Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

Natural causes is attributed those deaths due to causes that were not directly associated with the war. Included in this are wartime deaths resulting from, for example, theSpanish Influenza pandemic and its associated pneumonia problems and other attributions such as age and exhaustion. It also groups those who through Post Traumatic Stress committed suicide as a result of their experiences.

Detail :

BRISTOL GRAMMAR SCHOOL - Edward Hyde Openshaw was the son of Rev. Thomas Openshaw, who taught at Bristol Grammar School for a number of years. Edward Hyde Openshaw attended the School from 1878 to 1884. He served with the Somerset Light Infantry as a Lieutenant-Colonel. Unfortunately, he passed away on the 23rd July 1917. He is buried in Basra War Cememtery, Iraq." "Dr Openshaw had a medical practice at Cheddar, and was an officer in the Somerset Volunteers and subsequently in the Territorial, where he rose to the rank of hon. Lieut-Colonel. He went to India with his regiment in October 1914. Dr. Openshaw was well known as a Freemason and an ardent supporter of Rugby football" - December 1917 - "The Lodge deeply regrets to record the death of one of their founders, Lieut-Col. E.H. Openshaw, who died in India, having led his Battalion in Mesopotamia" - December 1917.

WESTERN DAILY PRESS - 27th July 1917 - "The death has occurred in hospital in India where he was serving, of Lieut.-Colonel Edward Hyde Openshaw, of the Somerset Light Infantry. The sad news will be heard with especial sorrow in the Cheddar Valley, where deceased was so well known and respected. He was in medical practice at Cheddar with Dr. Statham (now also on military service), and became an officer of the local company of the old 3rd Battalion, Somerset Volunteers,. When the Territorial regime came in, he continued in the 4th Somersets, and rose to second in command of the regiment. He was also given the rank of honorary lieutenant-colonel, and went to India in October 1915, as major and second in command of 1/4th. Deceased was a prominent Freemason, was W.M. of Agriculture Lodge in 1903, and held the provincial rank of Junior Grand Warden of Somerset. An enthusiastic Rugby footballer in his early days, Dr. Openshaw continued to take much interest in the game after he retired from active participationin it, and for several years was on the Somerset Rugby Union Committee, while his professional knowledge made him an especially valuable secretary and treasurer of the County Insurance Fund. Deceased's son, Lieutenant Openshaw, of the Somersets, recently transferred into the Royal Flying Corps. Colonel Openshaw was a student of Bristol Medical School, and took his degree as M.R.C.S. in 1890. For some time he was house surgeon of the Bristol Eye Hospital. Dr. Openshaw was the son of the late Rev. T.W. Openshaw, formerly Mathematical Master at Bristol Grammar School.

WELLS JOURNAL 3rd August 1917 - DEATH OF LIEUT.-COL E.H. OPENSHAW - "Lieut.-Colonel E.H. Openshaw, T.D., whose death was announced last week, was the eldest son of the Rev. T.W. Openshaw, for many years one of the assistant masters at the Bristol Grammar School. He married the only child of Mr. Harry Fussell, of Bristol, also a resident. The deceased officer leaves a widow and one son, who was in the Somerset L.I., but has since transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, Lt.-Col Openshaw was in the force that went to the relief of Kut. His death was due to the effects of a heat wave in India. Mrs Openshaw received a confirmatory cablegram on Thursdya afternoon. Dr. E.H. Openshaw was, on the outbreak of war, in camp on Salisbury Plain when he and the whole company of Territorial which he commanded volunteered for service. They went to India for training, and later to Mesopotamia. Colonel Openshaw had lived in Cheddar for over 20 years, and was well known through the county as a most successful surgeon and clever practitioner. A memorial service in commemoration of the late Colonel and other Cheddar men who have fallen in the war was held on Monday. The Fitzwalter Chapel was occupied by the Chairman and other members of the Parish Council and the local Oddfellows and members of the V.T.C. were also present. The widow as accompanied by her son, Mr. E. Openshaw (Lieut.) wand many other officer friends of the late Col. Openshaw also paid tribute at the service."

He is commemorated at Bath Abbey.

Masonic :

Petitioning and Founder member of Robert Thorne Lodge No. 3663, Bristol on 16th April 1913, from Lodge of Agriculture No. 1199. Past Provincial Grand Warden

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