Lt McMICKLING

[sadsac]

Todays Rememberance man is Lt. G.T.G McMicking, Cambs Reg. Buried Holland (so the posting has).

11.11.18 Orthen. Why Holland ??

Was he serving / lost close to / POW (Interned) / died flue / `Natural' causes ???

And 11.11.18 - Oh Dear - to pass on when `all was over' !

Was he wounded / killed last day - or death due to previous wounding ??

All info please for Cambs Reg.

Regards Sadsac

[Esskay]

It will be interesting to see what his story is Sadsac - LG has him commissioned in 1913

1st Battalion, The Cambridgeshire Regiment;

Gilbert Thomas Gore McMicking (late Cadet

Serjeant, Marlborough. College Contingent,

Junior Division, Officers Training Corps) to

be Second Lieutenant. Dated 29th October,

1913

SDGW says 'Died' and his MIC - that Ancestry won't download now said he was ineligible for any war medals

His father Gilbert may also have served - in 1901 census he is shown as a Major in the Army and there is a MIC for a T/Lt Col Gilbert McMicking who was with 73rd Bde RFA

Cheers

Sue

[sadsac]

First a sincere apology to the Lt. & his family - I typed in error McMicking & not McMICKLING !

Sue, many thanks for reply and info supplied.

NOT due any war medals - surely that needs much further looking into.

Holland of course was neutral WW1 (also WW11 - but Mr. H did not recognise NEUTRAL).

Do not wish to speculate further, until more facts arise !!

As you write SUE, will be most interesting to get further info.

Who would have posted the Commemoration above ???

Sadsac

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Here is the entry for him in THE MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE REGISTER (1933 Edn.)

Gilbert Thomas Gore McMICKING

born 1.9.1894

son of Maj.G.McMicking CMG MP of Miltonise, Glenluce, Wigtownshire (address at time GTC was at Marlborough)

Marlborough College Sept.1907 to Mid.1912 (Prefect)

Trinity College Cambridge 1913

2nd.Lieut. Cambridgeshire Regiment 1913

Died Bois-le-duc, Holland 11.11.1918

Brothers:

Robert James Gore McMICKING

b. 11.10.1905

son of Maj.G.McMicking, 26 Carlise Square, London, SW3 (address at time RJG was at Marlborough)

Marlborough College Sept.1919 to Christmas 1923 (Prefect)

Rugby XV 1923

Address (1933) Upper Gloucester Place, London, NW1

Ralph Gore McMICKING

b. 1.4.1897

son of Maj.G.McMicking DSO, 9 Cheyne Place, London SW (address at time RG was at Marlborough)

Marlborough College Sept.1910 to Mid 1914

Great War: 25th London Regiment

Lieut. 1915

Invalided 1916

Address (1933) Spennythorne, Cokes Lane, Chalfont St.Giles, Bucks.

Dave

[HERITAGE PLUS]

His father Gilbert McMicking (24 March 1862 – 15 November 1942) was a Scottish Liberal Party politician.

He was MP for Kirkcudbrightshire from 1906 to January 1910, and from December 1910 until the constituency was abolished for the 1918 general election.

He was then elected for the new Galloway constituency, and stood down at the 1922 general election.

Dave

[Esskay]

A bit more time to search today - the Behind the Wire section of the 1914-1918 website lists him as a prisoner - http://www.1914-1918.net/POW/details2.php?...=CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Still couldn't find anything about him in a Times search though

Cheers

Sue

[sadsac]

SUE, DAVE - confirmation please was his name MICKING or MICKLING ????

Either you have it wrong, or whomever posted the commemoration !!! - who was that ????

Sadsac

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Sadsac

The Marlborough Register and the MP list both have McMICKING.

Dave

[cliff brown]

McMicking was a pre-war officer with 1st Cambs Rgt. Commissioned 29-10-13. He was serving in A company and was made a PoW while on holiday in Europe in August 1914.

I believe his service papers are at Kew: WO374/45109.

[Esskay]

Thanks Cliff so much for letting us know this about Gilbert McMicking - guess being a POW/interned for the duration of the war would explain why he wasn't eligible for any war medals - per his MIC

Cheers

Sue

[high wood]

Just to muddy the waters further my list of British Officers taken prisoner during the Great War shows a Lt-Col H. McMicking of the Royal Scots being captured on 26th August 1914, interned in Holland from 9th December 1917 and being repatriated on the 23rd March 1918.

The Cambridgeshire Regiment section does not list a Lieutenant G McMickling or McMicking

[Esskay]

Just to muddy the waters further my list of British Officers taken prisoner during the Great War shows a Lt-Col H. McMicking of the Royal Scots being captured on 26th August 1914, interned in Holland from 9th December 1917 and being repatriated on the 23rd March 1918.

The Cambridgeshire Regiment section does not list a Lieutenant G McMickling or McMicking

I think this is Gilbert's brother Harry - another career soldier - from http://www.angloboerwar.com/DSO/m/mcmicking_h.htm

McMICKING, HARRY, Captain, was born 28 October 1867, youngest son of G McMicking, of Miltonise, Wigtownshire. He was gazetted to the Royal Scots 14 September 1887; became Lieutenant, 4 June 1890, and Captain, 24 June 1896. He served in the South African War, as Adjutant, Mounted Infantry, 9 October 1899 to 6 October 1900; as Staff Officer to Mounted Infantry 7 October 1900 to 17 October 1900; as Brigade Major 18 October 1900 to 26 June 1902. Captain McMicking was present at the Relief of Kimberley: operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900, including operations at Paardeberg, 17 to 26 February, actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Vet River (5 and 6 May) and Zand River; operations in the Transvaal in May and June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill (11 and 12 June); operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July to 29 November 1900, including action at Reit Vlei; operations in the Transvaal 30 November 1900 to April 1902 (in command of a column 21 April to 28 July 1901, and 7 December 1901 to 20 January 1902); in command of a column during operations in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, April to 31 May 1902. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 16 April 1901, and 29 July 1902], received the Queen's Medal with six clasps, the King's Medal with two clasps, was placed on the list of officers qualified for Staff employment in consequence of service on the Staff in the Field, and was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 27 September 1901]: "Harry McMicking, Captain, Royal Scots. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". The Insignia were presented by the King 24 October 1902. He was Staff Captain, Infantry Brigade, Malta, 10 February 1903 to 9 February 1906; and was promoted to Major 5 December 1904. Major McMicking was GSO2, Lowland Division, Scottish Command, 18 October 1909 to 30 September 1911; became Lieutenant Colonel, 14 August 1912. He served in the European War, 1914-15; was mentioned in Despatches; held a special appointment at Aldershot 1 October 1918 to 12 January 1919; was temporarily in command of the 3rd Battalion Royal Scots, from 6 January 1919; was given the Brevet of Colonel 3 June 1919. Colonel McMicking married, in 1907, Gertrude, only daughter of the Duke de Stacpoole and Pauline, only child of Edward MacEvoy, late MP, County Meath, and they had two sons.

CB (m), DSO, QSA (6) RofK Paard Drief Joh D-H Belf, KSA (2), 1914 Star and Bar, BWM, Victory Medal (Lt Col).

Edinburgh Castle 2000.

If Gilbert was on holiday in Europe in August 1914 as Cliff advised would he in fact have been interned (also why he was in Holland??) rather than a 'captured' POW - would that explain why he wasn't on the list you have High Wood??

Cheers

Sue

[sadsac]

Hi WOOD ?! , SUE, CLIFF, DAVE, thanks for replies and clearing up partly the intriguing mystery. So it seems he must have been in Holland on holiday at start of war and incarserated there for the duration. And he must have died there - probably of the Sanish (American) flue.

Still have the thought of who puts the commemoration on the GWF, and where do they get their info from if not a family member ????

Sadsac

[nilis11]

Hi WOOD ?! , SUE, CLIFF, DAVE, thanks for replies and clearing up partly the intriguing mystery. So it seems he must have been in Holland on holiday at start of war and incarserated there for the duration. And he must have died there - probably of the Sanish (American) flue.

Still have the thought of who puts the commemoration on the GWF, and where do they get their info from if not a family member ????

Sadsac

Second Lt. Gilbert Thomas Gore McMicking is indeed buried in Den Bosch or 'sHertogenbosch (in French Bois le Duc), The Netherlands. It is the only CWGC on that cemetery. According to my information he was on holiday in Germany in July 1914 and was taken POW. He appears to have been in POW camp Celle (probably Schloss Celle). It seems that he escaped, was cought and escaped again! He died in Holland. Cause of death is not known to me. Any suggestions as to where I could verify the escapes of Lt. McMicking?

Cheers

Nilis

[Hilke Langhammer]

Gilbert McMicking was in POW Camp at Celle (near Hanover), in the Castle of Celle. A list of the prisoners from June 12th, 1915 names him with "Student, Lt. d. Res. Gilbert Mc Micking" (copy of this list in the local Archive, Stadtarchiv Celle, original: Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz Berlin, GStA PK, BPH, Rep. 113 Oberhofmarschallamt, Nr. 2414.) So probably he was in Germany not for holidays but for university studies?

He was here until December 1917, then was transported to the Netherlands to be exchanged, but for some reason - probably because he was ill - stayed there until November 1918 when he died in 'sHertogenbosch, perhaps spanish flue.

According to our files (local Archive in Celle) he escaped from the Castle once with two other prisoners, one russian, one english, on February 26th 1917 but was returned to the camp on March 6th.

Greetings from Celle

Hilke

[nilis11]

Thanks for adding this Hilke.

I was looking into his case again today.

Any details on the escape from the castle in February 1917?

[kellysgirl]

I'm interested in the McMickings. Their F/T online shows there were 3 brothers, Gilbert, Ralph and Robert, sons of a politician, Gilbert McMicking. This is my understanding of the brothers' history:

1. Gilbert was, as Hilke points out, a POW and failed escapee. He had been a Lt in the Cambridgeshire Regt and had been reading for a modern languages degree and studying German under a Prof. Francke at Weimar in the summer of 1914. On the outbreak of war, he unwisely wrote to his C/O to ask what he should do but the letter was intercepted and he was arrested and interned as a 'belligerent'. Given that the war was anticipated, it seems odd that he should still have been in Germany at its outbreak. I have long wondered if in fact he was there on an intelligence gathering mission and had been sending info back to his CO. Following his escape attempt(s), he was moved to a POW camp in the Netherlands, perhaps with a view to being exchanged, but his health had been damaged by exposure to bad weather whilst he was at large, also exacerbated by lack of nutrition during three and a half years' as a POW and he succumbed to influenza on Armistice Day 1918.

2. Ralph Gore McMicking (1897-1964) who served with the 25th London Regt in The Great War; made 2nd Lieutenant with the Cyclist branch of the London Regt in Feb 1916 and was invalided out of the army that same year, relinquishing his army commission owing to ill health. One account I have seen suggests he had been visiting his brother Gilbert for a walking holiday when war broke out and was also taken as a POW. I haven't checked this out as yet but this may have been the reason for his own ill health? He survived the war and was living at 'Spennythorne', Cokes Lane, Chalfont St Giles, Bucks, in 1933. Neither brother received any military medals for their WW1 service.

3. Robert James McMicking born 1905, so too young to serve in WW1.

[Guest]

On 11/11/2008 at 20:05, HERITAGE PLUS said:

Here is the entry for him in THE MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE REGISTER (1933 Edn.)

Gilbert Thomas Gore McMICKING

born 1.9.1894

son of Maj.G.McMicking CMG MP of Miltonise, Glenluce, Wigtownshire (address at time GTC was at Marlborough)

Marlborough College Sept.1907 to Mid.1912 (Prefect)

Trinity College Cambridge 1913

2nd.Lieut. Cambridgeshire Regiment 1913

Died Bois-le-duc, Holland 11.11.1918

Brothers:

Robert James Gore McMICKING

b. 11.10.1905

son of Maj.G.McMicking, 26 Carlise Square, London, SW3 (address at time RJG was at Marlborough)

Marlborough College Sept.1919 to Christmas 1923 (Prefect)

Rugby XV 1923

Address (1933) Upper Gloucester Place, London, NW1

Ralph Gore McMICKING

b. 1.4.1897

son of Maj.G.McMicking DSO, 9 Cheyne Place, London SW (address at time RG was at Marlborough)

Marlborough College Sept.1910 to Mid 1914

Great War: 25th London Regiment

Lieut. 1915

Invalided 1916

Address (1933) Spennythorne, Cokes Lane, Chalfont St.Giles, Bucks.

Dave

Dave,

 

I am very interested in your comments on all three of the McMicking brothers' lives - I am their closest living relative and in the family we know very little about their lives. Gilbert's life has recently been enlightened to us by a Dutch researcher, however we have very little idea about Ralph.I was wondering where you found out this information about him as as far we know, when he was invalided he was sent to Holloway Mental hopsital in Surrey where he remained until his death in 1964. There are reports of him marrying a Margaret Thurst, however we are almost certain that this is incorrect - the wedding certificate has his name as Ralph Garnett McMeeking and although this McMeeking is born in the same year as my relative, due to the difference in name and the fact that 6 years after his supposed marriage he was still in the mental we think we can discount this. This is why, however, we are confused by your adress for him in 1933 as this house is the address that my grandmother, the daughter of Robert JG McMicking and her siblings were born in and grew up in. She was born in 1934 and neither her nor her father knew Ralph was still alive until 1942 when her grandfather Maj. Gilbert McMicking MP died. This is why we are confused with your adresses for both RGM and RJGM for these dates and were wondering whether you could help us in our search for answers!

Thank you,

Yours,

Charlie

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Charlie

 

The addresses that I quoted are as recorded in the Marlborough College Register at the time that the 1933 edition was published. I'm afraid that I cannot help further with any other info.

 

You could contact the Archivist at Marlborough College to see if the College holds any other info.

 

http://archive.marlboroughcollege.org/Contact.aspx

 

Dave

Edited 5 January , 2019 by HERITAGE PLUS

[Ron Clifton]

As others have suggested, the most likely explanation is that he became ill whilst a prisoner of war and was then transferred to a neutral country to be interned, where he subsequently died. I think that this was quite usual for men, especially officers, in these circumstances.

 

Ron

[Guest]

Dear all,

 

My name is Roger Rossmeisl from Den Bosch (NL) and I wrote the full story of 2nd Lieutenant Gilbert McMicking in a book that was published in October 2018. His grave is less than a mile from my house at Orthen cemetry. His story is about Anglo-German friendships. About internment and sense of duty. About the last relics of a European class society, both in Great-Britain and in Germany. How a young British student in Weimar in 1914 got stuck into the history of his lifetime. And how he transformed overnight as civilian from a friendly state into an interned enemy. How he ended up in the Netherlands as part of the only (secret) German – British treaty that was signed during the war.

 

At the end of 1917 he came to the Netherlands. There he was not interned in an internment camp but lived individually in several places. He ended up in Den Bosch where he died because of the Spanis flue. 

 

He is the only foreign soldier of both(!) World Wars that has a grave in Den Bosch. Unfortunately for you the story is in Dutch but please let me know if there is any interest in an English translated version.

 

My story about Gilbert was also broadcasted on the national Dutch radio: https://www.vpro.nl/programmas/ovt/speel~RBX_VPRO_13388805~het-spoor-terug-schotse-oorlogsveteraan-zonder-oorlog~.html

 

Greetings from the Netherlands,

 

Roger Rossmeisl       

[kenmorrison]

Major Gilbert McMicking 1862 - 1942

also Major General Neil McMicking 1894 - 1963

and Brigadier Thomas Neil McMicking 1932 - 1998

are named on a family grave marker in New Luce Parish Churchyard in Wigtownshire.

http://scottishwargraves.phpbbweb.com/scottishwargraves-ftopic953.html

 

Ken