2nd Lieutenant Engelbert Lutyens Rothwell HORLEY
16th (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment (1st City) attached to the 2nd Battalion

Date of birth: 30th December 1875
Date of death: 4th September 1917

Killed in action aged 41
Buried at Coxyde Military Cemetery Plot III Roe E Grave 30
He was born at Sefton in Lancashire on the 30th of December 1875 the second son of the Reverend Engelbert Horley, Rector of Sefton, and Martha (nee Turner) of The Rectory, Brickwall Lane, Sefton.

He was educated at Charterhouse School where he was in Weekites House from January 1891 to December 1892. He matriculated for Worcester College, Oxford in 1894 where he achieved a BA in 1899.

He was ordained as a Deacon at Norwich in 1899 and served as Curate of St Mark’s Church, Lakenham, Norwich from May 1899 to 1901. He was an assistant master at the King's School Canterbury from 1903 to 1904.

He enlisted as Private 2580 in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps at 10, Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn on the 4th of January 1915. At a medical examination, which took place on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet seven and a half inches tall. He was sent for training at Berkhamsted from where he applied for a commission in the 23rd Battalion Manchester Regiment on the 10th of April 1915. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 23rd (Service) Battalion, Manchester Regiment (8th City) on the 22nd of May 1915. He later transferred to the 16th (Service) Battalion (1st City) of his regiment and went to France.

On the 3rd of May 1916, he and fourteen other ranks of the battalion attended a bombing course at the Grenade School at Chipilly.

On the 1st of July 1916, the opening day of the British offensive on the Somme, the 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment was tasked with the capture of the enemy trench system known as Montauban Alley, a position which was some two hundred yards in front of the village of the same name on the right flank of the British attack. They were to pass through 21st Brigade who were to assault the enemy front line at 7.30am when the attack was to begin. Soon after the attack began, 21st Brigade’s had taken their objectives and the Manchester Pals began their advance at 8.30am. They advanced some 3,000 yards over the shattered ground before they crossed the old British front line and headed toward Montauban. They were held up at one point while they waited for the supporting artillery barrage to move forward, from where they swept into and then through the village towards their objective of Montauban Alley. They captured the enemy trenches there after which A, B and C Companies began consolidating the position. Battalion Headquarters was established in the village and contact was made with the 17th Battalion, Manchester Regiment on the right but their left flank was still exposed as part of the attack by 18th Division had stalled. Elements from the battalion then moved forward once more where they attacked and captured three enemy gun pits and their guns, the first enemy artillery pieces captured during the Somme campaign. At noon the German artillery began shelling the captured trenches; later in the day contact was made with 18th Division. At 9pm, a German counterattack began, which was driven back after a forty five minute fight. They attacked again at 3am the following morning when only one hundred and fifty Manchester men were defending the trench. The enemy managed to enter the trench but were driven out with a combination of accurate rifle and Lewis gun fire. The battalion was relieved by the 2nd Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment at 2.30pm. Casualties for the attack were two officers killed with thirteen wounded or missing and three hundred and sixty five other ranks killed wounded or missing. Engelbert Horley had been badly wounded in the shoulder and back during the attack and was evacuated to the rear.

The Reverend Keith, of Sprowston Vicarage, Norwich, received the following telegram dated the 6th of July 1916: "Regret to inform you that 2nd Lieut. E.L.R. Horley 16th Manchester Regt. was admitted 2nd July 16 to 1 Red Cross Hospital Le Touquet with severe gunshot wound in back. Kindly notify casualties War Office full name address and relationship this office next kin."

He was evacuated from Calais on board either the Hospital Ship "Amsterdam" or the Hospital Ship "City of Antwerp" on the 6th of July 1916 and he landed at Dover later the same day.

A Medical Board was convened at Caxton Hall, London on the 10th of July 1916 to report on his case: "The Board finds that he received bullet wounds in the back: 1) Entering the lower angle of the R. scapula and emerging to the right of the sixth dorsal spine - suppurating. 2) Another small wound to the left of the sixth dorsal spine is being X rayed to determine whether there is any foreign body present. No exit wound."

A further Medical Board sat at the Military Hospital, Woking on the 13th of September 1916 to report on his progress: "The health of this officer is still below par. He states he's feeling far from well and has recently had influenza. He looks seedy. The wounds of back have healed but the scars are red and tender and there is stiffness and pains in vicinity in stooping or such movement."

A Medical Board which sat at the Military Hospital, Norwich on the 16th of October 1916 reported: "The wound now completely healed. There is some stiffness in stooping and tenderness on pressure over the site of the wound - Home service."

He was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion of his regiment on the 29th of October and joined them at Cleethorpes on the 7th of November 1916.

A Medical Board which sat at the Military Hospital, Grimsby on the 14th of February 1917 reported that he had: "Fully recovered - fit for general service."

He was posted to the 2nd Battalion of his regiment and arrived at Etaples on the 27th of April 1917. He joined his battalion in the field on the 30th of April 1917, where it was undergoing a period of training at Quivieres. On the 25th of July 1917, he was admitted to 90 Field Ambulance suffering from impetigo and was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station on the same day. he was transferred to No. 25 General Hospital at Hardelot on the 26th of July 1917.

His mother received the following telegram dated the 27th of July 1917: "2nd Lieut. E.L.R. Horley Manchester Regt. reported July twenty seventh admitted twenty fifth General Hospital, Hardelot with slight impetigo. Further reports when received."

He recovered and was released from hospital on the 15th of August 1917 and returned to Etaples on the 17th of August before he re-joined his battalion in the field at La Panne on the 19th of August 1917. On the evening of the 1st of September 1917 the 2nd Battalion Manchester Regiment relieved the 5/6th Battalion Royal Scots on the right of the line in the Lombartzyde sector near Nieuport in Belgium. The relief was completed by 11.30pm that night. During an otherwise uneventful tour of the front line Engelbert Horley and one other rank were killed by shellfire on the 4th of September 1917. The battalion was relieved by the 5/6th battalion Royal Scots at midnight the following day.

His mother received the following telegram dated the 8th of September 1917: "Deeply regret to inform you that 2nd Lieut. E.L.R. Horley Manchester Regt. was killed in action September fourth. The Army Council express their sympathy."

His sister applied for his medals on the 19th of November 1919.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at Charterhouse School and on the memorial at Worcester College, Oxford. He is not currently commemorated on the memorial at the King's School Canterbury.
 

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