The "Uppingham Boys" of August 1914
It was the summer of 1914 and the boys of this famous school were celebrating the end of year prize giving for their various academic achievements. Awards in the Classics, Greek, Latin and Literature were all on the menu and the “Boys of Summer” had all done exceptionally well.
Uppingham started out as a small grammar school in the market town of Uppingham in Rutland. It was developed by it’s Victorian Headmaster, the Rev. Edward Thring into one of the major public schools and by 1913 had about 400 boys residing there in 13 separate houses. The school had acquired a reputation for educating the elite of society and the boys passing through were destined for a higher education at Eton and Oxbridge. They were ultimately being groomed for the top jobs in business and polite society.
Four of these boys, Edward Brittain, Roland Leighton, Victor Richardson and Geoffrey Thurlow, had become close friends and credited their achievements to frequent late night “sun chasing” discussions on philosophy, life, the world and all that it meant. They lived a life of privilege and private allowances.
Edward Brittain was the brother of Vera Brittain who was later to become an eminent writer and journalist. She was a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurse throughout the Great War. Edward was perhaps the typical son of a wealthy northern mill owner in as much as he had everything he wanted but desperately needed to prove himself to the world. In 1914 he saw service in the British Army as just such an opportunity and quickly put himself forward for officer training. A somewhat delicate and sensitive boy he struggled to be accepted but was finally given his chance when he joined the Army on 21st November 1914.
Edward had introduced Roland Leighton to Vera Brittain and they were to begin a friendship that eventually lead to betrothal. It was Vera Brittain, while keeping a diary of her life throughout the years of the war, who inadvertently documented the short lives of these proud young men.
Their social circle included both Victor Richardson and Geoffrey Thurlow and together they aspired to join the British army as soon as possible and be in on the new European adventure that might if they delayed it too long, be over before they got their chance.
Edward had introduced Roland Leighton to Vera Brittain and they were to begin a friendship that eventually lead to betrothal. It was Vera Brittain, while keeping a diary of her life throughout the years of the war, who inadvertently documented the short lives of these proud young men.
Their social circle included both Victor Richardson and Geoffrey Thurlow and together they aspired to join the British army as soon as possible and be in on the new European adventure that might if they delayed it too long, be over before they got their chance.
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By Christmas 1915 the romance between Vera Brittain and Roland Leighton had blossomed, she proudly recorded his acceptance into the Norfolk regiment in February 1915 and then just a month later a commission in the 7th Worcestershire Regiment with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Roland was in France by the end of March and was sharing his experiences of trench life at Ploegsteert Wood in Belgium in frequent letters to Vera back in Britain.
After five months in France Roland received his first 7 days leave in August 1915. Both Vera and Roland decided that they should be engaged on the understanding that the arrangement be formally delayed until the end of the war. Roland was back in the trenches by the end of August.
Both Geoffrey Thurlow and Victor Richardson got there commissions and both were eventually posted to France by the summer of 1915. Geoffrey was in the 10th Sherwood Foresters and Victor in the 9th Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Edward Brittain followed suit joining the 11th Sherwood Foresters and was awarded the Military Cross when wounded in France at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.
After five months in France Roland received his first 7 days leave in August 1915. Both Vera and Roland decided that they should be engaged on the understanding that the arrangement be formally delayed until the end of the war. Roland was back in the trenches by the end of August.
Both Geoffrey Thurlow and Victor Richardson got there commissions and both were eventually posted to France by the summer of 1915. Geoffrey was in the 10th Sherwood Foresters and Victor in the 9th Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Edward Brittain followed suit joining the 11th Sherwood Foresters and was awarded the Military Cross when wounded in France at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.
Vera had recorded in her diary the disappointing results of the wars first campaigns at Neuve Chapelle and The Battle of Artois in 1915 while the Times newspaper published the horrific daily losses counted in thousands. The “Boys of Summer” were growing up fast and all four were now experiencing life as fighting men.
Roland Leighton continued writing his letters to his fiancée and by October 1915 his regiment had been moved to the Somme based at Hebuterne, facing the entrenched German army at Serre, Picardy.
By Christmas 1915 Roland had continued his correspondence with Vera and excitedly informed her that he was to get further leave arriving back in Britain on December 25th for a “wonderful” 7 day stay. It was to be their first block of time together since August and now they were a couple and it was Christmas.
The telephone call from Roland’s sister, Clare; came on the morning of the 27th December. Clare tearfully informed her of the contents of the telegram she held in her hand.
T223. Regret to inform you that Lieut. R. A. Leighton 7th Worcesters died of wounds December 23rd.
Lord Kitchener sends his sympathy. Colonel of Territorial Force, Records, Warwick.
Roland had been leading a wiring party just outside his trench on the midnight of 22nd December. Under the full moon, he had been spotted by a German sniper and immediately shot. He was retrieved by his men and taken to the causality clearing station at Louvencourt ten miles behind the lines and operated on at 10am on 23rd December. He remained unconscious for the rest of the day and died peacefully at 11pm; He was just 19.
He was buried at Louvencourt Military Cemetery where he still lies today.
Roland Leighton continued writing his letters to his fiancée and by October 1915 his regiment had been moved to the Somme based at Hebuterne, facing the entrenched German army at Serre, Picardy.
By Christmas 1915 Roland had continued his correspondence with Vera and excitedly informed her that he was to get further leave arriving back in Britain on December 25th for a “wonderful” 7 day stay. It was to be their first block of time together since August and now they were a couple and it was Christmas.
The telephone call from Roland’s sister, Clare; came on the morning of the 27th December. Clare tearfully informed her of the contents of the telegram she held in her hand.
T223. Regret to inform you that Lieut. R. A. Leighton 7th Worcesters died of wounds December 23rd.
Lord Kitchener sends his sympathy. Colonel of Territorial Force, Records, Warwick.
Roland had been leading a wiring party just outside his trench on the midnight of 22nd December. Under the full moon, he had been spotted by a German sniper and immediately shot. He was retrieved by his men and taken to the causality clearing station at Louvencourt ten miles behind the lines and operated on at 10am on 23rd December. He remained unconscious for the rest of the day and died peacefully at 11pm; He was just 19.
He was buried at Louvencourt Military Cemetery where he still lies today.
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Lieutenant Victor Richardson was fighting at Vimy Ridge in April 1917 when he received a serve head wound and was evacuated back to Britain. Awarded the Military Cross he was admitted to the 2nd London General Hospital where doctors tried to save his sight, but in vain. Blind and very ill this 22 year old “splendid cynical boy” died of his wounds and is now buried in Hove Old Cemetery, East Sussex.
Lieutenant Geoffrey Thurlow at 22, was killed in action during the Battle for the Scarpe, near Arras on 23rd April 1917. His body was never found and he is commemorated on Bay 7 of the Arras Memorial.
Captain Edward Brittain was posted to the Italian front on the Asiago Plateau and was killed in action on 15th June 1918. At just 22, he is buried at the Granezza British Military Cemetery in Italy.
By the armistice of 1918 the “Boys of Summer” were gone. Young highly educated, confident and full of bravado these wasted lives had glowed but briefly before being swallowed up in the thirst for men that was the Great War.
Lieutenant Geoffrey Thurlow at 22, was killed in action during the Battle for the Scarpe, near Arras on 23rd April 1917. His body was never found and he is commemorated on Bay 7 of the Arras Memorial.
Captain Edward Brittain was posted to the Italian front on the Asiago Plateau and was killed in action on 15th June 1918. At just 22, he is buried at the Granezza British Military Cemetery in Italy.
By the armistice of 1918 the “Boys of Summer” were gone. Young highly educated, confident and full of bravado these wasted lives had glowed but briefly before being swallowed up in the thirst for men that was the Great War.
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The Great War memorial at Uppingham school lists 449 names. The public schools suffered badly during the Great War and The Daily Mail of 23rd October 1915 noted; “Oxford College has just begun their Christmas Term. There will be about 250 freshman as compared with 571 last year. The average number of freshman between 1910 and 1913 was 934. Keeble College has the second largest number of freshman this year with 22”. It has been estimated that during the course of the war 1 in 7 officers were killed while serving in the trenches.
Vera Brittain: Born 29th December 1893. Died 29th March 1970; 76 yrs old at death. She became a British writer and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during the Great War and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism. In 1925 she married George Catlin, her second husband, a political scientist and philosopher. Their son, John Brittain-Catlin (1927–1987), was an artist painter, businessman, and the author of the autobiography Family Quartet, which appeared in 1987. Their daughter, born in 1930, is the former Labour Cabinet Minister, now Liberal Democrat peer, Dame Shirley Williams.
Vera Brittain: Born 29th December 1893. Died 29th March 1970; 76 yrs old at death. She became a British writer and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during the Great War and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism. In 1925 she married George Catlin, her second husband, a political scientist and philosopher. Their son, John Brittain-Catlin (1927–1987), was an artist painter, businessman, and the author of the autobiography Family Quartet, which appeared in 1987. Their daughter, born in 1930, is the former Labour Cabinet Minister, now Liberal Democrat peer, Dame Shirley Williams.
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Trench Map over laid onto a modern Google Earth photo showing the exact location where Roland was shot, *, now New Toutvent Farm.
An aerial photograph of the battlefield surrounding Serre showing both the German and British front lines. This is the landscape Roland Leighton would have known all too well.
The lives of both Vera and Roland continue to fascinate today and a glance through the visitor book at Louvencourt Cemetery will reveal that their names live on. This was recently reaffirmed by the updated feature film based upon Vera Brittain's book “Testament of Youth” released in December 2014.
We visited Rolands Grave at Louvencourt in September 2018 and found recent floral tributes by the grave. It seems that many people visit and know at least a little of his story. His epitaph reads, " Goodnight through life and all take flight. Never Goodbye". Below: Louvencourt Military Cemetery, Somme; Rolands grave marked by the wreath.
We visited Rolands Grave at Louvencourt in September 2018 and found recent floral tributes by the grave. It seems that many people visit and know at least a little of his story. His epitaph reads, " Goodnight through life and all take flight. Never Goodbye". Below: Louvencourt Military Cemetery, Somme; Rolands grave marked by the wreath.
The former Battlefield at Serre. To the left Mark, Luke and John Copses. Centre far distance is Hebuterne Church. Behind new Toutvent Farm (buildings) is the field in No Mans Land where Roland was shot by a German Sniper on 23rd December 1915.
With extracts and photographs from the book, A Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. Period battlefield photos from IWM.
Copyright Steve Sullivan, November 2019
