Captain Frederick Loftus Fitzwygram

[SueRC]

Please can anyone shed any light for me? I am researching Captain Frederick Loftus Fitzwygram who's name appears on the roll of honour at my sons school. I believe he was only added to the CWGC in 2011 as a result of work done by the 'In from the cold' project as he died in 1920. I understand that he was a Captain in F Company, 1st Battalion Scots Guards and was reported missing in May 1915 and was later discovered to be a POW but I have no idea how he came to be captured or how he later qualified to be added to the CWGC records. Any help would be gratefully received.

[ralphjd]

He was added to the CWGC records after research by member Chris Harley on the 15th December 2011 apparently died from pyaemia according to the entry in the I F T C forum. Perhaps Chris could tell you more. Ralph.

[CGM]

Have a look through this thread. It includes his obituary.

CGM

[chrisharley9]

This one from the Times of 18th June 1915

[chrisharley9]

London Gazette of 2 Feb 1920 shows promoted to Major with effect 22 Jan 1920

According to the POW Roll on Ancestry he was taken prisoner 17 May 1915 being repatriated 26 Dec 1918

[SueRC]

Hi Chris, Thank you for the info. Was it because he was still a serving officer at his time of death that he qualifies for addition to the CWGC even though the war had ended or would it have been because his cause of death was attributable to his service?

[spof]

Sue

The war didn't officially end until 31.8.21 with the pasing of an Act of Parliament and until then, any deasth in service qualified for CQGC commemoration.

Glen

[HWMI]

Sir Frederick Loftus Fitzwygram has his name inscribed on the War Memorial in Havant, Hampshire. This is because his family home, Leigh Park, is in Havant (or rather was, as it was demolished in 1959). As SueRC obviously knows he was at Eton and

then Magdalen College, Oxford. He joined the 2nd Battalion Scots Guards and rose to the rank of Major.

On 26 February 1915 The Hampshire Telegraph reported that “Sir Francis Fitzwygram has been mentioned in despatches. He recently stayed at Leigh Park while recovering from a slight wound in the head.

He was wounded at The Battle of Festubert in May 1915 during a raid on German trenches and detained by the enemy. He was interned by the Germans in Belgium, where he remained until after the Armistice. Festubert produced a large number of casualties (many were killed or injured by British shells as they had advanced close to the German lines and the British guns had not stopped firing), but no real gains.

On 24 May 1915 The Times reported “News has reached Leigh Park, Havant, Hants that Captain Sir Frederick Fitz-Wygram, Scots Guards, has been taken prisoner by the Germans. He was wounded in December last.” It was not until 18 June 1915 that The Times could write that “Lady FitzWygram of Leigh park, Havant, Hants received information yesterday that her son Captain Sir Frederick FitzWygram Scots Guards is a prisoner in Germany and is quite well. He was last seen leading his company into action a month ago. On May 24 he was unofficially stated to be a prisoner, and two days later he was officially reported to be missing.”

Unbelievably in July 1915 the newspapers reported that a burglary had taken place in his house at Leigh Park whilst he was a wounded prisoner of the Germans. The thieves got clear away and it is believed that they made their escape in a motor-car.

Fitzwygram was a keen cricketer and during the Summer of 1919 he spent much of his time playing for the Household Brigade (they often played at Lord’s). It looks as though he was more of a bowler than a batsman.

On 7 May 1920 The Times reported that he had “died at Queen Alexandra Military Hospital, Millbank, London, from blood poisoning following influenza.”

On 10 May 1920 The Times said “Major Fitzwygram’s body was brought from London to Leigh Park House, which he had inherited from his father, in 1904, and taken to the funeral service at St Faith’s Church on a gun carriage. He was buried at St John's Church, Redhill.”

[Colin W Taylor]

Sue

I have his account of the action during which Frederick Fitzwygram was captured; his whole company (amongst others) was surrounded and he was wounded and captured along with only three other survivors. I wrote a piece in Stand To! on it. I understand that there is a painting of him above the fireplace in the Scots Guards officers' mess in the barracks off Birdcage Walk - a few years ago I was researching the fighting in which he was captured. I was unable to intrude and get a look at this painting however. I was unaware he had been added to the CWGC database as I had believed he died of natural causes whilst not on duty.

Let me know if you are interested.

Kind regards

Colin

[chrisharley9]

Just to confirm that his death occured whilst in service within the CWGC cut off dates

[SueRC]

Thank you all for the fantastic information it's very much appreciated. I've been so impressed by how helpful everyone on this forum is, I only hope that one day my knowledge becomes good enough that I can return the favour for someone. Colin, I'm a member of the WFA, which edition of Stand To did your piece appear in (I've only been a member for 12 months) I'd be really interested to read it.

[chrisharley9]

if you put his name through the London Gazette search engine there are a few other little bits to find