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Percival Robert Southwell Preeston F/Mc Married: 1872 Caroline Maria Hartley F/Mc | |||||
| Philip Southwell Preeston [CFT #3002] Born: 1883 Died: 1918-Mar-28 |
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| b Clapham Common d Killed in WWI in France Biography provided by Felsted School where he was in Mont's House. Philip Southwell Preeston was born in Clapham Common, a son of Percival and Caroline Preeston (née Hartley, an accomplished Organ Player and elected a Fellow of the Philharmonic Society). The family moved from London to Braintree in 1891. He was a Prefect, played in the Football XI 1899-1900 and the Cricket XI 1900 and was awarded a Commendation in 1899 for his Greek composition. He left for the Law in 1900, was articled to the school solicitor Mr Cunnington in Braintree, admitted as a solicitor in 1906 and worked full time at Cunnington, Son, and Orfeur, solicitors in Braintree until 1909 when he was appointed Deputy Coroner for the Eastern Division of Essex. He bought the 'Clock House' in Braintree from the School Governors (who helped him obtain a mortgage) and also owned 437 Fulham Road so was registered to vote there (a place on the electoral roll was given to householders). He was frequently seen at Felsted playing with visiting hockey teams. In 1913 he acquired one of the first motor-bikes and made a name for himself as one of the first coroners to visit sites efficiently by motor-bike. In July 1916 he obtained a commission in the RFA and went to the Front the following month. He was wounded in September 1917 but returning to France in January 1918 and was killed in March. (NB: his obituary, Felstedian of May 1918 pp. 43-44, said he entered the School in 1895, the Alumni has always recorded 1896, but this latter is now deemed to be a misprint as his entry is with the 1895 cohort). His two brothers also came to Felsted - the eldest (who had also fought in the Boer War) was wounded. Philip and Ralph Preeston died. He also had three sisters. He was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery on 7th July 1916 and was sent to the front the next month. He was wounded in action in September 1917 and returned to Braintree to recuperate. He was recalled to the front in January 1918 and killed in action on 28th March 1918, while serving with 1st Battery RFA on the fourth day of the Ludendorff (or 'Spring') offensive when Cayeux-en-Santerre was over-run following the Ludendorff breakout. His job as battle-field coroner was about as horrible as it gets. The Braintree & Bocking Great War Memorial project says (text adapted): "Cayeux village (Somme area: fifteen miles south of the 1916 battle), which had been in the hands of Commonwealth forces for some time, was lost on 27th March 1918 during the great German advance. Philip was a Lieutenant in the Artillery and his duties were scouting out new locations for the cannon. Cannon had to be moved frequently as the enemy got their location but the new locations had to be where ammunition wagons could easily reach them given the difficult terrain. Riding around on a horse, even though he was some distance behind the actual front, was very dangerous given that the enemy was continually firing ranging artillery shells. Worse, if the enemy thought its shelling was close to an allied battery, they used gas rounds. It was hard not realised how dangerous gas rounds were as you could accidentally ride into a pocket of gas some time after the round had detonated. But Philip was wounded by conventional shrapnel, came home and recovered, then returned to the front and died on 28th March 1918 from wounds sustained the previous day". Philip's grave is located at II.C.1A, Cayeux Military Cemetery. This is a reburial: he was moved from a cemetery at military map reference 66e.D.6.b.2.2 on 25th September 1934 (the exhumation report says his right collarbone was smashed). He is remembered on a plaque in the Church of St Michael in Braintree, and on the Braintree and Bocking War Memorial. August 2017 |
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