Family :

Education & Career :

ORDISH, Henry Thomas, Captain, 1/6 London Regiment (City of London Rifles) He was awarded the Military Cross.

London Gazette8378 Supplement, 16 AUGUST, 1$.1
2nd Lt. (A. /0apt.) Henry Thomas Ordish,Lond. R.
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. It was largely due to his skilful dispositions that his company was able to capture stable buildings with comparatively slight loss, the garrison being compelled to surrender. Throughout the operations his conduct was of a very high order."

His death was noted in the Ealing Gazette and West Middlesex Observer 24th August, 1918:- "Captain H.T. Ordish, M.C., whose death whilst a prisoner in a German hospital, was reported last week, was a keen sportsman. He was an old member of the Ealing Swimming CLub, and was well known to the river as a good punter and sculler. He was also a member of the Ealing Golf Club. A keen Freemason, he was always ready to lend a helping hand in a good cause."

A week earlier again in the Ealing Gazette and West Middlesex Observer 17th August, 1918, a more full account of his biography is published: " CAPTAIN H.T. ORDISH, M.C. - DIES WHILE A PRISONER IN GERMAN HOSPITAL - In the early spring of this year, news reached Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Ordish, of 18, Richmond-road, Ealing, that their eldest son, Captain H.T. Ordish, M.C., was missing. The period of anxious uncertainty which supervened has now ended, information having been received of his death in a German reserve field hospital on March 23rd. The German official report, copy of which has been forwarded to Mr. and Mrs. Ordish, by the Geneva Red Cross Committee, does not give the actual date of death.

Captain Ordish received his commission in the then forming third battalion of the 6th City of London Rifles, in April, 1915, and at once threw all his energies into the recruiting campaign. He did splendid work in this direction at Ealing, when 2/8th Middlesex were being raised, and, to quote the remarks of an officer of his own regiment, " he recruited the 3rd battalion." He spoke at meetings morning, noon and night, with unvarying success, he was a familiar figure at St. Paul's Churchyard, the Law Courts, Trafalgar Square, and Hyde Park, as well as other places, and his earnest patriotic speeches were always heartily cheered by the assembled crowds. He assisted in training the men, and when drafts were selected for overseas service he, on several occasions, conducted them to the base in France.

In May, 1916, he went with other officers to another battalion, and from that time saw much active service in France and Belgium. He was at the battle of the Somme in September, 1916, where his regiment did well, and spent the succeeding winter in the defences of Ypres, participating in the battle of Messines. In June, 1917, he was awarded the Military Cross for the capture of the stables at the White Chateau, the garrison there being compelled to surrender. In the notice of this deed which appeared in the "Gazzette" was the phrase, "Throughout the operations his conduct was of a very high order."

In the following November a battalion of the regiment was sent to the Cambrai front, and the late Captain Ordish was present at the counter-attack made by the Germans. It was in withstanding the enemy attach in this same region, made last March, that he was wounded and reported as "missing," and, as events have since shown, died a prisoner in a German hospital."

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

21 March - 4 July 1918. The Battles of the Somme in 1918 were mostly concerned with stemming the German advance which started in March 1918 and which made considerable gains in the Somme/Arras sector. Utilising surplus troops which had become available following the surrender of Russia after the October Revolution, the Germans gambled on a massive campaign that could win the war in the west before the USA could bring its resources to bear. Initial gains were in places spectacular but eventually dogged resistance coupled with supply problems and sheer exhaustion closed down the battle. Other attacks were launched along the front to probe the Allied defences but the same pattern of initial gains followed by stalemate prevailed. British casualties were almost 345,000.

Masonic :

He was a member of Honor Deo Lodge, No. 3562, London, which was erased and its warrant surrendered in 1995). He joined that Lodge on 12th December 1911, its records show, that on the date of his joining, he was then 30 years of age. His occupation was shown as a Merchant and his address only shown as Ealing, also the annotation 'Killed in action, 1917'. He is listed, on the records with EDMUND WILLIAM ALLEN, with whom he shared Initiation and Passing dates.

Held the office of Steward

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