Military History

Lord Guernsey is listed as being killed in action at Soupir at about 5pm on 14 September 1914. It appears from the diary of Captain John Trefusis, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards that he was killed by sniper as the diary notes ..."one of two German were sniping at us and one of men was wounded this morning. I found all in the best of spirits and delighted to see us, in spite of the fact that Guernsey, Arthur Hay and Bernes had all been killed on Monday. The first two by Germans up trees. They did not live long afterwards I am glad to say".

The 1st Battalion war diary supports this account and is transcribed below, and, for the first time during my 12 years of research, details the deaths of two Lords of the Realm in the same moment.

Sept 14^th – 6am to 10am: The Battalion left its bivouac at 6am, crossed the pontoon bridge at Pont Darcy by 10am and advanced to Soupir. The order of march was advanced guard 2^nd Grenadiers, Head of Main body 3^rd Coldstream, then Irish Guards then 2^nd Coldstream. The advanced guard was directed on the ridge Point 197 and marched through the village of Soupir. The column was shelled and the Bn took shelter under the wall of the Chateau.

The 3^rd Coldstream were ordered to attack the ridge about Soupir le Cour farm. Irish Guards were ordered to support 3^rd Coldstream and advanced through the village up a muddy lane to a point 200 yards North of Soupir village. The platoons of No 4 Coy were sent to escort the guns and subsequently the remainer of this company was ordered to the left flank by the Brigade Major.

One platoon of No 3 Coy under 2/Lt H.W. Gough was pushed forward up the lane in extended order to reconnoitre and get touch with 3^rd Coldstream. Remained of Coy extended with their centre on this lane. No 2 Coy prolonged the line on the right of No 3, No 1 was in support. The advance was made up a thickly wooded valley.

2pm: The CO met Major Matheson Commanding 3^rd Coldstream who explained the situation and informed him that his Battalion attacking Soupir Farm was being outflanked from a ridge on his right i.e. Point 197 and that the best way to support him was to attack this ridge.

Nos 1, 2 and 3 Coys were now directed on this objective and advanced up the hill to within 200 yards of the northern edge of the wood. Here it was that Capt Guthrie was wounded and Captain Berners killed. These companies were checked by rifle fire which came down the sides in the wood and from trenches placed about 100 yards from the edge of the wood in a grass field.

2.30pm: Lt Watson R.A.M.C was wounded at this moment, shot while attended a wounded man by a party of the enemy at very close quarters. Lt J.S. Fitzgerald with No 8 Platoon and a party of Coldstream under Lt Cotterell Dormer seeing a party of about 150 Germans sitting round some haystacks waving white flags, rushed out of the wood to take their prisoners but were met with a heavy fire from these Germans at about 30 yards range and were forced to retire.

Lt Greer now brought up his machine guns to bring fire on some of the enemy in a turnip field, but was heavily fired at from his left flank, having all of the gun team wounded or killed and temporarily using one gun. He reorganised the other gun team and called for 2 volunteers out of the company near him to get the last gun. Corporal Sheridan and Pte Carney of No 3 Coy and Private Harrington of No 1 Coy, a machine gunner, volunteered and with Lt. Greer went back and got the gun. The CO came up at this moment and learning the situation ordered a further advance to the edge of the wood.

No 2 Coy were on the right and ordered to swing round slightly to the left in advance of the remainder in order to clear out the snipers in the corner of the wood.

5pm: At this moment Captain Lord Guernsey, who was Acting Quartermaster, came up and reported himself to the CO who posted him to No 2 Coy in place of Captain Guthrie who had been wounded. He went up to his Company to assist Captain Lord Arthur Hay and they were both immediately shot dead.

It was now getting on for dark and so no further advance was made and the Battalion was bivouacked in battle outpost formation in the wood.