Major George Molyneux-Montgomerie, Grenadier Guards
The Union and Red Cross flags above the wooden war memorial in the chancel of St. John the Baptist in Garboldisham, Norfolk, are said to have come from the medical post where Major George Frederick Crisp Molyneux-Montgomerie, 3rd. Battalion, Grenadier Guards was treated for the head wound that killed him on Friday 22nd. October 1915. It is impossible to ascertain if this is in fact the case although the condition of them would indicate some age.
George Frederick Crisp Molyneux-Montgomerie was born on 18th. September 1869 in Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, the only son of Cecil and Sybil Molyneux-Montgomerie of Garboldisham Old Hall. He was baptised on the 24th. October 1869. George had five younger sisters, Mary, Olive, Esther, Geraldine and Katy.
He was educated at Castlemount School, Dover and at Eton College, Berkshire.
On 4th. June 1901 at St. Paul's Church in Knightsbridge, George married Sybil Mary Blanche Somerset. Due to the recent death of George's father, a wedding reception was not held. They had two daughters, Violet Beare Molyneux-Montgomerie, born on the 16th .December 1906 but sadly died the same day, and Rosemary Heartsease Beare Molyneux-Montgomerie, born on 23rd. June 1908.
George was initiated a Mason at Thetford, Norfolk on the 5th January 1912.
A professional soldier, he was a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College and was appointed 2nd. Lieutenant with the Grenadier Guards on 31st. July 1889. Promoted to Lieutenant in August 1892, Battalion Adjutant 1897- 1898.
George was seconded to China in 1898 and was present at the relief of Tientsin on 13/14th July 1900 and the Relief of Pekin in August 1900.
Promoted to Captain in 1899, Aide-de-Camp to Major General Sir H Trotter KCVO Commanding Home District 1901 and promoted to Major in December 1904. He was Regimental Adjutant in from 1906 to 1909. He retired in 1909. His name remained on the Officers of Reserve list and he was a co-opted member of the Norfolk Territorial Force.
In August 1914 as war broke out, George was called out of the reserve and posted to the 3rd. Battalion of his old regiment, the Grenadier Guards at Wellington Barracks, London. He moved overseas on the 27th. July 1915, landing at Le Havre. On the 19th. August 1915 he was attached to 2nd. Guards Brigade, Guards Division.
George died of wounds, aged 46, on Friday 22nd. October 1915. He was responsible for writing the Battalion War Diary and his entries for the days preceding his death are as follows:
15th. October 1915.
'Paraded after dinners and marched back through VERMELLES to take up a line of Trenches opposite BIG WILLIE & HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. The relief took a very long time and the communication trenches were shelled. Began a sap from K1* towards 1st Bn Coldstream Guards who were holding the line to just short of Point 60 /W/.'
16th. October 1915.
'Trenches heavily shelled from 7-8 a.m. by guns of medium calibre. Received orders to complete sap, join with Coldstream and bomb down BIG WILLIE to meet 2nd Bn Scots Guards. Attack to start at 5 a.m. 17th. Were unable to complete sap and were unable to attack in consequence. Casualties* 5 killed 12 W 1 Missing. approximately.'
17th. October 1915.
'Very heavy and accurate shelling from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. by guns of all sizes. Capt Lord F. Blackwood was blown up by a shell and concussed. Soon after 12 noon Capt. Dowling and Lt. Hirst were buried in their dugout and had to be evacuated. No. 1 Coy had far the largest proportion of casualties. At night Major Montgomeries took out No. 4 and finished the sap. 11 K 33 W 1 Missing.2/Lt. P. Walker went sick suffering from heart attack. The Battalion was relieved by 1st Bn Scots Guards and went into rest Trenches behind VERMELLES railway. (SUSSEX TRENCH) a smooth relief which finished at 2 a.m.'
18th. & 19th. October 1915. 'Resting'
20th. October 1915.
'Paraded at 3 p.m. and went back into the line relieving 1st Bn Scots Guards. Started a fire trench parallel and close to BIG WILLIE (afterwards called KAISERINE TRENCH)'
21st. October 1915.
'Improved fire trench and continued sapping on KAISERINE TRENCH. Enemy snipers active. We accounted for 3. Major Montgomerie (the author of this diary) was shot through the head and killed on the night of 21/22 whilst superintending work on KAISERINE TRENCH under heavy fire. K 4 W 9 M -Sap completed to join with 1st Guards Brigade.'
George was buried in Grave: VI. D. 22 at Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France with the personal inscription
'SO HE PASSED OVER
AND ALL THE TRUMPETS
SOUNDED FOR HIM
ON THE OTHER SIDE'
In Garboldisham parish church is a stained glass window commissioned by George's widow Sybil. George's original wooden Battlefield Cross from 1915 hangs next to the window in the alcove. The lettering on the window reads,
'This window is given by his wife and those who loved him in ever-living memory of a brave man George Frederick Molineux-Montgomerie, Major, Grenadier Guards who gave his life for his country at the Hohenzollern Redoubt in France Oct. 22nd 1915.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.'
George is commemorated in many other locations,
Garboldisham war memorial.
Garboldisham WW1 Roll of Honour in St John the Baptist church.
War memorial at Lords Cricket Ground, George was a member of Lords Cricket Club
Etonians of the Grenadier Guards WW1 Memorial, Eton College
Travellers Club Memorial, St. James, London
Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918, book 1921
Masonic WW1 Roll of Honour, scroll 1940
Grenadier Guards WW1 Memorial, Royal Memorial Chapel, RMA Sandhurst
Major George Molyneux-Montgomerie, Grenadier Guards
The Union and Red Cross flags above the wooden war memorial in the chancel of St. John the Baptist in Garboldisham, Norfolk, are said to have come from the medical post where Major George Frederick Crisp Molyneux-Montgomerie, 3rd. Battalion, Grenadier Guards was treated for the head wound that killed him on Friday 22nd. October 1915. It is impossible to ascertain if this is in fact the case although the condition of them would indicate some age.
George Frederick Crisp Molyneux-Montgomerie was born on 18th. September 1869 in Bury St. Edmonds, Suffolk, the only son of Cecil and Sybil Molyneux-Montgomerie of Garboldisham Old Hall. He was baptised on the 24th. October 1869. George had five younger sisters, Mary, Olive, Esther, Geraldine and Katy.
He was educated at Castlemount School, Dover and at Eton College, Berkshire.
On 4th. June 1901 at St. Paul's Church in Knightsbridge, George married Sybil Mary Blanche Somerset. Due to the recent death of George's father, a wedding reception was not held. They had two daughters, Violet Beare Molyneux-Montgomerie, born on the 16th .December 1906 but sadly died the same day, and Rosemary Heartsease Beare Molyneux-Montgomerie, born on 23rd. June 1908.
George was initiated a Mason at Thetford, Norfolk on the 5th January 1912.
A professional soldier, he was a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College and was appointed 2nd. Lieutenant with the Grenadier Guards on 31st. July 1889. Promoted to Lieutenant in August 1892, Battalion Adjutant 1897- 1898.
George was seconded to China in 1898 and was present at the relief of Tientsin on 13/14th July 1900 and the Relief of Pekin in August 1900.
Promoted to Captain in 1899, Aide-de-Camp to Major General Sir H Trotter KCVO Commanding Home District 1901 and promoted to Major in December 1904. He was Regimental Adjutant in from 1906 to 1909. He retired in 1909. His name remained on the Officers of Reserve list and he was a co-opted member of the Norfolk Territorial Force.
In August 1914 as war broke out, George was called out of the reserve and posted to the 3rd. Battalion of his old regiment, the Grenadier Guards at Wellington Barracks, London. He moved overseas on the 27th. July 1915, landing at Le Havre. On the 19th. August 1915 he was attached to 2nd. Guards Brigade, Guards Division.
George died of wounds, aged 46, on Friday 22nd. October 1915. He was responsible for writing the Battalion War Diary and his entries for the days preceding his death are as follows:
15th. October 1915.
'Paraded after dinners and marched back through VERMELLES to take up a line of Trenches opposite BIG WILLIE & HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. The relief took a very long time and the communication trenches were shelled. Began a sap from K1* towards 1st Bn Coldstream Guards who were holding the line to just short of Point 60 /W/.'
16th. October 1915.
'Trenches heavily shelled from 7-8 a.m. by guns of medium calibre. Received orders to complete sap, join with Coldstream and bomb down BIG WILLIE to meet 2nd Bn Scots Guards. Attack to start at 5 a.m. 17th. Were unable to complete sap and were unable to attack in consequence. Casualties* 5 killed 12 W 1 Missing. approximately.'
17th. October 1915.
'Very heavy and accurate shelling from 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. by guns of all sizes. Capt Lord F. Blackwood was blown up by a shell and concussed. Soon after 12 noon Capt. Dowling and Lt. Hirst were buried in their dugout and had to be evacuated. No. 1 Coy had far the largest proportion of casualties. At night Major Montgomeries took out No. 4 and finished the sap. 11 K 33 W 1 Missing.2/Lt. P. Walker went sick suffering from heart attack. The Battalion was relieved by 1st Bn Scots Guards and went into rest Trenches behind VERMELLES railway. (SUSSEX TRENCH) a smooth relief which finished at 2 a.m.'
18th. & 19th. October 1915. 'Resting'
20th. October 1915.
'Paraded at 3 p.m. and went back into the line relieving 1st Bn Scots Guards. Started a fire trench parallel and close to BIG WILLIE (afterwards called KAISERINE TRENCH)'
21st. October 1915.
'Improved fire trench and continued sapping on KAISERINE TRENCH. Enemy snipers active. We accounted for 3. Major Montgomerie (the author of this diary) was shot through the head and killed on the night of 21/22 whilst superintending work on KAISERINE TRENCH under heavy fire. K 4 W 9 M -Sap completed to join with 1st Guards Brigade.'
George was buried in Grave: VI. D. 22 at Vermelles British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France with the personal inscription
'SO HE PASSED OVER
AND ALL THE TRUMPETS
SOUNDED FOR HIM
ON THE OTHER SIDE'
In Garboldisham parish church is a stained glass window commissioned by George's widow Sybil. George's original wooden Battlefield Cross from 1915 hangs next to the window in the alcove. The lettering on the window reads,
'This window is given by his wife and those who loved him in ever-living memory of a brave man George Frederick Molineux-Montgomerie, Major, Grenadier Guards who gave his life for his country at the Hohenzollern Redoubt in France Oct. 22nd 1915.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.'
George is commemorated in many other locations,
Garboldisham war memorial.
Garboldisham WW1 Roll of Honour in St John the Baptist church.
War memorial at Lords Cricket Ground, George was a member of Lords Cricket Club
Etonians of the Grenadier Guards WW1 Memorial, Eton College
Travellers Club Memorial, St. James, London
Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918, book 1921
Masonic WW1 Roll of Honour, scroll 1940
Grenadier Guards WW1 Memorial, Royal Memorial Chapel, RMA Sandhurst