Cubitt Brothers, sons of Lord Ashcombe (Surrey - distant cousins to No

[WW1Daily]

I'm interested in any further information particularly on the elder three Cubitt brothers, sons of Henry Cubitt, later the 2nd Lord Ashcombe. These were the elder three of the six Cubitt brothers and they died in the Great War, as follows:

• Capt. The Hon Henry "Harry" Archibald Cubitt, 3bt Coldstream Guards. 3rd January 1892-15th September 1916. Eldest son of the (later) 2nd Baron Ashcombe.
  
• Lt. The Hon. Alick George Cubitt, 15th (The King's) Hussars. 16th January 1894-24th November 1917. Second son of the (later) 2nd Baron Ashcombe.
  
• Lt. The Hon. (William) Hugh Cubitt, 1st (Royal) Dragoons. 30th May 1896-24th March 1918. Third son of the (later) 2nd Baron Ashcombe.

I understand that both Capt Harry Cubitt and Lt Alick Cubitt were in receipt of the Legion of Honour.

All three went to Eton and I can trace Lt Alick and Lt Hugh at Sandhurst - but for some reason not Capt Henry.

A fourth brother, Roland Calvert Cubitt, (26 Jan 1899 - 28 October 1962) also went to Eton and Sandhurst in 1917 and appears to have been commissioned into the Coldstream Guards but on passing out was too young to be deployed overseas. According to his first wife's later memoir he was awaiting his posting to France at the time of the Armistice. He served in the Coldstream Guards until 1925, He was grandfather to the Duchess of Cambridge.

The two younger brothers (too young for WW1) are as follows:

Maj Archibald Edward Cubitt (born 16 January 1901, died 13 Feb 1972) (Eton/Royal Dragoons) - married first Lady Irene Helen Pratt, and later Sibell Margaret Norman. (Ashcombe title now rests with Mark Edward Cubitt (29/2/64), Grandson of Archibald Edward and Sibell Margaret Norman)

Lt Col. Charles Guy Cubitt (born 13 February 1903, died 1979) - married Rosamund Mary Edith Cholmeley, DSO, CBE, DL & High Sheriff of Surrey (1955); b. 13 Feb 1903; d. 1979; educ: Eton & RMC Sandhurst; Jt. Master of Crawley & Horsham Foxhounds 1928-33 & Acting Master 1933-39; Lieut. Royal Dragoons; served in WWII; Col. 98th (Surrey & Sussex Yeomanry) Field Regt., Royal Artillery; Hon. Col. Surrey Yeomanry 1951.

[HarryBrook]

Henry Archibald Cubitt was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards on February 4 1911

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28462/pages/857

In the Gazette notification he is not described as a 'Gentleman Cadet from the Royal Military Academy', or similar wording, which was often used in notifications early in the Great War.

[HarryBrook]

The obituary of Captain Henry Archibald Cubitt published in The Times on Saturday, August 23 1916 also makes no mention of him attending Sandhurst.

CAPTAIN HENRY ARCHIBALD CUBITT, Coldstream Guards, was the eldest son of Colonel the Hon. Henry Cubitt, C.B., Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, and a grandson of Lord Ashcombe. Educated at Stonehouse, Broadstairs, and Eton, he obtained his commission in the Coldstream Guards in 1911. He was promoted lieutenant in December 1914, and temporary captain in June, 1915, being confirmed in the rank two months ago. He had been adjutant of his battalion since last December. Captain Cubitt had been mentioned in dispatches, and was awarded the Croix de Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. Like his cousin Captain Chichester, he was 24 years old, and fell during the fighting last week.

[The Captain Chichester referred to was Captain William George Cubitt Chichester, London Regt., younger son of Canon and the Hon. Mrs. Chichester, of the Vicarage, Dorking, and a grandson of Lord Ashcombe. He also died on September 15 1916. His obituary was printed immediately above that of Captain Henry Archibald Cubitt]

London Gazette notification of the award of the Croix de Chevalier of the Legion of Honour:

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29486/supplements/2068

[Old Owl]

The obituary of Captain Henry Archibald Cubitt published in The Times on Saturday, August 23 1916 also makes no mention of him attending Sandhurst.

The Royal Military Academy is RMA Woolwich, so you are correct in that he did not attend the RMC Sandhurst.

[HarryBrook]

There is no mention of the award of Legion of Honour in the C.W.G.C. entry, additional information, for Lieutenant Alick George Cubitt, unlike the entry for his brother Henry Archibald which does make reference to the Honour. Neither is there any reference to the Honour in his obituary below, and not found in the London Gazette.

An obituary for Lieutenant Alick George Cubitt was published in The Times on Friday, November 30 1917.

LORD ASHCOMBE'S HEIR.

LIEUTENANT the HON. ALICK GEORGE CUBITT, Hussars. eldest surviving son of Lord and Lady Ashdowne, was killed on November 24, in his 24th year. He was educated at Stone House, Broadstairs, and Eton, and joined the Hussars from Sandhurst in September, 1913. He went to France with the first reinforcements of his regiment in October, 1914, and was present at all the fighting round Ypres in the autumn and winter of that year. He took part in the operations at Neuve Chapelle and at Loos in the spring and autumn of 1915, and has since served continuously with the Cavalry Corps. His eldest brother, Captain Henry Archibald Cubitt, Coldstream Guarsd, and his cousin Captain W. G. C. Chichester, London Regiment, were killed in September 1916. His brother, Lieutenant the Hon. W. H. Cubitt, Dragoons, becomes heir to the barony.

As stated in the obituary, he was commissioned into the 15th (The King's) Hussars in September 1913.

'The undermentioned Gentlemen Cadets from the Royal Military College to be Second Lieutenants'

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28752/pages/6237

[HarryBrook]

An obituary for Lieutenant the Hon. William Hugh Cubitt was published in The Times on Thursday, April 4 1918.

LIEUTENANT the HON. WILLIAM HUGH CUBITT, Dragoons, who died of wounds on March 24, aged 21, was the eldest surviving son of Lord and Lady Ashcombe. He was educated at Mr. E. L. Bent's, Haywards Heath and at Eton (Mr. Goodhart's), and proceeded to Sandhurst at the outbreak of war. He obtained his commission in November, 1914, went out to France in the following May, and had since served continuously with the Cavalry Corps. His two elder brothers have already fallen in the war - Captain the Hon. Henry Archibald Cubitt, Coldstream Guards, in September 1916, and Lieutenant the Hon. Alick George Cubitt, Hussars, in November last.

Commissioned into 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards, November 1914.

'The undermentioned Gentlemen Cadets from the Royal Military College to be Second Lieutenants. Dated 11th November, 1914.'

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28969/pages/9141

[WW1Daily]

There is no mention of the award of Legion of Honour in the C.W.G.C. entry, additional information, for Lieutenant Alick George Cubitt, unlike the entry for his brother Henry Archibald which does make reference to the Honour. Neither is there any reference to the Honour in his obituary below, and not found in the London Gazette.

An obituary for Lieutenant Alick George Cubitt was published in The Times on Friday, November 30 1917.

LORD ASHCOMBE'S HEIR.

LIEUTENANT the HON. ALICK GEORGE CUBITT, Hussars. eldest surviving son of Lord and Lady Ashdowne, was killed on November 24, in his 24th year. He was educated at Stone House, Broadstairs, and Eton, and joined the Hussars from Sandhurst in September, 1913. He went to France with the first reinforcements of his regiment in October, 1914, and was present at all the fighting round Ypres in the autumn and winter of that year. He took part in the operations at Neuve Chapelle and at Loos in the spring and autumn of 1915, and has since served continuously with the Cavalry Corps. His eldest brother, Captain Henry Archibald Cubitt, Coldstream Guarsd, and his cousin Captain W. G. C. Chichester, London Regiment, were killed in September 1916. His brother, Lieutenant the Hon. W. H. Cubitt, Dragoons, becomes heir to the barony.

As stated in the obituary, he was commissioned into the 15th (The King's) Hussars in September 1913.

'The undermentioned Gentlemen Cadets from the Royal Military College to be Second Lieutenants'

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28752/pages/6237

Thank you very much - very helpful. I have seen sources mention the Legion of Honour in Alick's case but they were not primary and it seems highly likely the two brothers were confused in this regard.

[WW1Daily]

Very many thanks for your help with this. One thing puzzles me. Roland Cubitt passed out of Sandhurst in 1917 and as I understand it would have been available for foreign posting on his 19th birthday (26th January 1918). At that time the eldest two Cubitt boys were dead and the third eldest was to be killed in March 1918.

There was an acute shortage of officers in early 1918 in the face of the German Spring Offensive but it appears Roland was never posted and spent the rest of the war in London.

Is it possible that the someone somewhere decided that the Cubitt family had suffered enough and decided not to post Roland? Who would have been able to take such a decision?

[Moriaty]

A small correction to the first posting on this topic. Roland Cubitt was the grandfather of the Duchess of Cornwall, not the Duchess of Cambridge.

The first Thomas Cubitt, the builder, and his brother William are buried in London's West Norwood Cemetery.

[WW1Daily]

A small correction to the first posting on this topic. Roland Cubitt was the grandfather of the Duchess of Cornwall, not the Duchess of Cambridge.

The first Thomas Cubitt, the builder, and his brother William are buried in London's West Norwood Cemetery.

My fault, thanks for correcting.

[Guest]

Hi, New to this!

Any relation to Elmer Rowland Yonge Cubitt 103271 ?