=ASHTON, EDWIN=, Rifleman, No. 1667, 1/12th Battn. (The Rangers) The London Regt., former Engineers’ apprentice, _s._ of Edwin Ashton, fancy leather worker; _b._ Peckham, 7 April, 1895; was a Scout and Patrol Leader from 13 years of age to 18, when he joined the Rangers; killed in action at Zonnebeke, 20 April, 1915. Cart. Jones wrote: “He was hit by a bullet on the evening of the 20th, and died soon afterwards. We buried him that night in a small wood behind our trench. He was a man for whom I had a great liking; a good soldier, and he died doing his duty.”
[Illustration: =Edwin Ashton.=]
=ASHURST, JAMES=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., B. 4246), S.S. 102939, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=ASHWORTH, EDMUND=, Leading Stoker, 311053 (Dev.), H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=ASKEW, HENRY ADAM=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Border Regt., elder _s._ of the late Canon Edmund Adam Askew, Rector of Greystoke, Cumberland, by his wife, Mary Penelope (Bushby House, Greystoke, Cumberland), dau. of the late Rev. Henry James Feilden, Rector of Kirk Langley, and grandson of the late Henry William Askew, of Conishead Priory, co. Lancaster, and Glenridding, co. Cumberland, J.P., by his wife, Lucy, dau. of the Right Rev. and Hon. Hugh Percy, D.D., Lord Bishop of Carlisle; _b._ Greystoke Rectory, 8 Sept. 1881; educ. Aysgarth, Harrow, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Border Regt. 8 May, 1901; joined his battn. in South Africa in the Sept. following, and took part in the operations in the Transvaal, Nov. 1901–2 (Queen’s medal and three clasps); promoted Lieut. 5 Sept. 1903. On his return to England he went through two courses with Mounted Infantry and the Gymnastic course (certificate 1908); Assistant Superintendent of Gymnasium at Devonport for the Southern Command, 3 Aug. 1909–13, when he rejoined his regt. On the outbreak of war he received his company, 23 Aug. 1914, was appointed Transport Officer, and went to the Front with the Expeditionary Force. On the death of the Adjutant, Capt. Andrews (26 Oct.), he took over his duties, and as Adjutant was with his Colonel when wounded, and assisted in carrying him back, becoming then second in command; and from 25 Nov. to 3 Dec. was in command, his Colonel sending in his name as “doing exceptionally well.” He was killed on 19 Dec. 1914, in a night attack on the German trenches at Sailly. He was at first reported as wounded and missing, but was later found to have been killed. He was twice mentioned in Despatches by F.M. Sir John French. A private wrote home to a friend: “There was one officer called Capt. Askew. I was right against him when he got shot. I shall never forget him; the last words he uttered were, ‘Stick it lads, stick it Borders,’ and then he got killed. It happened on the top of their trenches.” Another writes that he was in the trench. The Germans buried him behind their first line of trenches, and erected a cross on which they inscribed in German. “To a brave British officer, Border Regt.” This information was obtained during the truce on Christmas Day, when Lieut. Nunnerly, 3rd Bedfords, was sent by the Commanding Officer of the Border Regt. in answer to a German officer, who passed over the badge from the cap of Capt. Askew. He _m._ at St. Cuthbert’s Church, Carlisle, 25 April, 1908, Winifred Lucy, dau. of Col. Thomas Angelo Irwin, of Lynehow, Carlisle, Solport, co. Cumberland, D.L., and had issue 2 sons and a dau.; Henry Cuthbert Adam, _b._ 21 Sept. 1909; David, _b._ 16 June, 1913; and Winyfred Anne, _b._ 19 Jan. 1911.
[Illustration: =Henry Adam Askew.=]
=ASKEW, JOHN HENRY=, Sergt., R.M.L.I., Ports. 11610, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914; _m._
=ASLIN, GEORGE=, Private, No. 1941, C. Co., 1/8th Battn. Middlesex Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of George Aslin, of Melrose Villas, 7, Avenue Road, Hampton, Bootmaker, by his wife, Fanny, dau. of Edward Busby, R.M.; _b._ Gosport, co. Hants, 31 Dec. 1891; educ. Hampton Council School; was a Fitter’s Labourer; joined the Middlesex Territorials, Feb. 1913; went to France, 8 March, 1915, and was killed in action at Frezenberg, 11 May following; _unm._
=ASSITER, ALFRED=, Chief Yeoman of Signals, 168358, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=ATCHESON, JOHN=, Private, No. 9474, 2nd Battn. Durham L.I., 2nd _s._ of the late Hugh Atcheson, of Jarrow, Machine Planer, by his wife, Mary (Carley Place, Southwick, Sunderland), dau. of Michael Benson; _b._ Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, co. York, 24 May, 1894; educ. St. Banett’s, Sunderland; enlisted Oct. 1910; and after serving his time with the Colours joined the Special Reserve, and was employed at Thomson’s Yard, Sunderland. He was called up on mobilisation, 5 Aug. 1914, and was killed in action at Ypres, 1 June, 1915; _unm._ His elder brother, Private Samuel Atcheson, is now (1916) serving with the Expeditionary Force in France.
[Illustration: =John Atcheson.=]
=ATKIN, JOHN CLAUDE=, R.M.L.I., Ch. 7931, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=ATKINS, EDMUND JOSEPH=, Leading Seaman, 222044, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=ATKINS, FRANK STANLEY=, Private, No. 12608, 1st Battn. Coldstream Guards, 2nd _s._ of William Edward Atkins, of Gravesend, co. Kent, Nurseryman and Florist, by his wife, Elizabeth Hollwey, dau. of William Hollwey, of Chilcompton, Bath; _b._ Gravesend, 30 July, 1892; educ. Christ Church School there, and then entered the service of the P. & O. Steamship Co. He joined the Garrison Artillery at the age of eighteen, and on the declaration of war enlisted in the Coldstreams, 15 Sept. 1914, and was killed at Cuinchy on 25 Jan. 1915, in his first action. He was buried where he fell, 500 yards from Cuinchy Church, and a cross marks the spot. He was spoken of as a keen soldier, who never failed to do his duty.
[Illustration: =Frank Stanley Atkins.=]
=ATKINS, JAMES=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 3519), 162449, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.
=ATKINS, JOHN=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 4569), S.S. 1544, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in the action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.
=ATKINSON, ALFRED GEORGE=, A.B., 193724, H.M.S. Hawke; lost in action in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._
=ATKINSON, ANDREW GEORGE=, Private, No. 798, 25th Infantry Battn., Australian Imperial Force, _s._ of George Andrew Atkinson, Solicitor, and Coroner for North Fermanagh; _b._ Ballyshannon, co. Donegal, 12 March, 1891; educ. Conway College and Jones School, Lispoole Abbey, Enniskillen; went to Australia; enlisted in the Australian Force in Dec. 1914, following the outbreak of war; was wounded in action in the fighting at Anzac, near Hill 971 (Sari Bair), and died in No. 19 General Hospital at Alexandria, 27 Nov. 1915; _unm._ Buried in Chatby Cemetery, near Alexandria (Grave No. 1883).
[Illustration: =Andrew George Atkinson.=]
=ATKINSON, WILLIAM JOSEPH=, R.N.R., No. 3672C, _s._ of Joseph Atkinson, Merchant Seaman, by his wife, Jessie, dau. of Isaac Thomas, of London; _b._ Hull, 8 Aug. 1873; educ. St. Paul’s Street School, Hull; was formerly employed in the weekly boats, and was delegate for the Sailors’ and Firemen’s Union; was called up on mobilisation, 2 Aug. 1914, and lost his life on the Cruiser Hogue, torpedoed in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. He _m._ at St. Paul’s Church, Hull, 15 Jan. 1900, Lucy Anne (7, Kingston Street, Hull), dau. of John Scarborough, of Spilsby, Lincolnshire, shoemaker, and had issue a son and six daus.: John, _b._ 11 March, 1910; Jessie, _b._ 8 Oct. 1900; Lucy, _b._ 17 Nov. 1901; Annie, _b._ 11 Aug. 1902; Muriel, _b._ 17 Aug. 1905: Mildred, _b._ 10 April 1908; and Charlotte, _b._ 19 Sept. 1911. Had Atkinson lived throughout the year 1915 he would have received a medal for fifteen years’ service in the R.N.R.
[Illustration: =William Joseph Atkinson.=]
=ATKINSON, WILLIAM NOEL=, Capt. and Adjutant 2nd Battn. 10th Gurkha Rifles, eldest _s._ of the late Rev. Augustus William Atkinson, Principal of the Lawrence Memorial School, Ootacamund, by his wife, Mary Louisa (Mountain View, Ootacamund, Nilgiris, S. India), dau. of Brinard Antony Daly, Tonyville, Yercand, Shevaroy Hills, Madras Presidency, S. India; _b._ Calcutta, 21 Nov. 1883; educ. Bedford Grammar School and Sandhurst, from which latter he passed out fifth with honours in Feb. 1902. He was gazetted to the unattached list for the Indian Army, 21 Jan. 1903, being temporarily attached to the Durham L.I., and was posted to the 72nd Punjabis in Aug. 1904, and to the 1st Battn. of the 10th Gurkhas the following year. He was promoted Lieut. 21 April, 1905, and Capt. 21 Jan. 1912, and appointed Adjutant 1 Oct. following. He did valuable work in helping to raise the 2nd Battn. of his regt. in 1908, to which battn. he was appointed Q.M., his Col. placing on record his appreciation of all the “solid excellent work done in recruiting for the battalion.” The 10th Gurkhas were sent to Egypt in Oct. 1914, and Capt. Atkinson received his baptism of fire at Toussoum on 4 Feb. 1915, when he took part in the repulse of the attempted Turkish invasion. In May the regt. was sent to the Dardanelles; he was present during the severe fight on the 28th of that month and was killed in the trenches on the following day by a sniper while encouraging his men to repel a fierce counter-attack of the Turks on their freshly seized trenches. His death was instantaneous, and he was buried on the hillside where he fell, the grave being marked by a heap of stones and a wooden cross bearing his name, etc. “His loss is irreparable to the regt.,” wrote his Col., and he was mentioned in Sir Ian Hamilton’s Despatch of 22 Sept. 1915. “A good sportsman and a good rider, well read and untiring in energy. A thorough all round soldier, whose judgment is always sound and to the point. Is on the Staff College list, and should make in the future a most reliable Staff Officer. His profession is his first thought, and his power of imparting knowledge is quite above the normal. A most able officer, of whom I cannot too highly speak, and a general favourite,” was the verdict of one of his chiefs. He was _unm._