Lieutenant Geoffrey D'Olier MACLEAR MC
2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles

Date of birth: 17th October 1887
Date of death: 29th January 1919

Died aged 31
Buried at St Martin?s Churchyard Canterbury
He was born in Canterbury on the 17th of October 1887, the third and youngest son of the Reverend Canon George Frederick Maclear DD, Warden of St Augustine's College, Canterbury, and Eva Jemima Maclear (nee Purcell) of The Lodge, St Augustine's College, Canterbury.

He was educated at the King's School Canterbury from September 1900 to October 1906, where he was a Monitor and was Editor of the Cantuarian in 1906.

He gained an Open History Scholarship to St John's College, Oxford in 1906, graduating with a first class honours degree BA in 1910. In 1907 he represented his College in the Oxford University two mile race which he won in a record time.

In 1911 he went to Manchester to study for the Civil Service and lived at 41 Richmond Grove, Manchester.

In 1912 he went to Calcutta where he was an Inspector of Government Colleges and Schools. He was appointed as a member of the Indian Educational Service in January 1913 and was Inspector of European Schools in Bengal with the Education Committee.

On the 25th of June 1915 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Reserve of Officers, Indian Army and was attached initially to the 27th Dogras and then to the 2nd Battalion, 39th Garhwal Rifles which were stationed in Meerut. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 25th of June 1916.

In 1917 he landed in Mesopotamia and took part in the capture of Ramadi on the 28th /29th of September 1917 where he was wounded three times and was invalided home but was back with his battalion two months later.

For this action he was awarded the Military Cross which appeared in the London Gazette of the 11th of January 1919. The citation reads:-

"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in an attack. He was with the leading
Company, and although he received a severe wound in the neck, and another bullet in the shoulder, it was not until he had got a bullet in the knee that he stopped advancing. Cool and dashing, his conduct was magnificent throughout."

He returned to duty at Salonica where his battalion joined 84th Brigade 28th Division; however, the effects of his wounds and the hardships of Mesopotamia had undermined his health.

He returned to the UK suffering from dysentery and he died at the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth.

His brother, 2nd Lieutenant Basil George Hope Maclear MC (OKS) 4th Battalion Grenadier Guards, was killed in action on the 16th of July 1916.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at St John's College, Oxford.
 

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