Lieutenant
Noel Muschamp VICKERS
Infantry
Died: 3rd August 1916 - Age: 36

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Maroc British Cemetery, GrenayI. J. 14.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.137
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour39D GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

British War Medal
Victory Medal
 

Early Life :

NOEL MUSCHAMP VICKERS was born, fourth of five children, on the 22 December 1880 in Croydon, Surrey, the third son and fourth child of James Muschamp and Annie Elizabeth Vickers (née Bainbridge).

"At the time of the Census in 1881, Noel aged four months was living with his parents at The Grove, Mitcham, Croydon and in the early 1890’s, the family moved to Waltham House, Howe Street, Great Waltham and were recorded on the 1901 Census as having four servants. Initially, Noel attended St Paul’s Prep School in London, and then went to Uppingham School in Rutland as a Boarder in September 1894. He boarded in Mr J G Thring’s House at the corner of School Lane – a small boarding house for the first two years. (This house was demolished around 90 years ago). He then moved on to Farleigh in 1896 and left Uppingham in August 1899.

He was admitted to Oxford University on the 14 October 1899 and went to Trinity College. He had the degree of BA conferred on him on the 11 July 1903 and the degree of MA, for which no further study or residence at Oxford was required, on the 17 May 1906. He undertook the following examination: Responsions (a kind of entrance examination) in Hilary Term 1899, first Public Examinations in Holy Scripture (In Sacra Scripture) in Michaelmas Term and Greek and Latin (In Graecis et Latinis) in Trinity term 1900 and finally, his Second Public examinations in the final honour school of Jurisprudence for which he attained third class in Trinity term 1903.

In the early 1900s Noel, now in his twenties, was living in Ryder Street, St James, The Strand, in London and following in his father’s footsteps training as a Barrister at the Lincoln’s Inn."

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 13th (Service) Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment 

13th (Service) Battalion Formed in Richmond in July 1915 as a Bantam Bn. Moved to Aldershot in July 1915 and attached to 121st Brigade, 40th Division. 2 April 1916 : absorbed the 18th Bn, the Sherwood Foresters. 6 June 1916 : landed at Le Havre. 6 May 1918 : reduced to cadre strength. Attached for two weeks to 34th Division and then for another two weeks to 30th Division. 30 June 1918 : transferred to 75th Brigade, 25th Division and absorbed 19th Bn during August 1918. 9 September 1918 : Brigade redesignated the 236th Brigade, for service in North Russia. Sailed from Dundee 17 October 1918 and arrived at Murmansk 27 November 1918.

Action : France & Flanders 

France & Flanders covers all the dates and corresponding locations which are outside the official battle nomenclature dates on the Western Front. Therefore the actions in which these men died could be considered 'normal' trench duty - the daily attrition losses which were an everyday fact of duty on the Western Front.

See also Great Waltham War Memorial.

"Noel enlisted on the 3 June 1915 (4/3/3991) into the Inns of Court Regiment, the Court Officer Training Corps, a Territorial unit, based in Chancery Lane, London. The officers learned practical skills: how to navigate at night by prismatic compass, how to uncock a Lee Enfield rifle without blowing someone’s foot off and how to dig. By the end of the war the officers-to-be had dug 13,000 yards of trenches. It was considered essential training for officers and gentlemen. ‘It is good for every man to have some experience of what a heavy job of digging feels like, and the carrying of tools on the march.'

​On the 10 September 1915 Noel, now a Lieutenant was commissioned to the 18th (Service) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment). The Regiment was raised at Derby on the 27th of July 1915, as a Bantam Battalion. After initial training close to home they joined 121st Brigade, 40th Division at Aldershot in October and on the 2nd of April 1916 the Battalion was absorbed by the 13th Battalion, Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment) at Woking.

​Noel was promoted to a 2nd Lieutenant with the 13th (Service) Battalion (Green Howards) East Yorkshire Regiment, which was formed at Richmond in July 1915 as a Bantam battalion accepting men who did not meet the minimum height and chest measurements required for service in the army at that time and went to Aldershot in 121st Brigade, 40th Division. The Division had been formed at Aldershot in September 1915 and included units recruited in England, Wales and Scotland. On the 27th May 1916 the Battalion was at Woking when orders were received to mobilise for active service.

On the 4th June the Battalion, strength 34 officers and 995 other ranks entrained at Woking for Southampton but stormy weather delayed the crossing until the evening of the following day and Le Havre was reached about 3 am on the 6th June 1916."

Detail :

Lt Noel Muschamp VICKERS - 13/Yorkshire Regiment. He joined the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps in June of 1915 and then spent a short time with the Notts and Derbys regiment before joining the Yorkshires. He sailed with the 13th battalion from Southampton landing at Le Havre on June 6th 1916.

On July 2nd Lt Vickers and the battalion were in billets at Maisnil and the following day moved into the line in the Maroc sector close to Loos. On August 3rd Lt Vickers was in charge of a patrol sent out to reconnoitre an enemy held shell crater. As the patrol neared the crater the German defenders threw bombs which mortally wonded Lt Vickers. His loss was not noticed at first and the patrol pushed on and when realising he was missing they reported back. Lt Pickard left the front line trench under heavy fire and recovered Lt Vickers's body from no mans land, an action that earned Lt Pickard the Military Cross. Lt Noel Muschamp Vickers died in this action on August 3rd 1916 aged 28 just seven weeks after landing in France. His grave can be visited today in Maroc British Cemetery sated on the road between Maroc and Grenay. Source; http://www.ww1-yorkshires.org.uk/pdf-files/officers-died-ww1(coulson).pdf Croydon in the Great War

For his service, Noel was awarded the British Medal and the Victory Medal. The application for his medals was made by his mother for these on the 3 October 1921. These were sent out on 7 December 1921.

He is further commemorated:
Uppingham School, Rutland. WW1Memorial Chapel. Panel 20.
Lincoln’s Inn War Memorial, New Square, London WC2
Mitcham Church Road Burial Ground, Surrey.
The War Memorial in Great Waltham
St Mary & St Lawrence Church, Great Waltham

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Chancery Bar No. 2456 E.C.London

Initiated
Passed
Raised
6th February 1906
1st May 1906
28th November 1906
 

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2019-09-18 12:27:09