Major Douglas Harry Acworth, MC, 55th Coke's Rifles, Frontier Force, Indian Army. He was the son of Harry Arbuthnot Acworth and Anna Mary Godby Acworth (daughter of Colonel C V Jenkins, 47th Bengal Light Infantry). Baptised on 17 Nov 1885 in All Saints Church, Malabar Hill, Bombay Presidency (now Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra), India. Educated at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire (1899-1903). Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst (1904-05). Commissioned into the Indian Army (unattached list) as a 2nd Lieutenant on 5 Aug 1905. He served with the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment for a year and was then posted to 55th Coke's Rifles. Promoted to Lieutenant on 5 Nov 1907, to Captain on 5 Aug 1914. He served in the Mohmand campaign of 1908, latterly as Adjutant of his Regiment. In Aug 1914 he was home on leave and was detained in England to take part in the training of Kitchener's New Army. A few months later he joined the Indian Corps in France and in Nov 1914 was awarded the Military Cross (MC). It is believed to be the first MC awarded and was for a successful bombing raid, although no citation exists. He was also mentioned in despatches. On 24 Nov 1914 he received a bayonet thrust to the face and was recommended for the DSO. In 1915 he was promoted to the staff, and was severely wounded by shrapnel to the forearm and thigh in Apr 1915 while leading a column into action near Neuve Chapelle. On his recovery he joined the staff at Canterbury and subsequently went to Egypt. He served on the staff including a period as Brigade Major Apr 1917-Jan 1918. When the Armistice was concluded he was serving on the Headquarters Staff of General Sir Edmund (later Lord) Allenby in Palestine. He died of influenza at Port Said on 6 Feb 1919, a few days after returning from leave. He was awarded the Order of the Nile 4th Class after his death. He was buried in Port Said War Memorial Cemetery.
He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Great Malvern Priory Churchyard, Great Malvern, Malvern Hills District, Worcestershire, England;
Cenotaph here
on the Winchester College WW1 memorial in the War Cloister, Winchester College, College Street, Winchester, Winchester, Hampshire (see: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22015), on the Winchester College Roll of Honour (see: https://www.winchestercollegeatwar.com/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=551&TableName=ta_wwifactfile) and on the Indian Army WW1 memorial in the Royal Memorial Chapel, RMA Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey Heath Borough, Surrey, England.
Cenotaph here
He married Edith Knowles in Jun 1915 and they had a son, Granville William Acworth. Granville was born in Jul 1916 and was educated at Winchester College as a War Exhibitioner in 1930 and then followed his father into the army. Edith lived at The Palms, Orchard Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire.
His younger brother, Second Lieutenant John Arden Acworth, Worcester Regiment, died of wounds on 13 October 1917 and was buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery,
Westvleteren, Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium.
Actual burial here
He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Great Malvern Priory Churchyard, Great Malvern, Malvern Hills District, Worcestershire, England;
Cenotaph here
on the Winchester College WW1 memorial in the War Cloister, Winchester College, College Street, Winchester, Winchester, Hampshire (see: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22015), on the Winchester College Roll of Honour (see: https://www.winchestercollegeatwar.com/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=551&TableName=ta_wwifactfile) and on the Indian Army WW1 memorial in the Royal Memorial Chapel, RMA Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey Heath Borough, Surrey, England.
Cenotaph here
He married Edith Knowles in Jun 1915 and they had a son, Granville William Acworth. Granville was born in Jul 1916 and was educated at Winchester College as a War Exhibitioner in 1930 and then followed his father into the army. Edith lived at The Palms, Orchard Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire.
His younger brother, Second Lieutenant John Arden Acworth, Worcester Regiment, died of wounds on 13 October 1917 and was buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery,
Westvleteren, Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium.
Actual burial here
Major Douglas Harry Acworth, MC, 55th Coke's Rifles, Frontier Force, Indian Army. He was the son of Harry Arbuthnot Acworth and Anna Mary Godby Acworth (daughter of Colonel C V Jenkins, 47th Bengal Light Infantry). Baptised on 17 Nov 1885 in All Saints Church, Malabar Hill, Bombay Presidency (now Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra), India. Educated at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire (1899-1903). Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst (1904-05). Commissioned into the Indian Army (unattached list) as a 2nd Lieutenant on 5 Aug 1905. He served with the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment for a year and was then posted to 55th Coke's Rifles. Promoted to Lieutenant on 5 Nov 1907, to Captain on 5 Aug 1914. He served in the Mohmand campaign of 1908, latterly as Adjutant of his Regiment. In Aug 1914 he was home on leave and was detained in England to take part in the training of Kitchener's New Army. A few months later he joined the Indian Corps in France and in Nov 1914 was awarded the Military Cross (MC). It is believed to be the first MC awarded and was for a successful bombing raid, although no citation exists. He was also mentioned in despatches. On 24 Nov 1914 he received a bayonet thrust to the face and was recommended for the DSO. In 1915 he was promoted to the staff, and was severely wounded by shrapnel to the forearm and thigh in Apr 1915 while leading a column into action near Neuve Chapelle. On his recovery he joined the staff at Canterbury and subsequently went to Egypt. He served on the staff including a period as Brigade Major Apr 1917-Jan 1918. When the Armistice was concluded he was serving on the Headquarters Staff of General Sir Edmund (later Lord) Allenby in Palestine. He died of influenza at Port Said on 6 Feb 1919, a few days after returning from leave. He was awarded the Order of the Nile 4th Class after his death. He was buried in Port Said War Memorial Cemetery.
He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Great Malvern Priory Churchyard, Great Malvern, Malvern Hills District, Worcestershire, England;
Cenotaph here
on the Winchester College WW1 memorial in the War Cloister, Winchester College, College Street, Winchester, Winchester, Hampshire (see: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22015), on the Winchester College Roll of Honour (see: https://www.winchestercollegeatwar.com/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=551&TableName=ta_wwifactfile) and on the Indian Army WW1 memorial in the Royal Memorial Chapel, RMA Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey Heath Borough, Surrey, England.
Cenotaph here
He married Edith Knowles in Jun 1915 and they had a son, Granville William Acworth. Granville was born in Jul 1916 and was educated at Winchester College as a War Exhibitioner in 1930 and then followed his father into the army. Edith lived at The Palms, Orchard Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire.
His younger brother, Second Lieutenant John Arden Acworth, Worcester Regiment, died of wounds on 13 October 1917 and was buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery,
Westvleteren, Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium.
Actual burial here
He is also commemorated on a memorial plaque in Great Malvern Priory Churchyard, Great Malvern, Malvern Hills District, Worcestershire, England;
Cenotaph here
on the Winchester College WW1 memorial in the War Cloister, Winchester College, College Street, Winchester, Winchester, Hampshire (see: https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22015), on the Winchester College Roll of Honour (see: https://www.winchestercollegeatwar.com/RollofHonour.aspx?RecID=551&TableName=ta_wwifactfile) and on the Indian Army WW1 memorial in the Royal Memorial Chapel, RMA Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey Heath Borough, Surrey, England.
Cenotaph here
He married Edith Knowles in Jun 1915 and they had a son, Granville William Acworth. Granville was born in Jul 1916 and was educated at Winchester College as a War Exhibitioner in 1930 and then followed his father into the army. Edith lived at The Palms, Orchard Road, Great Malvern, Worcestershire.
His younger brother, Second Lieutenant John Arden Acworth, Worcester Regiment, died of wounds on 13 October 1917 and was buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery,
Westvleteren, Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders, Belgium.
Actual burial here
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55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force)
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