Category Archives: Reading University College

David William Leaver, Herbert Charles Hyde, Leonard Lever Hyde

Army, Berkshire Yeomanry, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Reading Blue Coat School, Reading University College, Somme, St. Batholomew's Church

David William Leaver
Trooper 70781
“B” Squadron 1st/1st Berkshire Yeomanry

Division 57

Leaver DW photo  CIMG2131

 David William Leaver is commemorated on a large headstone along with Leonard Leaver Hyde and Herbert Charles Hyde.  The family headstone has details inscribed on both sides of the stone and the three boys were obviously related.

David Leaver was the only son of Alice and Alfred Leaver of 52, Cumberland Road, Reading.  He was 22 when he died on 25th November 1917, of wounds received in Palestine. He is commemorated on the St. Bartholomew’s Church memorial.

At the announcement of his death his parents wrote:
“A bright spring time, a few days of summer and then the end.
Grief is for those left behind, not for them.”

He is buried in Ramleh Convent Garden Cemetery, Palestine.  William Victor Ross Sutton, son of Readings Mayor at the time, was killed in action  twelve days before him and is buried in the same cemetery.

The ‘In Memoriam‘ of 1918, Standard 23rd November, quotes the lines of the famous remembrance poem –
“He shall not grow old as we who are left grow old,
Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember him.”
Mother and Dad

In loving remembrance of “Our Dave”, a very dear brother and friend,
He passed beyond our touch, beyond our care,
But never beyond our love and prayer,
Mabel and Maggie

And in 1919 a friend remembered:
In loving memory of my dear pal (Dave), died of wounds at Ramleh, Palestine.
Two years have passed, I do not forget him,
For his memory to fade from my life like a dream;
But lips need not speak when the heart mourns sincerely,
For grief often dwell where it seldom is seen.
Bert.

Herbert Charles Hyde
Rifleman 535423
1/15th London Regiment,
Prince of Wales’ Own Civil Service Rifles.

Hyde HC photo

Rifleman Herbert Hyde was killed in action in France Sept. 1st 1918 aged 23. He was the eldest son of Henry Herbert and Ellen Florence. Hyde, of 62 Orts Rd.  An ‘In Memoriam’ states he was-

One who never turned his back,
But marched breast forward;
Never doubted clouds would break;
Never dreamed, though right were worsted,
Wrong would triumph.

Herbert Hyde is buried in Rancourt Military Cemetery , Somme.  Grave location A. 3.  Rancourt was in an area of severe fighting during the allied offensives in the late summer of 1918.   The village was taken by the British the day Herbert Hyde was killed.

 Leonard Leaver Hyde
Lance Corporal 534506
1/15th London Regiment,
Prince of Wales’ Own Civil Service Rifles. 

Hyde LL photo

Leonard Leaver Hyde was on board HMS “Aragon“ going to join the BEF in Palestine when the ship was torpedoed in the Mediterranean on December 30th 1917. Leonard was aged 19. He was the brother of Herbert Charles Hyde and second son of Henry & Ellen Hyde.

He had  joined the army on Jan 29th 1917.  He was educated at St. Stephen’s and Reading Blue Coat School, and was a clerk at the GWR Goods office Paddington.

Herbert and Leonard are both commemorated on the Reading University College memorial.

Herbert Hussey

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Reading University College

Herbert Hussey
Private 39772
1st Battalion Somerset Light Infantry

 Division 21

Hussey H photo  CIMG2191

Herbert Hussey was the son of Mrs H. Hussey of 32, Northumberland Avenue, Reading.  He is commemorated on the headstone of the grave of his mothers and sisters, number 16635.  Berkshire History Society classification 21G1.

We are told on the caption to his photograph that he died in Aden on his way home from India.  Notification of his death was published in the Reading Standard April 5th 1919.  Herbert Hussey had served for 3 years 4 months in the Army.  Prior to the outbreak of war he had spent several years in France and Germany.  He joined up as a volunteer a year after the outbreak of war and belonged to the 1st Garrison Somerset Battalion attached to the Hampshire Regiment.  He was sent to France but invalided home in July 1917.  He recovered and was sent to India in December 1918 with the Somerset Light Infantry.  He started his return home on 24th February 1919 but died on the17th March 1919.  He is buried in Maala Cemetery, Yemen.  Location G. 6.

By profession Herbert Hussey was a schoolmaster.  He had trained at Culham College and taught at for some time at Grovelands school.  He was the Assistant organist at All Saint’s Church and organist and choirmaster at St. Georges Church.  He was a member of the Choral Society of University College Reading and a well-known concert performer.

Roland Basil Howell & Norman Asquith Howell

Army, Commemorated name/s, Loos, Other Regiments, Reading School War Memorial, Reading University College, Somme

Roland Basil Howell
2nd Lieut. 6th Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry.

Norman Asquith Howell
2nd Lieut. 4th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment

Division 78

The Howell brothers were the sons of William Roland Howell and Louisa Margaret Howell, of “Heronden”, Cintra Avenue, Reading.  W. Roland Howell was a well known architect at the time.   The boys are commemorated on their parents grave, number 15603.

Howell RB photo Howell NA photo

Roland Basil Howell  was educated at St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate and volunteered for service in August 1914.  He was reported wounded and missing on 2nd October 1915, during the Battle of Loos.  He was aged 20.  His body was never found and his name is recorded on the Loos memorial, panel 103 to 105. Roland is commemorated on the University College memorial.

Norman Asquith Howell  was killed in action on the 23rd December 1916, aged 19.  He is buried in the A.I.F. Burial Ground, Flers, Somme.   The cemetery was started in November 1916 by Australians who were posted in nearby caves until February 1917.  The cemetery was greatly enlarged after the Armistice with graves from the battlefields.  It is likely, given the location, III. M. I. that Norman Howell was buried here sometime well after his death.

The Battle of the Somme was officially considered over in November  however, heavy fighting did continue for some time in the region of Flers.  A bitterly cold winter was also starting to set in and that Christmas was destined to be an uncomfortable one in the trenches with no hope of any truce or informal “live and let live” that had been the case at Christmas time at the beginning of the war.

Both Howell brothers are commemorated on the Reading School War Memorial.