Who were the Corbet brothers?

[oak]

Pals,

The dedication on Ernest Raymond's "Tell England" reads as follows:

"To the Memory of Reginald Vincent Campbell Corbet who fell, while a boy, in the East

and George Frederick Francis Corbet who passed, while a boy, in the West

is affectionately dedicated what little is best in this book,

nothing else in it being worthy of them. "

Lieutenant R.V.C Corbet, 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, was killed in the V Beach landing on 25 April 1915. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

Second Lieutenant G.F.F. Corbet, Welch Regiment, died on 25 January 1916 and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery Z. 177036.

I haven't been able to find any further information on the brothers. I would be very grateful if any Pal could give me such information. I would also be grateful if anyone could tell me what was Ernest Raymond's connection with the family.

Kind regards,

Philip

[Myrtle]

Philip

Reginald Corbet was born approx. 1894 in Hammersmith and George Corbet approx. 1897 in South Kensington. Their father was a Barrister. In 1911 Reginald was attending Malvern College but I can not find his name on their Roll of Honour.

As Ernest Raymond was born in 1888 he would have beeen 6 years older than Reginald and 9 years older than Reginald.

[River97]

Philip,

Here are the family members from the 1901 census:

Fred K H M Corbet, 38

Eda L M Corbet, 33

Reginald V C Corbet, 7

Constance E Corbet, 5

George F F Corbet, 4

It seems that the father was born in Spain and their mother, Eda was born in India. SO, there were two sons and a daughter who were all born in London, as well as three servants.

Hope this provides some assistance.

Cheers Andy.

[Myrtle]

Reginald and George Corbet's father, Frederick Hugh Mackenzie Corbet, became the Barrister at law for the Advocate General for the Presidency of Madras in 1912 and the brothers' grandfather was Sir George Campbell KCMG Inspector General of the Ceylon Police and Lieutenant - Governor of Penang.

[oak]

Myrtle and Andy, you are both wonders!

All that information is most helpful and I really appreciate it.

Kind regards and thanks,

Philip

[River97]

Philip,

Got some more for you. George Corbet has a MIC available on Ancestry.

Arrived in France date unknown, entitled to the 1914-15 Star trio. The rest of the info you already have. There is also an address, not much to go off, but it's something:

MRS E.H.M. Corbet (mother)

c/o National Provenance and Union Bank of England

208 Piccadilly W.

But wait, steady there, I've found more. The MIC for Reginald is also available.

Reginald also entitled to the 1914-15 Star Trio after arriving in the Dardanelles on 15/03/1915. The MIC actually states he died on 25/04/1916, which I would say is a mistake.

Same address on the back as above, however, there is this: MRS Corbet forwards application for late sons medals 31/10/22.

Cheers Andy.

[Myrtle]

Andy/Philip

Just to add something to Reginald's mic. I believe that it says Dec'd 25/04/1916 which could indicate that he was declared as being dead a year later. When a soldier's body was not recovered the family sometimes had to wait for a year or longer for their relative to be declared as deceased.

By the way Constance the sister (whose middle name was Eila after her mother) married Stuart Byres Moir an engineer in the early 1920s. He seems to have worked in Egypt as he was awarded 5th Class of the Order of The Nile. This marriage doesn't appear to have worked out as she then married (Sir) Hubert J. Huddleston in 1928.

[oak]

Thanks again Andy and Myrtle,

Andy, I love your "But wait, steady there, I've found more."

Myrtle, your information about the proceedure for being declared dead when a body was not recovered is something that, I'm sure, will be of interest to many Pals.

Kind regards,

Philip

[Myrtle]

I have been trying to find the link between Ernest Raymond and the Corbet family but there appear to be many possibilities of where their paths may have crossed.

According to his Obituary Ernest Raymond attended Colet Court and then St Paul's. He then went to teach at a school in Eastbourne from 1908 - 1911. In 1912 he taught at a school in Bath and then went to Theological College at Chichester which he followed up with a degree at Durham University. He was ordained in 1914 and was then attached to The Manchester Regiment in 1915 until 1917. He was attached to the Worcesters from 1917 until 1919. Altogether he served at Gallipoli, Mespot, Persia and Russia. He resigned his Holy Orders in 1923.

He also appears to have mixed in the Literary circles of that time and given many lectures and radio broadcasts throughout his career.

[River97]

I believe that it says Dec'd 25/04/1916 which could indicate that he was declared as being dead a year later. When a soldier's body was not recovered the family sometimes had to wait for a year or longer for their relative to be declared as deceased.

Yes, well picked up. It was usually after a board of enquiry had sat to determine the fate of these soldiers. I have the service records of an Australian who was declared killed in action at Fromelles in 1916, after the board of enquiry sat in 1921.

Service records for the Corbet brothers would be the Jewell in the crown.

Cheers Andy.

[Myrtle]

Just another bit of information about Constance Eila. It appears that she had a "Grace & Favour" appartment at Hampton Court, which she gave up on her third marriage.

LADY HUDDLESTON: 1955; resigned 1963

Constance Eila, daughter of Frederick Hugh Mackenzie Corbet, Advocate-General of Madras; widow of Maj-Gen Sir Hubert Jervoise

Huddleston (1880–1950), GCMG, GBE, CB, DSO, MC. He served in the South African War (mentioned in despatches), First

World War, 1914–18 (mentioned in despatches); GOC Sudan, 1924–30. Commanded Presidency Assam District, 1934–5, Baluch

District, 1935–8; Lt-Gov and Secretary of Royal Hospital Chelsea, 1938–40. GOC Northern Ireland District, 1940; Gov-Gen Anglo-

Egyptian Sudan, 1940–7. They married in 1928 and had one daughter. Lady Huddleston resigned in 1963 on her marriage to Sir Basil

Leven-Spence.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Huddleston Hubert Jervoise Maj CO 3rd (Anzac Camel Bn) to LtCol Ex Dorset Regt DSO & bar MC Order of the Nile 3rd class

S.B

[oak]

Thanks again Myrtle and Andy ---- and Steve.

Regards,

Philip

[michaeldr]

Philip,

If you can find them, then you may get some more information from Raymond's autobiographies

The Story of My Days: an autobiography by Ernest Raymond, Cassell & Co, 1968

Please you, draw near: an autobiography by Ernest Raymond, Cassell & Co, 1969

regards

Michael

PS: the first book covers the years 1888-1922

Edited 19 April , 2010 by michaeldr

[oak]

Many thanks Michael,

Apologies for the delay in replying. I was ill for the past few days.

I'll certainly try to trace both of those books.

Kind regards,

Philip

[ddycher]

All

Have taken the liberty of posting this in both the "soldiers" and the "middle east" forums.

Hubert Huddleston is one of my favourite personalities of my study in the Great War. I have recently took it on myself to try to expand, to more than a passing level of detail, a reasonable biography of Hubert Huddleston.

Fascinating study :

Commissioned from the ranks of the Coldstream Guards for valour whilst serving in South Africa he was to spend the better part of his career in Egypt. He went on to be awarded the MC, , be a key figure in the Dafur Campaign of 1916, command an Australian battalion in the Imperial Camel Corps, be awarded the DSO TWICE, command a brigade throughout Allenby's campaign in Palestine, be act'g Sirdar in the Sudan, Colonel of the Dorsetshire Regt, District Commander in India, awarded the KCMG, the GBE and GCMG, was a key figure in the independance of the Sudan but was finally to retire in a mass of "bad politics" in the Clement Atlee years post world war 2.

He was one of the last great imperial proconsuls, described as "an Imperial officer and a heavy giant of a man" charterised by his "straightness and simplicity", "his personal courage", "his modesty and kindness" and reknowned for his sense of humour his life reads like something straight out of a boys own adventure novel.

I would love to do this biography a better service and would appreciate any and all input from fellow members of the forum. I would happily share anything and everything I have with anybody with a like minded interest in him.

Regards

Dave

[michaeldr]

Get well soon, Philip

With very best regards

Michael