Ashtead War Memorials - WWI - 2nd Lieut (?Lt) Geoffrey William Church MC, East Kent Regiment

Geoffrey William Church, born at 1 High Street, Hemel Hempstead on 13 February 1886, was educated at Uppingham School, Rutland, matriculating in September 1905, and University College London (Engineering, 1905-07).

His father was William Edward Church, Solicitor, Principal Clerk to the Registrar of the Chancery Division, who married Elizabeth Mary Smith in the autumn of 1877. The family had been living in Hertfordshire but came to Ashtead after 1901 to live in a large house with extensive grounds, Mawmead Shaw on New Road, later re-named The Marld.

Geoffrey, described as the Church’s “surviving son”, applied for a commission first with the Army Service Corps, on 16 May 1915, then Royal Army Medical Corps, 16 July 1915. On 9 September 1915 he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant 7th East Kent Regiment, and went to France with that unit on 16 June 1916.

On May 3rd, 1917, he was initially reported "wounded and missing, believed killed," but later included amongst the official list of those killed on that date.

Private T Murphy, 13238, 7th East Kent Regiment had written, 1 February 1919, to confirm the fact: ‘I saw Mr Church killed at CHERISY in France on May 3 1917. He was hit by shrapnel and killed instantly. We were attacking at the time. Mr Church was the Lieutenant of the IV Platoon.’

Geoffrey’s death, serving with the 7th (Service Battalion), East Kent Regiment, and preceding the Third Battle of Ypres [Passchendaele], which began in June 1917, is commemorated on the Arras Memorial in France.

The officer, promoted and paid as a full Lieutenant from 1 November 1916, was awarded a Military Cross (GVR). His citation in London Gazette 17 April 1917 reads: 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led out a patrol under heavy fire, and obtained most valuable information. Later, he greatly assisted his company in maintaining direction, and did invaluable work in keeping down heavy enemy sniping fire.'

Posthumously, British War and Victory Medals were added to his medal group, associated with The Buffs, that was found being advertised for sale by auction in 1999. They had been claimed by his father, WE Church, on 10 February 1922.

Mawmead Shaw, sold at auction in 1927, suffered bomb damage in WWII and eventually was pulled down to allow St. Michael’s Catholic Church to be built, in 1966, off Woodfield Lane. The Church family moved from the district to Beaconsfield where Mr WE Church died, aged 84 in May 1933. His Obituary mentioned that “He suffered, like so many others, sad bereavement during the War, but maintained to the end his cheerfulness and kindness of spirit…”

Probate of Geoffrey’s Will was granted to Miss Ella Katherine Church, the surviving Executrix. The residue of an estate valued at £1203:13: 8 had been devised to the [juvenile] daughter of Arthur Lea Harris, Miss MEJ Harris, Gregory Cottage, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, later addressed c/o her widowed Mother at 2 Trevelyan Road, Seaton, Devon.

Arthur Harris, born in Blackburn was about the same age as Geoffrey Church but came from Walton le Dale, Lancashire, where his father, Rev Seymour Frederick Harris, had been Vicar until 1908. Arthur married Winifred M Arminson, reg Preston 6/1912, and their daughter, Mary EJ Harris, had arrived about a year later. Since Arthur was educated at Marlborough, the two men were not at school together but probably met as comrades in arms. Arthur Harris had been a Lieutenant in 4th Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment but, having attained the rank of Captain, was himself killed in action on 31 July 1917 at Ypres. His widow is presumed to have moved to Devon to be closer to her parents-in-law, Rev SF Harris having become Vicar of Cotleigh near Honiton, although he died in August 1920.

text: Brian Bouchard: if you can add to this page please contact the editor
page added 8 Jan 2009: updated 17 May 2009