Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

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

22 April - 25 May 1915. On the 22nd April 1915 the Germans used poison gas at Ypres. This was the first 'official' use of gas and took the Allies by surprise. After initial success capitalising on the confusion and horror of this weapon, a heroic stand, initially by the Canadians and then supported by British and Indian Battalions, held the German advance. However it became clear that the Germans had achieved a tactical advantage and eventually the British were forced to retire to more a more defendable perimeter closer to Ypres. These positions were on the last ridges before Ypres and their loss would have resulted in the loss of the town and possibly open the Channel coast to German occupation with disastrous consequences for the re-supply of the BEF.

Detail :

CAPTAIN WILFRED JOHN HUTTON CURWEN (6th Battalion Royal Fusiliers, attached 3rd Battalion) His obituary in Wisden states that he was killed in action in France on May 13 (Correct date was 9th May 1915 – Ed). It continues that he was born at Beckenham on April 14, 1883, and was thus 32 years of age at the time of his death. In 1901 and 1902 he was in the Charterhouse Eleven, averaging 22.66 in the former year and 26.00 in the latter. In 1901 also he was second in bowling, taking seventeen wickets for 18.23 runs each. At Oxford he obtained his blue in 1906, scoring 12 not out and 34 not out v. Cambridge, and in his second innings adding 90 runs in fifty-five minutes for the last wicket with E. G. Martin (56). Occasionally he appeared for Surrey, and in 1906-7 was a member of the M.C.C.'s Team to New Zealand. Subsequently he went to Australia as A.D.C. to Sir John Fuller, Lord Denman and Sir Munro Ferguson and during 1911-12 was thus enabled to play for the M.C.C.'s team at Geelong and Ballarat. He was a good batsman and a useful fast-medium bowler. At Oxford he obtained his blue for Association football. CAPTAIN WILFRED JOHN HUTTON CURWEN, 6th BATTN. (RESERVE) ROYAL FUSILIERS, CITY OF LONDON REGIMENT, when the war broke out was serving as A.D.C. to the Right Hon. Sir R. C. Munro-Ferguson, G. C. M. G., Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of the Commonwealth of Australia. Captain Curwen was then a Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, London Regiment (T.F.), which he had entered in April, 1911, being promoted Lieutenant in July, 1912. He had also previously served as A.D.C. to Sir John Fuller, Bart., K.C.M.G., Governor of Victoria, and also to the Right Hon. Lord Denman when Governor-General of Australia. On war being declared he obtained permission to resign his appointment as Aide-de-camp to Sir R. C. Munro-Ferguson, and returning to England as soon as possible, offered his services, which were immediately accepted, and on joining he was promoted Captain in the 6th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, on December 25th, 1915. Born at Beckenham, Kent, in 1883, he was the only son of John M. Curwen, Esq., and Mrs. Curwen, of The High House, Thames Ditton, Surrey, and of 53, Carlisle Mansions, London S.W., and was educated at Charterhouse and at Magdalen College, Oxford. He was brother-in-law to the famous Charterhouse and Oxford half-back, Mr. C. Wreford Brown, to whom his sister was married. He was an excellent cricketer, and a fine Association football player, and represented his school and University at both games, and played against Cambridge at Lord's. He also belonged to the I Zingari, the Free Foresters, the Harlequins, and the M.C.C., and represented Charterhouse at rackets, also playing football for the Old Carthusians on many occasions. He was a member of the Bath Club. He fell in action on May 13th, 1915, in the second Battle of Ypres, and was Acting-Adjutant at the time of his death, being killed at a critical moment in the fighting, while gallantly directing some of his men. His Commanding Officer, in writing concerning his death, stated: He died bravely while doing his duty. Captain Curwen was buried close to where he was killed although his body was lost and he is now remembered on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial

Masonic :

Initiated at Apollo Lodge No. 357 when studying at Oxford University - Undergraduate (1903) and aged 19. He resigned 6th June 1907 and joined Charterhouse Deo Dante Dedi Lodge No. 2885 in 1908. In those records he is shown "Killed in action 1915"

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