Family :

Education & Career :

Emanuel School

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

Festubert (15-25 May 1915) was really a continuation of the Battle of Aubers Ridge that had been called off on 10th May, and in places fought over the same ground with the same depressing outcome. Some minor tactical success was achieved but it did not justify the 16,000 casualties. It did however reinforce the lessons of Neuve Chapelle and Aubers Ridge and conditioned planning and thinking that evolved into the tactical planning of the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

Second-Lieutenant Cyril Archibald Monson was killed by Machine Gun Fire.

His death was reported in the newspapers at the time in the Ealing Gazette and West Middlesex Observer 29th May 1915 amongst others:

"SECOND-LIEUT. C.A. MONSON. Intimation has been received of the death, on Monday, the 17th inst., of Second-Lieut. Cyril Archibald Monson, the youngest son of Mr. Edward Monson J.P., and Mrs. Monson of Acton Vale. Mr. Monson was born on May 9th, 1886, and had, therefore, just completed his 28th year.

He joined the London Rifle Brigade (a regiment which a British general is reported a few days ago to have said was "the finest battalion God ever made") on February 23rd, 1909, and was a member of "O" Company. For some time he acted as assistant hon. secretary, which brought him into connection with the financial side of the regiment, and for this he was qualified by his profession, having been admitted an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in August, 1911.

He was a keen shot, and took many prizes at the ranges, and was one of the regimental team which competed for the "Daily Telegraph" cup last year; he also received a free nomination to represent hte regiment at the 1914 Bisley meeting.

On mobilisation at the outbreak of the war, Mr. Monson volunteered for foreign service, and after three months at Bisley and Crowborough, went over to France with the 1st battalion of his regiment on November 4th. The regiment was almost continuously in the trenches, mainly at Ploegsteert, and suffered many casualties, but he got through without a scratch, although he had several narrow escapes.

He was in December promoted to lance-corporal, and in February recommended for a commission. After a month at the Officers' Training School in France, he passe his examination, and was given a commission as second-lieutenant in the 2nd Wiltshire Regiment (Regular Army). On April 7th he came over to England on short leave, returning to France on April 11th, to join his new regiment.

Mr. Monson had volunteered for the post of officer-in-charge of the regimental bomb-throwers, and it was while leading these brave and intrepid fellows against an enemy trench that he and his sergeant were killed, and a number of men wounded by fire from a machine gun. This happened on Monday, the 17th, and when his battalion left the trenches on the Wednesday following, the enemy fire had been so continuous and heavy that it had not been possible to recover and bring in any of our dead or wounded.

Mr. Monson was unmarried and resided with his parents at Acton Vale. He was a good mason, and will be sadly missed in the Priory of Acton Lodge, and in the London Rifle Brigade Lodge, of both of which he was a member.

A tribute. Of the late Second-Lieut Monson, a correspondent writes:- "He was a good son and faithful friend. He lived clean and died clean. He had a faith in the Great Architect of the Universe, hope in salvation, and was in charity with all mean. He feared God and honoured his King." Dulce et decorum est per patria mori"

He is commemorated in a Roll of Honour dedicated to "Accountants in the First World War." It shows that he was an A.C.A. and was previously employed by Thompson, Hill & Co. in London.

Masonic :

Cyril was initiated into the Priory Lodge of Acton No. 1996 in 1912. He is employed as a Chartered Accountant and resident in Acton. He contributed throughout the war years and his final annotation is that he was "Killed in action 17 May 1915." He further joined the London Rifle Brigade Lodge in 1914.

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