Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

"The Battle of Loos (25 September to 18 October 1915) was the major battle on the Western Front in 1915, surpassing in every respect all that had gone before in terms of numbers of men and materiel committed to battle. The preliminary bombardment was the most violent to date and the battle was charaterised by the committment of Regular and Territorial battalions on a large scale, in which the Territorials performed just as well as the Regulars. As the battles on the Western Front in 1915 increased in size and violence, so the casualties increased in proportion: Neuve Chapelle 12,000, Aubers Ridge/Festubert 29,000 , Loos 60,000. 1916 was to take the casualty cost to another level. Loos was intended as a minor role in support of French efforts around Arras but circumstances reduced the French effort. It marked the first use of poison gas by the British. Once the initial assualt had failed the battle continued in a series of actions mostly focused on the northern sector around the tactically important Hohenzollern Redoubt."

Detail :

Henry Langton SKRINE, Captain. 6/Somerset Light Infantry

He applied for a posting in a remote part of Nigeria where he struggled to learn the native languages, and was promoted Lieutenant in 1904. But having become quite ill in the climate he retired to the Reserve of Officers in April 1906. On 7 October 1914 at Aldershot he married Ferdinande Anna Josephine d'Orgeva. Early the following year his father died and he inherited the estates at Bath together with property at Maidenhead and the Lordship of the Manor of Cookham, Berkshire, nearby. Skrine rejoined his Regiment on 7 September 1914 and was promoted T/Captain on 24 October. As 'A' Company commander he went to France with the 6th Battalion (43rd Brigade, 14th Division) on 21 May 1915. Prior to the second attack either side of Bellewaarde Farm on 25 September 1915 the Battalion, which had spent several unpleasant tours in the vicinity, was attached to 42nd Bde. After a heavy night bombardment of Railway Wood and the trenches beyond, the three attacking companies of the Brigade went over. Shortly afterwards the Somersets were ordered to re-inforce the line just north of the Wood when the enemy retaliated and drove the attackers back. Col Rawlings went forward to Railway Wood and seeing that a further assault was out of the question under the terrible gunfire, concentrated on holding the existing line for the rest of the day. Captain Skrine, two other officers and eleven men were killed, one officer and 38 men wounded and three missing in the engagement. Col Rawlings wrote to Skrine's wife ...he was buried by his Company in rear of the fighting line. He died instantaneously, shot through the head. With him died four men... During the attack he saw Germans collecting in a communication trench. Immediately he ordered rapid fire on the enemy. A machine gun on a flank opened fire in return and your husband fell... Memorial: Stone cross next to the Bowlby Mem. (qv) on Cambridge Road, N of Menin Rd and Railway Wood, 2.5km W of Ypres. Maps: 51/2/28/1-2.

See more at Western Front Association.

His death was recorded in the Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser - 2nd October, 1915 - "DEATH OF CAPT. H.L. SKRINE. Killed in Action. We regret to record the death of Captain Henry Langton Skrine, 6th (Service) Battalion Somerset L.I., who was killed in action during the week-end while with his regiment in France. Captain Skrine, who was the only son of the late Colonel Henry Mills Skrine, of Warleigh Manor, who died as recently as March of this year, was born on November 12t, 1880. He was educated at Eton and Oxford, taking his degree at the University. He was formerly a lieutenant in the Somerset Light Infantry, but went to West Africa and was attached to the forces there. Unfortunately he suffered badly from fever, and had to be invalided out of the Army. Later he spent some time in South Africa farming. He was back in England when war broke out, and being still on the reserve of officers, he obtained a commission in the 6th Somersets, one of the first battalions to be formed, on August 5th, 1914. He was promoted captain on September 7th, 1914. He went out to the front in the spring. The deceased officer was a Freemason, being a member of the "Apollo" Lodge, Oxford."

Guardian: CWGC No grave was discovered after the War, but his damaged wooden cross was found lying at Gully Farm in 1920. Skrine's sister, Dorothy, and his widow bought the 1500 square metre field where he had fallen and erected a memorial by the roadside in his memory. There to this day, it is a rough hewn cross in blue stone with a curved block base set on two steps, inscribed: 'TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND IN LOVING MEMORY OF HENRY LANGTON SKRINE CAPTAIN 6TH SOMERSET L.I. WHO FELL IN ACTION AND WAS BURIED CLOSE TO THIS SPOT 25TH SEPTEMBER 1915' Below that are the words: 'IN MEMORY ALSO OF THE MEN OF HIS COMPANY WHO LIE HERE WITH HIM' and on the bottom step: 'DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI' Originally there was a small garden, and dwarf posts and an iron railing which needed frequent repairs. Soon afterwards land was sold to the widow of Captain G V S Bowlby and she erected a memorial at the top of the track to Gully Farm. Both families found it difficult to maintain their memorials adequately and in 1930 Miss Skrine first discussed it with CWGC. Suitable financial arrangements were made, CWGC took charge and the annual reports confirm that plants were cared for and the grass and surrounds were in good order. But, concerned about cost and unable to sell surplus land economically, the families agreed new joint rates with CWGC in 1950 and accepted a lower standard of care for the surrounds. Ownership of the spare land appears to have reverted to the Belgian State in 1957. When Miss Dorothy Skrine died in 1956 her younger sister, Mrs Margaret Mowll, took on the cost followed in turn by her husband, her other sister, and eventually Mrs Mowll's son, who was unmarried. Thus Henry Skrine's family carried out their duty. Mrs Mowll also gave a chair in her brother's memory to St George's Church, Ypres. In 1996 by agreement with all concerned the troublesome railings were removed, a lay-by was built and Captain Bowlby's memorial was moved to join that of Captain Skrine by the roadside. Now much easier to maintain and visit, these two memorials art now safe for the future. Nearer home a sad memorial to him can be found on the east side of the south transept of St Swithun's church, Bathford in the form of a beautiful stained glass window bearing the words: To the glory of God and in loving memory of Henry Mills Skrine and his only son Henry Langton Skrine this window is erected by the widow and mother. The window forms part of a small family chapel in the transept which contains plaques commemorating various members of the Skrine family, the whole illustrative of kindred fortitude, together with the sense of social involvement so common in those days. Another memorial to Henry Langton Skrine can be found in St Mary's church at Claverton and his name also appears on the Menin Gate at Ypres.

Masonic :

Henry was an initiate of Apollo Lodge No. 357 and was joined in 1901 whilst studying as a 20 year old undergraduate at Balliol College, Oxford University. A couple of years later, 28th August, 1903 he joined Aldershot Army & Nave Lodge No. 1971 at Aldershot. He resigned at the end of September 1906, but rejoined 25th November 1908 when he was resident at Abergavenny and listed on the reserve of officers.

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