Christopher Godfrey Guy, DoW 12-8-1917

[Stebie9173]

In working my way through "my officers" in the Northamptonshire Regiment, I would like to ask the Forum for a look-up into the RFC career and death of the following officer. If anyone can add information from the rolls of honour of Eton and/or King's College, Cambridge, that would also be appreciated.

Christopher Godfrey Guy

(Picture from a group line-up so perhaps misidentified)

Died of wounds 12th August 1917.

Born on 9th December 1893 at Eton, Buckinghamshire.

Son of Rev. Frederick Godfrey Guy, a Church of England priest, and Mrs Constance Louisa (Johnson) Guy, of 38 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth.

Brother to Constance (b.1890), Eanswythe (b.1891 at Eton, d.1914) and Magdalen (b.1900 in Cork, Ireland).

The Rev. F. Godfrey Guy had previously been Conduct of Eton College.

Family lived at Manea, Cambridgeshire c.1901, where Rev. Guy was the Parish vicar.

Educated at Gore Court, Sittingbourne and Eton.

Gained an open Exhibition for Classics at Kings College, Cambridge in December 1912.

Took up residence at King's College in October 1913 as a medical student.

Served as a Sergeant in Eton School Officer Training Corps until October 1912 when left school.

Offered a post as a cadet officer but turned down offer due to leaving school at the end of that term.

Applied for a commission to the Territorial Force on 5th August 1914.

Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on 2nd September 1914.

Posted to 4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (T.F.)

Promoted to temporary Lieutenant on 8th October 1914.

Appointed as temporary Captain on 6th March 1915.

Embarked overseas on 29th July 1915 aboard "HMT Royal George" with 1/4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment (T.F.) and landed at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on 15th August 1915.

Served at Suvla in August and Hill 60 in September 1915.

Reported sick on 1st October 1915, and evacuated from Anzac, Gallipoli to Lemnos aboard H.M.H.S. "Formosa" on 9th October 1915.

Admitted to Hospital on Lemnos suffering from typhoid dyptheria and jaundice.

Evacuated to England aboard H.M.H.S. "Aquitania" on 20th October 1915.

Disembarked at Southampton on 26th October 1915 and admitted to Welsh Hospital, Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley on 27th October 1915.

Recovered from disease by 2nd December 1915, and sent to convalesce at Bournemouth following a Medical Board at Netley on 8th December 1915.

Joined 3/4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment on 4th April 1916.

Promoted to Lieutenant effective 30th April 1915, in May 1916.

Attached to the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916.

Relinquished rank of temporary Captain on alteration of posting, 26th May 1917.

Seconded to Royal Flying Corps and appointed as a Flying officer on 26th May 1917.

Completed training and joined 29th Squadron as a scout pilot in July 1917, probably flying Nieuport 23 Scouts.

Shot down in aerial combat in the Ypres Sector on 11th August 1917.

Admitted unconscious to a German Field hospital at Wynendaele, suffering from a fracture to the base of the skull, a fractured jaw, and a compound fracture of the left arm above and below the elbow and wounds to the head, right knee and right foot.

Died at 6.15pm on 12th August 1917 as a result of cerebral haemorrage.

Buried at Wynendaele Cemetery, Plot. 12.

Later reburied in Plot II. L. 9. of Poperinghe New Military Cemetery.

He does not appear on the Manea Memorial, but is on the Bounemouth St. Clement's Memorial.

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Dorset/Bourn...StClements.html

Thanks in advance,

Steve.

[Stebie9173]

An interesting addition to his Service File is a death notification form from the Germans describing his wounds, death, and effects:

Which, if my Old German is correct translates as...... oh, alright, there is a translation on file....

Steve.

[Dolphin]

Steve

Capt G C Guy of No 29 Sqn RFC died on 12 August 1917 of wounds received the previous day while flying Nieuport 23 B1518. Capt Guy was flying on an Offensive Patrol, having left Poperinghe aerodrome at 1750, when he was engaged in combat with three enemy aircraft over Houthulst Wood at about 1840, and his Nieuport was seen to go down spinning behind enemy lines. Ltn d R Friedrich Wendland of Jasta 35 claimed a Nieuport at 1830; it was 3rd of his eventual 4 victories.

I hope that this helps you.

Gareth

[Stebie9173]

Yes, thanks, Gareth.

Very helpful - and fits exactly with the reported aftermath of the crash, too...

The report of his wounds doen't mention bullet wounds, so presumably he was still conscious when his Nieuport went spinning to the ground. What a way to go....

Steve.

[Cnock]

Present grave of Captain Christopher GUY

Regards,

Cnock

[Stebie9173]

Thanks very much for posting the grave picture, Cnock.

Not sure why he has an RAF badge on his grave, though. Perhaps he was officially still classed as missing up to the time of the creation of the RAF....

Steve.

[Cnock]

Hi Steve,

The majority of British RFC pilots have the Raf badge on their grave.

Regards,

Cnock

[Stebie9173]

Thanks for confirming that Cnock. I'm not a graves and cemeteries expert! (and it shows...)

Steve.

[Hambo]

Steve

I can add this wafer thin piece of information to your bio

He was in College House at Eton

Small consolation for all the great info you've given me but it's a start!!

Hambo

[Stebie9173]

Thanks, Hambo.

It all adds up. Keep me in mind if you find a better pic, please.

Steve.

[Hambo]

Steve

Ran into a mate of mine today who went to Eton and he tells me that if he was in College House it means he was scholar which probably ties in with his scholarship to University. A bright lad

Regards Hambo

[freddy1918]

Hi Steve,

College wasn't referred to as a house as such; there are only ever a maximum of 70 boys in it, all the scholars. At Guy's time most of the King's Scholars (He would have been Guy K.S. to anybody at school) were the middle class sons of Clergy, Bankers etc.

"Collegers" live about the oldest buildings around the courtyard whereas the other 900 odd boys (Oppidans) are scattered about in literal houses at the same end of the town. There are lots of course but off the top of my head, Oppidan RFC men included General David Henderson's son Ian. The youngest Etonian to die with the flying services was a David MacBrayne, also an Oppidan.

I've got some pictures of Guy, but they're all school images, no uniform portrait as yet. I am pretty sure there is an additional obit in the school magazine (his name is ringing alarm bells for some reason) which would include a personal recollection by a friend. I am back at the school in a week or so and could look it up if you want.

If any of this matters... He played for the College Wall team on St. Andrews day for three years in a row 1910-1912 (big round of applause) and got his mixed wall two years running (Boys selected from both the College and Oppidan teams after the match as beng the best players - you got a scarf and a cap and quite a bit of glory). As it happens the 1912 College team were rather exceptional. I've got a photograph of the match going on if you want to see it, although you'd be hard pressed to pick him out as it's pretty much a pile of bodies. And as for the scholarship, a handful were reserved every year to Kings for Collegers from Eton as part of the dual association with Henry VI.

Anyway I'm rambling now...

Freddy

[Stebie9173]

Thanks, Hambo.

I'm glad your remembering him, also.

Thanks also for the extra info, Freddy. I would like to see other pictures, and it would be nice to confirm the line-up picture is him. (I'm 98% certain, anyway...)

I believe he get mentioned in "Tale of a Territorial", written anonymously be Richard Dudley Pendered. However everyone in the battalion is referred to under a pseudonym. I think his pseudonym was "Jungle", with Pendered referring to him as nicknamed as "Tiger" (which may also be coded, but perhaps not in this case). Pendered refers to Jungle/Tiger having leave in late 1914 because his sister was seriously ill c. 4-11-14 and died soon after. This fits with Guy, as his sister Eanswythe (named after a Saint) died in late 1914. Too much of a coincidence not to be him??

I wonder if the alarm bells are from his father, as I posted above - "The Rev. F. Godfrey Guy had previously been Conduct of Eton College"

Anyway, it would be great to see any further info that there may be, Thanks.

And keep rambling....

Steve.

[freddy1918]

Steve,

I just ran your picture up against one of Guy from 1911 and it is def. him. (Certainly looks better without the moustache). The 1912 wall photo is clearer than I recalled. You can see a few faces so I'll get to work and see if I can spot him.

I've trawled the 1917 school magazine repeatedly and I'm 90% sure the niggle at the back of my brain is because he gets a significant mention on his death. I will check it out for you but it'll be ten days or so. They'll def be a good write up on his football career somewhere.

He was one of the brighter Collegers but he never won any prolific prizes or held any offices. He was commended for his work a few times and won a prize for some work he did on a holiday task in 1909. If he was one of the King's Cambridge bunch with a scholarship I can't imagine that he was anything but a Classical specialist. Guy had two different tutors whilst he was at Eton. One was the Rev Bowlby (I don't know too much about him) and the other was Hubert Brinton (You would have done your homework on time for him, getting on his nerves could be dangerous). I'd hazard a guess and say he was pretty good mates with Logie Leggatt who died on 31.7.1917 with the Coldstreams.

Freddy