Early Life :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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.

Detail :

"At the outbreak of war he held a commission with the Leicestershire Yeomanry, and at once joined his regiment which was called up to service at the front. In 1915 he was wounded at Ypres, Belgium and was invalided home. Returning to France he was attached to the 14th Battalion of the Machine Gun Corps., and he served with that unit until the 23rd March 1918 when he was reported wounded and missing near Hamel, France. He was mentioned in Sir Douglas Haig’s dispatch of 18th April 1918. Prolonged and minute inquiries failed to elicit more definite information of his actual fate, and in March 1919 it was presumed that either he was killed or had died of his wounds. Alike at work or play, at school or college, in business or the Army, Major Hanbury displayed a spirit of indomitable vigour and energy, which made him prominent in every enterprise he joined. He was also endowed with a degree of courage which amounted almost to a reckless indifference to danger. From Cheam where he was Captain of the football team, his headmaster writes:- “He was always a boy of great courage and as straight as a die. I had the highest opinion of him.” Similarly his house master at Eton says:- “He was always remarkable for his vitality and vigour. His originality and his love of fun and absolute fearlessness made him lots of friends. His good abilities took him up the school quickly, and he was in the “First Hundred” some time before he left Eton. He was a dashing, if somewhat unorthodox batsman, a fine football player, and junior keeper of the School Fires.” He early distinguished himself as a horseman. Inheriting a love of fox hunting from his father, who was for many years Master of the Cottesmore Hounds; he became Master of the Drag at Oxford, and he was well known as one of the boldest riders to hounds in Leicestershire. He gained many successes on the steeplechase course; at Oxford he carried off the Billington Cup; and the Inter University Challenge Cup in 1907; later he rode often at the Melton Hunt Races, and gained amongst other successes the coveted Ladies’ Purse (1911), and the Tally Ho Steeplechase (1912), the last two on his father’s good horse Tipperary. Such are some of the qualities which he devoted to his countries service in her hour of need, and they endeared him alike to his brother officers and his men. Others of a more intimate kind, have enshrined him in the memory of his own family and of many life long friends."

On 21st May, 1915 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. "LEICESTERSHIRE YEOMANRY IN ACTION. GALLANT STAND AGAINST ODDS.HEAVY CASUALTIES. MANY WOUNDED AND MISSING.COLONEL FREKE’S BRAVE ACT. - Exactly twelve months ago the Leicestershire Yeomanry Regiment were located in Colonel J. F. Laycock’s field on the Scalford Road for the purpose of undergoing their annual training, and unhappily many of those who took part in those proceedings are now no more, while numerous others are lying in hospitals more or less seriously wounded. Up to the time of going to press no official information had come to hand as to what actually transpired, but it appears that the Leicestershire Yeomanry covered themselves with glory and honour in the desperate fighting which occurred throughout the whole of yesterday week in front of Ypres, and helped to save the British lines on the Menin – Ypres road by holding up hordes of the enemy and massed artillery until such time as reinforcements could arrive on the scene. It will be recalled that the Leicestershire Yeomanry were honoured by being one of the first Territorial Cavalry Regiments called to the front, and they left at the beginning of November. They had the distinction of being brigaded with the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, but as there was little or no work for cavalry they performed the duties of infantry, and soon distinguished themselves by the bravery they displayed in company with more seasoned comrades. So far they had been exceedingly fortunate in regard to casualties, having only lost two or three men out of over 500, for which reason they were christened “God’s Own.” Sickness and accidents had, however, from time to time thinned the ranks, and drafts had been sent out from Melton in order to keep the regiment up to war strength of 500. For several weeks they had been waiting in reserve behind the lines, but on Sunday week they were lent to an infantry division, and about half the regiment left for the firing line to do relief duty on the Menin-Ypres road, the rest remaining behind in charge of the horses. Wednesday night was occupied in digging trenches, and as soon as daylight made its appearance the following morning the German artillery commenced a most violent bombardment which was kept up with great intensity for several hours, eventually causing the Yeomanry to retire to the reserve trenches. Later the German infantry attacked them in dense masses, but the Leicestershire’s gallantly stuck to their allotted task, though in doing so they suffered very heavy casualties, estimated at over 200, and it is stated that out of some 270 men who took part in the engagement only about 30 came away unscathed. Both officers and men appeared to have displayed the most utmost daring, and both sustained heavy losses..."

He is commemorated at Rutland Remembers, where his portrait image is sourced.

Masonic :

Listed as an undergraduate of New College, Oxford University at his initiation in 1907.He probably allowed his membership to lapse when he left Oxford, the register showing his resignation 31st December, 1909.

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
• Researcher : Barrie Friend