Lieutenant Eric Henry Janson TEASDALE
7th Depot Company, Army Service Corps attached to the 1st Battalion Machine Gun Corps

Date of birth: 21st April 1896
Date of death: 21st January 1917

Killed on active service aged 20
Buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery Plot VII Row B Grave 18
He was born at Stoney Gate, Leicester on the 21st of April 1896 the younger son of Edward Henry Teasdale, manufacturer, and Fanny Henrietta Knox (nee Sedley) of “Heathfield”, London Road, Leicester and later of Trinity Mansion, Eastbourne.

He was educated at Stubbington House School, Fareham and at the King’s School Canterbury from September 1909 to October 1912 where he was in School House and where he served as a Private in the Officer Training Corps until he left the school.

In 1914 he went to work as a clerk for the Norwich Union Fire Society in Leicester.

Following the outbreak of war he enlisted at Leicester as Private 3381 in the Motor Transport Supply Column, North Midland Divisional Train, Army Service Corps on the 16th of November 1914. At a medical examination, which was held on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet eight and three quarters inches tall with a fresh complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He was posted to No. 2 Company on the 18th of January 1915 and, on the same day, he applied for a commission in the North Midland Divisional Train. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the North Midland Divisional Train, Army Service Corps on the 10th of February 1915 and was posted to No. 4 (516) Company in the 59th (2nd North Midland) Divisional Train. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 29th of October 1915 and he volunteered for overseas service on the 13th of November 1915 while based at Leicester. He attended a course at Aldershot from the 16th of November to the 1st of December 1915. He was seconded for duty with the Machine Gun Corps on the 30th of October 1916 and joined the Machine Gun Corps Training Centre at Grantham the same day. On completion of his training he was attached to the 1st Battalion.

On the 21st of January 1917 he visited his brother Edward in hospital, and was returning to duty in Boulogne when he fell from a quayside and drowned in Boulogne Harbour. A post mortem was held at 13 General Hospital, Boulogne at noon the following day which concluded that he had died from drowning.

On the 25th of January 1917 a Court of Enquiry was convened at No. 7 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne to investigate the circumstances of his death. It was chaired by Major Charles Alfred Russell-Stower, Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment. During the proceedings they took a number of eyewitness statements: -

Evidence of Lance Corporal 141 C. Mansfield, Military Field Police: -

"About 8.30pm on the night of 21st January 1917, I was on Military Police Patrol duty on Pont Marquet, Boulogne, when I was informed by Morber Victor Visiteur au Chemin de Fer du Nord, 58 Rue du Mont Neuf Outreau, that a British soldier had fallen into the water in the Quay Chanzy about 20 to 25 yards away from the Pont Marquet. I at once proceeded to the spot. I found two French sailors, Salome Matelot, and Louis Fournier, supporting the officer at the bottom of some iron steps which ran down the side of the quay. The tide was half in at the time. A rope was obtained and thrown to the two France sailors to enable them to attach it to the officer to lift him onto the quay. A stretcher was then brought, and as soon as we got the officer out he was conveyed to the British Red Cross Society at Gare Central. The officer was taken from the water within minutes of my receiving the first report. I heard no cry for help although I was on duty on the Pont Marquet. By the time I arrived a Medical Officer had been sent for and the stretcher was on the spot. At the British Red Cross Society Hut at the Gare Central, artificial respiration was administered for one and a half hours, with no effect, under the supervision of the Medical Officer. The body was then removed to No. 13 General Hospital, Boulogne. I observed no marks of violence on the body. It was a very cold night and freezing."

Evidence of Quartermaster Louis Fournier, French Navy: -

"At between 8pm and 8.30pm on the night of 21st of January 1917, I was walking across the Pont Marquet when I saw a lamp on the edge of the quay, and thinking there was something wrong I went to the spot. I saw that someone had fallen into the water about 30 yards from the Pont Marquet bridge. When I arrived I saw a railway man by the name of Mortie, Victor, supporting the soldier in the water at the foot of the iron steps which run down the side of the quay. A Customs official named Le Pretre, who had previously thrown a rope with a grapple at the end of it, was holding the rope at the top of the quay. I went at once with Salome, a French sailor, to a steam boat which was along the quay side, and obtained a rope. I then went down the steps and into the water up to my waist and attached the rope to the soldier in the water. The people on the top of the quay pulled the soldier up while I supported him up the steps. During the time I saw the soldier in the water and when he was brought to the top of the quay, I saw no signs of life."

Evidence of Emile Lepretre, Customs Official at Boulogne: -

"At about 7.40pm on the night of 21st January 1917, I was on the quay about 50 yards from the Pont Marquet, when I heard shouts from the men in the boats that someone had fallen into the water. From the top of the quay I could see someone swimming in the water towards the middle, at the same time shouting out "Help". At the time that I saw the soldier in the water he was about 6 yards from the edge of the quay and was swimming towards the middle. I shouted at him but he took no notice. I threw the grapple I was carrying, but missed him. This I did about 15 times. After about five minutes he sank about 7 yards from the edge about halfway between the Pont Marquet and the steps. After the soldier had sunk I continued to throw the grapple and after about a quarter of an hour, I secured the body, the grapple had hooked the back of his coat. I then drew him to the foot of the steps. A railway man named Martie Victor went down the steps and supported him by the shoulder until further help arrived. It took less than five minutes to bring him to the bottom of the steps after first securing him. At this moment two French sailors arrived, Louis Fornier and Salome, who fetched a rope, and Fournier went down the ladder and attached it to the top of the quay. I saw no signs of life after he was taken out of the water."

Evidence of Victor Martie, Railway Official at Boulogne: -

"At about 7.40pm on the night of 21st January 1917, I was proceeding to do my duty carrying a lamp. I was informed that someone had fallen into the water. I went to the spot and there saw a man in the water. Men on the quayside were throwing ropes to him and I threw a lifebuoy. He sank almost immediately. After about a quarter of an hour the men with the grapple succeeded in securing him, and drew him to the foot of the steps. I then proceeded down the steps and held his head above water until further assistance arrived. I saw no signs of life and there was no movement."

Evidence of Joseph Salome, French Navy: -

"At about 8.30pm on the night of 21st January 1917, I was with Louis Fournier of the French Navy walking over the Pont Marquet. We saw a lamp on the edge of the quay, and on going over to it found that there was a man in the water. I went with Fournier to get a rope. Fournier went down the ladder while I stayed at the top of the quay, and helped to pull the man out of the water. When we got him to the top I saw no signs of life."

Evidence of Charles Rust, Customs Official at Boulogne: -

"On Sunday 21st January 1917, at about 7.30pm and 8pm, I was on duty about 40 yards from the Pont Marquet. I heard shouting and I distinctly heard the cry "Help, help". I at once ran to where the cry came from and found that a man had fallen into the water. It was half tide at the time. I could just distinguish a man swimming away from the quay. I at once threw my grapple line and continued to do so until the man sunk. We continued to throw our grapples and after about a quarter of an hour we secured him. We drew him to the foot of the ladder, when he was drawn to the top of the quay. After we had got the soldier out of the water, I saw no signs of life."

Evidence of Captain O.L.V. de Wesselow, R.A.M.C attached No. 7 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne: -

"At about 9.30pm on the night of 21st January 1917, I was called to the Aid Post at the Gare Central to attend Lieut. Teasdale. He was handed over to me by a Medical Officer of an Ambulance Train who had performed artificial respiration (Schafer and Sylvester method) for 45 minutes. There was no signs of life. I continued artificial respiration for another 45 minutes, in all one and a half hours, with no result. I then ordered the body to be removed to the mortuary No. 7 Stationary Hospital. I hand in two copies (which are marked "X" signed by the President and attached to the Proceedings) of the post mortem examination which was made by Captain Herbert Henry. R.A.M.C., in my presence. The eschartic marks mentioned therein were pointed out to me by the Medical Officer of the Ambulance train as being due to hot water bottles applied at the Aid Post at Gare Central. I saw no signs of foul play. There was no evidence of injury or violence. The watch he was wearing had stopped at 8.30pm. I may mention that it was a very dark night."

The Court of Enquiry concluded that Eric Teasdale had died from drowning and that foul play had played no part in his death.

His brother, Private Edward George Teasdale (OKS) 16th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was killed in action on the 17th of March 1918.

They are both commemorated on their parents' grave at the Methodist Church, Uppingham Road, Leicester. In 1921 his mother donated a large sum to the Leicestershire and Rutland University (now the University of Leicester) on its foundation. She also left a bequest to the university in 1931 and requested that a memorial tablet be created to remember her two sons. The tablet was placed on the Fielding Johnson Building at the university.

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