Professional Soldier

Family :

Education & Career :

Eton, Sandhurst. Professional Soldier

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

Fought on 9th and 10th May 1915 and intended to support the French attacks near Arras, this battle was notable for the remarkable bravery of infantry having to cope with inadequate planning, poor artillery support and not least a very competent enemy that had learnt the lessons of Neuve Chapelle just two months before. It also highlighted the problems of quantity and quality in artillery shell supply - a symptom of the general unpreparedness of Britain to fight a major European war, and not really rectified until well into 1917. Possibly one of the least known but most heartbreaking battles of the war, fought in an attempted pincer attack around the village of Neuve Chapelle with the intention of securing the 'high' ground that dominated the approaches to Lille.

Detail :

UPTON, HON. ERIC EDWARD MONTAGU JOHN, Captain and Adjutant.2/ King's Royal Rifle Corps Elder son and heir of Henry Edward Montague Dorrington Clotworthy, 4th Viscount Templetown. Born Steventon. Hants. 8 March. 1885; ecucated at Eton and Sandhurst. He passed out of Sandhurst with honours, was Gazetted 2/Lieut. 16 Aug. 1905, and joined the 2nd Btn King's Royal Rifles in India, being promoted Lieut. 3 Oct. 1908, and returning with them in 1911. He was assistant Adjutant 1910-13 and was appointed Adjutant 1 Jan 1914. On the outbreak of war the 2nd Battn. went out as part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Upton served through the retreat from .Mons, the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne. He was wounded at the first Battle of Ypres. was twice mentioned in despatches,31 .'Mav and 31 Nov. 1915 [London (Gazettc. 22 June, 1915. and 1 Jan. 1916], and promoted Temp. Capt. 15 Nov. 1914. He was killed near Rue de Bois during the action of 9 May, 1915. His Colonel wrote of him : Besides being an exceptionally gallant officer, the work he hasd done for the battn. will live and be felt by it for years. I need hardly say there was no more popular officer In the regt., and I personaly have lost a dear and loyal friend and those who knew him well realised that his character and abilities had marked him out for a great career in the Service. A good cricketer and football player, and an experienced big game shooter in India, and deeply devoted to his regt.. he had a remarkable power of gaining the affection of all with whom he came in contact, rich and poor alike, and his loyalty to his friends was one of his most marked characteristics. He was buried in the Soldiers' Cemetery, near the Rue de Bois, Richebourg St. Vaast. He appears on the Eton School Roll of Honour for the Men of the Kings Royal Rifle Corp killed in the Great War 12 Freemasons fell in this battle, mostly men of battalions of the London Regiment. Sources: Ruvigny Vol 1

Masonic :

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 : De Ruvigny' s Roll of Honour