Name
Augustus George Hess
11 Nov 1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/02/1915
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Horse Artillery
"N" Bty.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY
Enclosure No.2 IV. A. 57.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
IN UNCHANGING MEMORY OF MY BELOVED BROTHER "UBIQUE"
UK & Other Memorials
Bengeo School Memorial – Location to be confirmed, War Cloister Memorial at Winchester College, New College War Memorial at Oxford
Pre War
Augustus George Hess was born on 11th November 1891 in Kensington, London, to parents Ferdinand Julius and Alys (nee Monck Mason), he had two sisters Theodora and Pauline. In the 1901 census he was living with his family at 16 Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, his father is listed as Frederick and his mother as Alice, his father was a stockbrokers agent.
Augustus was educated at Bengeo School, Danesbury, Bengeo, Hertford, then at Culver’s Close, (Bramston’s) at Winchester College where he became Commoner Prefect and President of the Boat Club in his final year. In 1910 he went on to New College, Oxford and the 1911 census shows him as a boarder at 19 Holywell, Oxford and states he is an under graduate.
He was a member of the Oxford University OTC. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant , Territorial Force (Unattached) on 15 Aug 1911.
Wartime Service
On 23 Aug 1914 he went to France where he joined 55 Battery 37th Howitzer Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, who had been in India at the time of the outbreak of war.
They were mobilised on 9 & 10 Aug 1914 and left Bombay on 2nd Sep sailing for France via Egypt. Transferred to N Troop Royal Horse Artillery on 12th Jan 1915 and again from there he was transferred again, temporarily, on 8th February 1915, to 103 Batt, RFA and he was serving with them when he was killed.
An extract from the diary of H C Budd held in the IWM describes what happened. His battery was shelled by German heavy artillery and three shells hit his unit. One of them struck the officers hut where he was and he died of the wounds he received. His unit had to withdraw from their position as there were no officers unwounded. He was the first member of N Troop RHA to be killed during WW1.
Additional Information
His sister, Mrs T. C. Fisher Morton Bagot Manor, Studley, Warks., ordered his headstone inscription: "IN UNCHANGING MEMORY OF MY BELOVED BROTHER 'UBIQUE'". Probate records show his residence as Upper Phillimore Gardens, Middx. He left £6088 to his Father Julius Ferdinand.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Ann Hacke, Terry & Glenis Collins
