belgium, Edward was helping to carry a wounded comrade on a stretcher and had got within about 15 yards of the dressing station, when a shell came over and exploded underneath the stretcher, killing him and two others, and wounding the remaining stretcher bearers.
His commanding officer wrote "Your son had the opportunity of not going up (to the trenches) and of returning home, but refused to leave his comrades at such a time, and showed a magnificent spirit .... worthy of a man of this regiment. The circumstances were such as to lead me to specially recommend him for gallant conduct."
Edward was killed in action on 16 June 1915, aged 22, at Chateau Hooge, Belgium during the Battle of Bellewaarde and was Mentioned in Despatches for his gallant and distinguished service in the field.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
Additional Information
His father received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £5 12s 5d.
Brothers Alexander and Gerald Sprunt also fell.
Family plaque in St Peter's Church, Berkhamsted gives details of the death of Alexander and his brothers Edward and Gerald, and a quote from a letter from the Assistant Military Secretary to King George V which reads "I am to express to you the King's high appreciation of these services and to add that his majesty trusts their public acknowledgement may be of some consolation in your bereavement" "Your three gallant sons - they died that we might live"
N.B. the account of Edward's death shown above suggests that his date of death should be 17 June if correct, however all the military records give his date of death as 16 June.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/war/colleges/jesus, https://bellewaarde1915.co.uk
