NORTHCOTE DOUGLAS HORACE GILBERT

Lt 3rd Battalion East Kent Regiment (Buffs) attached to the 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment.

Killed in action aged 21, 12/03/1916  Panels 12 to 14 MENIN GATE MEMORIAL.

Born 9/4/1893, son of the late Horace Northcote, merchant of Park Rd, Beckenham, and Stella Louisa (nee Reynolds) of 11, Playfair Mansions, Queen’s Club Gardens, Kensington, London W14.

Educated Abbey School and King’s School Canterbury  1907 to 1912 with a Junior Scholarship in December 1908.

Keen tennis player and won the final of the school doubles competition of 1911 partnered by R.J.N. Norris. Won school Geography (Members) Prize, the Stanley Prize for history for 1910/11  and was Hon Secretary of the Canturian from September 1911. Probate 4 May 1916 to Stella Louisa Northcote.  Was articled to J.H. Welfare, solicitors of 60 Coleman Street London EC.

2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion East Kent Regiment August 1914, promoted to Lieutenant in 1915 and attached to the 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment. At 2.45am on the morning of the 12th of March 1915 the 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment left  Locre and marched via Kemmel to the trenches known as “F” in front of Spanbroek Molen. Arrived about 5.30am and occupied four lines of trenches on the reverse side of the hill.

The morning was dull and misty so that the artillery barrage which was meant to precede the attack was delayed. The morning remained misty and as a result apart from occasional sniping and shell fire things were quiet. At 1pm the mist began to lift and by 2.30pm the air was clear and the artillery barrage began, firing shrapnel to cut the enemy wire and large quantities of high explosive to damage their trenches. This continued with a slight pause until 4.10pm.when the infantry assault was launched from the trench known as F2,  about 25 yards in front of the first line trench.

The first line was crossed by A Company using “Flying Bridges” which had been placed over the first line trench and passed through gaps in the British wire. The men moved forward across the 200 yards of No Man’s Land under heavy rifle and machine gun fire. A few  managed to get up to the German wire where they were pinned down. B Company tried to crawl forward, but were forced back after 50 yards and the survivors fell back to the trench F2.

The survivors of A Company withdrew under cover of darkness. Douglas Northcote was one of four officers killed with three others being wounded. There were 29 other ranks killed, 45 wounded and 12 missing. He was mentioned in despatches.

Additional Information:
Date of Death: 01/01/1916

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