Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

19 October - 22 November 1914. Following the failure of the German Schlieffen Plan in August and September 1914, both sides engaged in a series of linked battles as they sought to outflank each other. The climax of these manouvres was at Ypres in November 1914 when the might of the German Army attempted to break the much outnumbered British Expeditionary Force. The political importance of Ypres, being the last town of any size in Belgium that remained in allied hands, established its importance for both sides and ensured a series of battles over four years.

The First Battle of Ypres in 1914 is characterised by a series of linked heroic stands by outnumbered British soldiers in conditions of confusion and weary endurance. The Germans never knew how close they had come to winning - at one point just the clerks and cooks were the last line of defence for the BEF. By the end of the battle the magnificent original BEF, composed of professional regular soldiers, had been all but destroyed and already the Territorial battalions were called into battle. From the end of 1914 a 'Regular' battalion was in terms of its compostion little different to a Teritorial or later Service Battalion. The professional soldiers had all but vanished.

Detail :

LIEBERT, FREDERICK ALEXANDER CHARLES, Captain., North Somerset Yeomanry (T.F.), Onlv son of Frederick Liebert. Born Bruges, Belgium, 9th March,1882; educated Bruges, and Beaumont College. Received a commission as 2nd Lieut, in the 3rd Dragoon Guards, from which he retired in 1905, and joined the North Somerset Yeomanry (T.F.) as a 2nd Lieut. On 5 Aug 1914 he volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war; went to France 2 Nov. 1914, and was killed in action during the First Battle of Ypres on 17 November 1914 and was buried in Ypres Town Cemetery. The particular action in which he lost his life was the first action in which the North Somerset Yeomanry took a prominent part, was only over a space of ground some 500 yards square and B Squadron led by Captain Liebert, held the first of a series of trenches, upon which a vigorous shell fire of an appalling accuracy was directed. The Germans got to within 15 yards of the trenches but the attack was repelled, with very heavy losses to them. Letters from his Colonel and brother officers testify to his valuable services as an officer. His high sense of duty combined with much cheerfulness in difficulties and also to the great respect and affection his squadron had for him. Capt. Liebert was Assistant Secretary to the Blackmore Yale Hounds and Secretary to the Wincanton Races; was devoted to hunting, a keen golfer and cricketer, and Freemason. He was married in 1905.

Masonic :

Senior Deacon.

He is recorded "Esquire" and resident at Charlton Musgrove in 1911 at the time of initiation. The contribution record show arrears and then war service, with a final annotation of "Killed in Action 18th Nov: 1914 in arrear."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Website : Province of Somerset List