 |
| Cuthbert Gordon Willis, just before the Battle of Messines Ridge, where he was killed (with kind permission of Alistair Willis, great-nephew of Cuthbert Gordon Willis) |
Cuthbert Gordon Willis
Died 1 November 1914
Date of Birth: 29 March 1892
Place of Birth: Mitcham, Surrey
Cuthbert Gordon Willis was born in Mitcham, Surrey on 29 March 1892 to Cuthbert Gordon Willis, an ironmonger, and Annie. His siblings were Margaret Helena, Albert Thomas, Enid Annie, Dorothy Susannah, Norah Grace, and Gwyneth Mary. In 1901 Cuthbert was living with his parents and siblings at his father's ironmonger's shop at 51 High Street, Highgate. In 1911, he was working as an Engineer Turner and was living with his family at 19 Maclise Road, West Kensington. In his Grave Registration, he is referred to as "Native of Highgate, London". It would appear this is why Cuthbert is commemorated on the St Michael's Roll of Honour.
Service Details: Private 1682 of London Regiment (London Scottish) 1st/14th Battalion
Place of Death:1 November 1914
Place of Burial: No Known Grave
Commemorated: Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Panel 54
Since this blog began, we are fortunate to have been contacted by a number of readers in Australia who have some connection to men named on the St Michael's Roll of Honour. Last month, we were contacted by Alistair Willis in Queensland, whose great uncle was Cuthbert Gordon Willis. Although Cuthbert was born in Surrey, he was baptized alongside his siblings at St Michael's on 11 February 1897.
Willis was killed very early in the war, on 1 November 1914. Alistair's father was born two weeks later and named
after him. Alistair's father, Cuthbert Gordon Wills (the third), attended St Michael's School and is believed to have sung in the church choir circa 1920.
Alistair wrote:
"The person in question’s father was also named Cuthbert Gordon Willis who
was a partner in an ironmonger business in Streatham. One fine day in 1894 he
mounted his penny farthing bicycle and rode over to Hampstead Heath and
eventually Highgate Village and so overcome by the beauty of the countryside
that was so different from Streatham he decided to establish an ironmonger
business at 51 High Street.
So, in 1896, Cuthbert and his wife Annie and six
children, including Cuthbert Gordon Willis (Junior) are living in Highgate and
operating an ironmongery business.
 |
| C.G.Willis & Co. Ironmongers and Cycle Agents, circa 1900 (with kind permission of Alistair Willis) |
Cuthbert’s
wife Annie died in 1904 aged 45 and was buried in Carnarvon. It was at this time
that Cuthbert left Highgate setting up a new business right under the entrance
of Olympia in West Kensington and continued until 1948 to sell all the
exhibitions enormous quantities of ironmongery.
Cuthbert
had been in a rush to get to Olympia but retained the Highgate business for his
eldest son Albert Thomas to run but Albert was not yet old enough to run the
Highgate business. In the interim Cuthbert leased the business, an arrangement
that was terminated in 1905 with C. G. Willis & Co. being replaced with a
partnership between Cuthbert and son Albert Thomas, C. G. Willis & Son.
Also
living in Highgate at this time, in Langdon Road (renamed Bredgar Road in 1937),
were John and Eliza Ketley. John was originally from Chelmsford and a builder’s
labourer. In 1901 a nephew born in Chelmsford called Ephraim William Havers,
aged 13, was living with them. John must have struck up a friendship with
Cuthbert and his eldest son Albert Thomas through the ironmonger business
supplying building materials to John. In turn Ephraim, known as Billy Havers,
became very good friends with Albert and subsequently Godfather to Albert’s son,
Gordon.
Albert’s brother, Cuthbert Gordon Willis (Junior) was born
in . . . 1892, the fifth of the six children. After school he became an
apprentice engineer, turner and fitter. Cuthbert, with war against Germany
looming, enlisted as a Private in the 1st/14th Battalion
of the London Regiment (London Scottish).
The London Scottish became
the first territorial army unit to see action in World War One. Packed into 34
London buses, they arrived at Ypres at 3 am on October 29, 1914. Together with
their commanding officer Sir Douglas Haig they had a brief rest and
breakfast, before marching on to Geluvelt to build trenches. After a hard day's
work, the battalion marched back to Ypres for rest. This was not to be, however.
When they arrived at the Cloth Hall, more buses were waiting to take them on to
another destination -Armentières - where they were to support the 2nd Division
Cavalry at St Elooi. Again they began the day by digging trenches but at 8am
received new orders. The London Scottish set off for Messines Ridge where an
opening had been forced in the Allied frontline.
Their task was to reinforce
the Allied line and close the opening near what were known as Hun's Farm and
Middle Farm. Twice the London Scottish not only halted German attacks but forced
the Germans back from the ridge, despite the fact that the Scots themselves were
in an open position, faced overwhelming odds in numbers and were forced to make
do with malfunctioning weapons and ammunition. A third attack saw the German
troops break through the London Scottish defences, leaving the Battalion with
heavy casualties and cut off from headquarters. To avoid total destruction of
the Battalion, orders were given for a retreat.
Further attacks on German
positions on the ridge were continued by the British infantry and the French
Brigade. Although the ridge was captured by the German Army, the efforts of the
London Scottish had won time and ultimately prevented a far superior force
breaking through to Ypres. The Scots had lost 394 of their 700 officers and men
in their short time on the ridge. Cuthbert Gordon was one of those losses,
killed in action on 1 November 1914 only 2 days after arriving at the
front.
 |
| Back of the photograph of Cuthbert Gordon Willis reproduced at the top of this post (with kind permission of Alistair Willis) |
Cuthbert’s older brother
Albert and his wife Elizabeth’s first child was born in Highgate at 51 High
Street, on 13 November 1914, less than two weeks after Cuthbert’s death in
Belgium. In honour of Cuthbert, the child was named Cuthbert Gordon Willis
however would be known as Gordon.
Amazingly, Gordon’s
Godfather, Billy Havers, was with the Royal Flying Corps in 1915 in France and
came across a photo of Cuthbert which had been taken in a photographic studio
near the front line [see image above]. He gave
it to Cuthbert’s brother Albert who then passed it onto his sister Gwen in
September 1916. Billy Havers went on to have an illustrious career in the
military retiring in 1948 as Air Vice-Marshal Sir Ephraim William Havers,
KBE.
 |
| C.G.Willis & Son, Highgate, 1926 (with kind permission of Alistair Willis) |
Albert Willis moved the
business from 51 to 62 High Street and continued to operate there until the
1960s when he retired and sold out."
 |
| Albert Thomas Willis at his Highgate shop (with kind permission of Alistair Willis) |
