Military History

Theatre of War	Medals	Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders	Victoria Cross, Military Cross, 1914 Star & Clasp	Arras Road Cemetery & Loos Memorial
Arrived in Theatre	Other Medals	SWFHS Area Memorials
21 Aug 1914	Mentioned in Despatches (2), British War & Victory Medals	Lillington  |  Leamington Spa  |  Bilton Grange School
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed	Date and Place Enlisted	Other War Memorials
Battle of Loos	Commissioned in 1910	Winchester College
		York Minster St Nicholas Chapel
Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units	Whittington Barracks Chapel, Lichfield
La Bassee Canal, Cuinchy	~

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Victoria Cross Citation

For most conspicuous bravery. Captain Kilby was specially selected, at his own request, and on account of the gallantry which he had previously displayed on many occasions, to attack with his company a strong enemy redoubt. The company charged along the narrow tow-path, headed by Captain Kilby, who, though wounded at the outset, continued to lead his men right up to the enemy wire under a devastating machine-gun fire and a shower of bombs. Here he was shot down, but, although his foot had been blown off, he continued to cheer on his men and to use a rifle. Captain Kilby has been missing since the date of the performance of this great act of valour, and his death has now to be presumed. Lord Ashcroft Medal Collection

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Military Service Details

• 1903 - Cadet at Sandhurst
• Aug 1905 - Gazetted as 2nd Lt
• Oct 1907 - Gazetted to Lt
• Apr 1910 - Gazetted to Capt
• Nov 1914 - Wounded in action and invalided home
• Nov 1914 - Awared Military Cross
• May 1915 - Rejoined Battalion in France

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Circumstances Leading to Death and the Award of the Victoria Cross 

At 6.30am on 25 September 1915, after a four-day preliminary bombardment, the British launched the Battle of Loos, a major offensive north of Lens to support the planned French advance south of the city. At this point, the front ran roughly due south from the Canal d’Aire, which linked Béthune in the west with La Bassée to the east. It passed east of Vermelles and Grenay but west of Loos. However, the Germans had a secondary defensive line a mile or so further east, which ran just west of La Bassée, then south in front of Haisnes and Hulluch until it reached Cité St Auguste, where it curved west round the base of Hill 70 to defend Cité St Laurent and Lens itself. The British used chlorine gas in the attack but in the centre of the line, east of Vermelles, adverse wind conditions carried the gas back over British positions.

The 2nd Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment, 6th Brigade, was at Cuinchy, on the south bank of the Canal d’Aire. At Zero Hour on the 25th, Captain A F G Kilby at his own request led C Company west along the towpath in an unsuccessful attempt to capture Embankment Redoubt, which he had reconnoitred earlier in the month. Just over a mile and half to the south 2nd Battalion The Royal Warwickshire Regiment was in the line between Vermelles and the mining village of Cité St Elie, north of Hulluch. When the attack was launched the Warwickshires soon discovered that, despite the four-day bombardment, the Germans’ defensive wire remained intact. One of their men Private A Vickers helped cut the wire which enabled the Battalion to advance and capture the German front line before being halted at 9.30am on reaching the German second line at Cité St Elie. The 2nd Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps and 1st Battalion The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment were south of the Vermelles to Hulluch road. They also had to deal with uncut wire and were badly affected by chlorine gas, blowing back over British lines.

By 8am they had been forced to retire to reorganize and it was then that Private H E Kenny rescued a number of wounded men from exposed positions in the field. At the same time Private G S Peachment made a brave attempt to rescue his wounded company commander, Captain G R Dubs, whose orderly he was, but was killed in the attempt. 1st Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment, and 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment, who were to the rear of them near Le Rutoire, then took part in a second assault, which also failed because of the uncut wire. It was during this phase of the battle that Sergeant H Wells distinguished himself and was killed, while Captain A M Read managed to rally several groups of disorganised troops before being shot. To their south and south of the Vermelles to Loos road was 7th Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers. British gas was a problem here too but Piper D L Laidlaw mounted the parapet of the trench and piped the Battalion across no man’s land, until he was disabled by his wounds. The Borderers broke through the German front line and swept round north of Loos. To their south, British troops including the Black Watch and the Seaforth Highlanders, followed by the 10th Gordon Highlanders, had captured Loos and it began to look as if Lens might fall to the British. One of the obstacles that stood in their way was Hill 70. This was, in fact a low ridge, on the road south from La Bassée to Lens. Atop it was a German redoubt which commanded the surrounding area.

British troops had managed to enter the redoubt but German machine-gun fire had forced them to withdraw. Royal Engineers had been sent to consolidate any positions taken by the British. Captain Cardew and No 3 Section RE reached Hill 70 at 9.30am. They dug in behind the ridge with a machine-gun but Cardew and Temporary Second Lieutenant F H Johnson then managed to get a party of Royal Engineers into the redoubt again only to be forced out once more. As Cardew had been wounded, Johnson led several further charges on the German redoubt. Despite Johnson’s gallant efforts, Hill 70 remained in German hands and two years’ later, in September 1917, it was the site of further fighting when it was taken by Canadian troops.   

The above courtesy of the VC and GC Association

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Attempts over several nights failed to locate his body, but he was in fact buried by the enemy, together with one of his subalterns and thirteen men. His Commanding Officer wrote to Kilby's father: 'A cross which the Germans have erected on the tow-path just below the embankment redoubt...... has a big wreath of flowers, which partly obscures the inscription, but I am afraid there can be no doubt that it is meant for your son and Williams, who was also missing. About a week ago the Germans erected a big cross between brick stacks and the Canal, inscribed: 'For King and Fatherland - Lieut. Kilby and Lieut. Hall, who died like heroes'. It is very gratifying to know that even our enemies recognise the superb heroism of that attack. If ever men died like heroes, they did'. The German regimental commander, whose position he had assaulted, also wrote in high appreciation of his valour. The grave was eventually lost and Kilby's body was not found again until February 1929. He was re-buried in the Arras Road Cemetery, Roclincourt.

The above courtesty of Winchester College Biograph