Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Ration Farm Military Cemetery | Sp. Mem. near VI. L. La Chapelle-Darmentieres | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.119 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 18D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
Harold Stanley Frederick Cosens, born 2 December 1889, the son of Frederick George Cosens and Fanny Louisa Ambrose who had married in Kensington in the spring of 1877.Frederick was a Sherry Shipper born in Streatham in 1855, his wife was born in Marylebone in the same year.
In the census of 1891 the family were living at 8 Airlie Gardens, Kensington – just off Campden Hill Road. Harold was the youngest of three children. The family employed three staff, one of which was a nurse.
Ten years later in 1901, Frederick and Fanny still had three children but the number of staff had increased to four.
A further ten years on only one of the children is at home – 24 year old Winifred but now back to three servants.
Family :
Son of Mr. F. G. Cosens, of Kensington, London.Education & Career :
Harold had been at St Paul’s School and Sandhurst.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment |
1st Battalion August 1914 : in York. Part of 18th Brigade, 6th Division. Moved on 8 August to Edinburgh then six days later to Cambridge. Landed at St Nazaire on 10 September 1914. 26 November 1915 : transferred to 64th Brigade, 21st Division. |
| Action : The Battle of Armentieres |
13 October - 2 November 1914.The battle of Armentieres was one of a series of battles that in 1914 constituted the so called 'Race to the Sea', a series of outflanking moves where the Germans and the British/French Armies sought to turn the flank of the other as the moved towards the English Channel. As the momentum slowed, the contacts evolved into trench warfare.It was closely linked with the Battles of Messines and La Bassee. Following the capture of Armentieres on 17th October 1914 the British were forced on the defensive.
He was very keen on the Boy Scout movement and the vicar of St Agathas (the Rev Everard Digby) records in St Agathas Messenger for Dec 1911 the year before last he gave up every evening of his two months leave to go down to different troops in East London to teach our scouts signalling.
To give up every evening, to forego such luxuries as dining out, theatres etc for the whole of his furlough, involved no little self sacrifice. but he never missed once, and he was so thoroughly good tempered and patient that even the stupidest boys managed to learn a good deal from him. The fruit of all is seen in the number of our lads serving with the colours today. Several of the fellows he taught are now Army or Navy signallers, and one or two are wearing the stripes of an n.c.o. as a result of his self sacrificing labours.
One thing was certain, whether they picked up more quickly or not, every Boy Scout he taught was a better chap for knowing him.
Lieutenant Cosens had been on several occasions employed with the mounted infantry and had passed with distinction through the schools of signalling and musketry.
Detail :
COSENS, Harold Stanley Frederick, Lieutenant, 1/East Yorkshire Regiment Lieutenant. 1st Bn., East Yorkshire Regiment.
Killed in action Tuesday 27 October 1914.
He was killed in action at Neuve Chapelle 28th October 1914.
Major M Boyle wrote
"He was my subaltern and I never want a better, always cheery and ready for any work that came in his way, and to take on any hard job, even when out of his turn, as so often happened when I wanted a man I could trust to do any difficult or jumpy piece of work. I could not want for a nicer, more cheery and hard working officer to soldier with....... The exact circumstances are these. He had led his men to retake some trenches from the Germans and had carried out his work successfully, and was actually in the trench, doing a kindly act to one of the enemy, who wanted to surrender, when a sniper shot him from another direction. It is extremely painful to write thus, as it was sheer bad luck! My company are very cut up indeed. He died a gallant gentleman.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Marquis of Dalhousie No. 1159 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
4th November 1913 | 2nd December 1913 | 3rd February 1914 |
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