During
the Holy Communion Service at 10 am on Sunday 26th June 2016, we shall
specifically remember nine of the 33 men listed on the carved memorial in
St Michael’s Church, Elmwood Road. These men lost their lives in a two month
period between the 30th May and 28th July 1916. All but one perished in France
before or during the Battle of the Somme in which five died on the first day of
the battle in the diversionary assault on Gommecourt. The men were:
Geoffrey
Damarel Gidley, 9th County of London Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Rifles)
died of wounds, 30th May 1916,
Douleens*, Somme
Philip
Walpole Coverley, 8th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force
killed
in action, 14th June 1916, Menin Gate, Ypres*, Belgium
Ivor
Reginald Pogose, 5th Battalion London Regiment (The London Rifles)
died
of wounds, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme
Richard
Arnold Sully, 9th County of London Battalion (Kensington Rifles)
killed
in action, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme
Frank
Maurice Coombs, 5th Battalion London Regiment (The London Rifles)
missing,
presumed dead, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme
Herman
Morton Curths, 9th County of London Battalion (Queen Victoria’s Rifles)
missing,
presumed dead, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme
John
Paterson Malcolm, 1st/16th London Regiment, (Queen’s Westminster Rifles
missing,
presumed dead, 1st July 1916, Gommecourt, Somme
Leslie
Howard Coombs, 10th Battalion Royal Fusiliers (The Stockbrokers’ Battalion)
died
of wounds, 14th July 1916, La Boiselle, Somme
Frank
William Keen, 22nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
killed
in action, 28th July 1916, Delville Wood, Somme
More
can be read about these men in the Heroes of Chiswick booklet ‘Commemorating St
Michael’s Church’s WW1 Soldiers’ with their stories being told on pages 4 to 7.
A pdf of the booklet and more information can be found on the Heroes of Chiswick this
website.
Note:
* Indicates place of burial/memorial where listed