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Lieutenant Stephen Eastaugh GIRLING
9th (Service) Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry attached to the 1st Battalion Date of birth: 28th November 1895 Date of death: 29th September 1918 Killed in action aged 22 Buried at Fifteen Ravine British Cemetery at Villers-Plouich Plot IV Row J Grave 15
Stephen Eastaugh Girling was born at "Dunningworth", Grove Road, South Woodford in Essex on the 28th of November 1895 the younger son of Richard Alfred Girling, a wine merchant, and Rosa Helen (nee Eastaugh) Girling of 12 Preston Park Avenue, Brighton. He was educated at Marlborough House School at Hove and at Lancing College where he was in Olds House from September 1909, in News House from September 1910 and in Fields House from September 1912 until July 1914. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps for five years, achieving Certificate A, attending five annual camps and rising to the rank of Sergeant. He was a member of the Shooting VIII from 1912 to 1914 being Captain in 1914. He won the Individual Cup in June 1914. He achieved his School Certificate in 1912 and his Higher Certificate in 1913 and 1914. He was appointed as a House Captain in September 1913 and was awarded his House Colours for Running. He matriculated for University College London, in the Second Division on the 15th of February 1913. Following the outbreak of war he applied unsuccessfully for a commission in August 1914 before enlisting at Dukes Road, Euston Road as Private 2002 in the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) on the 1st of September 1914. At a medical examination, which was held at Dukes Road on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet ten and a half inches tall. He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal and volunteered for overseas service on the 16th of October 1914. He applied for a commission once again on the 14th of October 1914 in an application which was supported by the Reverend Bowlby, Headmaster of Lancing College and by Captain Alan Haig-Brown, Officer Commanding the Lancing College Contingent of the Officer Training Corps. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th (Reserve) Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry on the 5th of November 1914. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 7th of October 1915, attached to the 7th (Service) Battalion of his regiment and embarked for France in May 1916 where he joined his battalion in the field at Camp C, near Ypres on the 28th of May. He was attached to C Company. At 5am on the 15th of September 1916 the 7th Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry moved forward to Waterlot Farm on the Somme, where they dug in, in preparation for an attack the following day. At 1.30am on the morning of the 16th of September the battalion received orders that they were to co-operate in an attack by 3rd Guards Brigade on the enemy held village of Lesboeufs. The weather during the night was cold and wet and the men had no greatcoats with which to protect themselves from the cold and the rain. The battalion was to be on the left of the attack and at 4.30am they arrived at their jumping off point and dug in. The weather had now cleared and the enemy spotted the Cornishmen in their new positions and opened a very heavy fire with machine guns, wounding a large number of the men as they waited to make the attack. Stephen Girling was among the wounded and was evacuated to the rear. His father received the following telegram dated the 20th of September 1916: - "Regret to inform you 2/Lt. S.E. Girling DCLI admitted 2 Stationary Hospital Abbeville 18th September with gunshot wound back. Condition satisfactory. Will report any further news." He was evacuated from Le Havre on board HMHS "Lanfranc" on the 23rd of September 1916, landing at Southampton the following day A Medical Board was convened in Sussex to report on his case: - "The Board finds that at the place and the date specified (Ginchy 16th of September 1916) he received a G.S.W. Right arm entry 3" above olecranon in line of ulunar nerve. The bullet fractured the ulunar and lodged, being removed by operation during October 1916 at No. 3 Southern General Hosp, Oxford. Operation wound healed and uluna united in good fusion. On 9.1.17 he was admitted to No. 2 Eastern General Hospital with symptoms of ulunar paralysis. His M.O. Major T.H. Friends cut down that nerve 10.1.17, joined it severed and united ends with silk. This operation wound is also healed. Sensory and motor ulunar paralysis persists. The other wounds summarised by his first medical board as all slight, healed and cause no disability." He wrote of his injuries in a letter in which he enquired as to whether he was entitled to a wound gratuity dated the 29th of January 1917: - "Sir, I was wounded on September 16th last and received the following injuries: - slight wound at the back of the head; slight wound in upper right arm; three wounds in the back, one of which fractured the left scapula; right arm fractured by a piece of metal which entered above the elbow. On September 30th an incision was made in left excilla and the metal which fractured the scapula was removed. On Oct 24th an incision was made in the right forearm and the metal which fractured the ulna was removed. As a result of the last of the above named wounds, the ulna nerve was damaged and I am not yet able to use the 3rd and 4th fingers of the right hand. These fingers and the side of my hand have no feeling in them. On Jan 10th an incision was made above the right elbow and the ulna nerve was repaired. I am now attending hospital for massage. At my first board I was granted 3 months leave of absence and today I have been granted 6 weeks more. I should be glad to know whether I'm entitled to a wound gratuity. I have the honour to be your obedient servant" S Girling, Lt, 7th D.C.L.I. A Medical board which sat at the 2nd Eastern General Hospital on the 17th of April 1917 passed him as being fit for light duty. He transferred to the 1st Battalion of his regiment on the 18th of June 1917. A Medical Board which sat at Fovant Military Hospital on the 16th of August 1917 passed him as fit for general service. He acted as Musketry Officer to various battalions before returning to France where he joined a Reception Camp on the 28th of August 1918 and joined the battalion in the field, where they were in Brigade Reserve, on the 2nd of September. At 12.30am on the 28th of September 1918 the 1st Battalion Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry received orders for an attack the following day. They were to be in support of a battalion of the Devonshire Regiment and one from the East Surrey Regiment, Their objective was the village of Beaucamp and the trench line running diagonally behind the village known as "Lincoln Reserve". The lead battalions secured their objectives after some stiff resistance and the Cornwalls moved forward at 5pm to positions in front of Beaucamp. At 9pm they were ordered to pass through the East Surreys for an attack the following morning. They moved out of their assembly positions in Surrey Road, to the east of Villers Plouich, at 1.30am and had only just arrived at their jumping off trench when the barrage began and they had to move straight off for the attack. Their immediate objective was "Newport Trench" on the La Vacquerie Road but they were unable to keep pace with the lifting barrage because the ground was so cut up. As a result the enemy machine gunners were able to recover and bring heavy fire on the advancing Cornwalls. Despite this they took their objective and at 12.30pm they pushed forward and captured their next objective of "Prentice Trench". They then pushed two companies forward to Villers Plouich, making contact with the New Zealanders on their flank and consolidating their gains on the new line. They had suffered casualties of 2 officers killed with two wounded and around 75 other ranks but had taken 100 German prisoners and captured 30 machine guns. Stephen Girling and 2nd Lieutenant Alfred John Collins were the two officers killed. His father received the following telegram dated the 9th of October 1918: - "Deeply regret Lt. S.E. Girling DCLI killed in action Sept twenty ninth. Army Council express sympathy." His commanding officer wrote:- “Although I had only known him personally since August last, I knew of him and his worth long before, as I followed him in his old company in our battalion, where his reputation was just as it was here. A fine gentleman and a very clever soldier, and I could easily see how popular and well liked he was by all the men.” In 1919 his father presented the school with a Bisley Match 0.22 target rifle which had a silver plate on the butt with the words "Stephen E. Girling OL DCLI 1909-1914" engraved on it. It was to be called The Girling Rifle and was to be presented to the winner of the Individual Shooting Cup each year in his son's memory. His father applied for his medals in February 1922. He is commemorated on the Marlborough House war memorial at All Saints Church, Hove.

Fields House