Gerald Spring-Rice

Gerald Spring-Rice
A soldier of the 11th Battalion Border Regiment Remembered with Honour
Rank	Lieutenant (Transport Officer)
Number	N/A
Company
Attached §
Transferred ¥
Former unit ‡
Enlisted
Resident
Born
Died	26 May 1916
Where died
How died	Killed in action (spent bullet)
Age	52
Casualty type	Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial	Grave
Reference no.	C.9.
Resting place	Authuile Military Cemetery

Source
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Definitions

All place names from SDGW are listed within their historical counties at the time of the war and may not represent present-day county and metropolitan boundaries. § A soldier's temporary attachment to and/or from other units (inc. battalions of the Border Regiment). ¥ A soldier's permanent transfer to and/or from other units (inc. battalions of the Border Regiment). ‡ A soldier's previous military unit/s before serving in the Lonsdale Battalion (inc. other battalions of the Border Regiment).

Notes
Son of T. C. and Elizabeth Spring-Rice, of Mount Trenchard, Foynes; husband of Mary Isabella Spring-Rice (nee Bush), of Gatesgarth, Penrith, Cumberland

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS SOLDIER? If so, we would like to ask for your help. This is a dedicated remembrance page for Gerald Spring-Rice. Please consider helping the Lonsdale Roll of Honour and Border Regiment Rolls of Honour projects by contacting us with any useful information and/or donating digital images, thank you.

Quotes

“Before he joined he had done splendid work as Secretary of the Executive Committee, and from the time of his appointment as Transport Officer until the day of his death he devoted his entire energies to the welfare of the Battalion, in the formation of which he had such an important share.”

—P.W. Machell, 26th May 1916, Record of the XIth (Service) Battalion (Lonsdale) - In France.

In the press

Fallen Officers – The Times List of Casualties

We have received news of the death of the following officer, in addition to those whose names have been published in the official lists:- Lieutenant Gerald Spring-Rice, Border Regiment, was killed on May 27, in his 52nd year. He was the third son of the Hon. C.W.T. Spring-Rice, and brother of Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, British Ambassador in Washington, and cousin of Lord Monteagle.

He joined the Border Regiment last year as a transport officer after a period of valuable service as Director for Cumberland of the Voluntary Aid Detachments. He married in 1905, Mary Isabella, younger daughter of Mr. John Bush, of Beauthorn, Penrith. Mrs. Spring-Rice, who, with two sons, survives him, is nursing in Penrith Military Hospital.

Interestingly, "I vow to thee my country" was written by Sir Cecil Spring-Rice, supposedly with Gerald in mind.

—The Times, Wednesday, 31 May, 1916.