CURTLER Frederick Gwatkin Oldham

Attended Rugby School.

Appears in the Worcester/Worcestershire Roll of Honour Book for army casualties located in Worcester Cathedral.

At dawn on 21st October 1914 the 2nd Worcestershire moved forward from the Pilckem ridge to the cross-roads of St Julien.  After a long delay the advance continued but enemy firing caused many casualties and checked the advance.  Fighting lasted all day with both sides endeavouring to gain ground.  Lieutenant Curtler, a very brave young officer, was shot dead while directing the fire of his platoon during the battle around Langemarck.  He was mentioned in despatches in the Gazette on 17th February 1915.

Source for additional information: The Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War by Captain H. FitzM. Stacke of the Regiment, 1928.

Worcester Herald, Saturday 31st October 1914:
Death of Lieut. Curtler
We regret to state that Mr and Mrs F.L. Curtler, of Bevere House, North Claines, have received an official telegram notifying them of the death of their son, Lieut. F.G.O. Curtler, in action on Oct. 21st.

Lieut. Curtler who was very well known and popular in Worcester, was previous to the war an officer in the Worcestershire 5th Battalion Special reserve.  When war was declared he was transferred to the 3rd Battalion, and was sent to the front.  His death adds another name to the already long honours list of Worcester officers.  The deceased was only 21 years of age.  He was a second cousin of Mr W.T. Curtler, the Worcester solicitor.

Berrow’s Worcester Journal, 31st October 1914:
LIEUT. F. G. O. CURTLER
News has been received at Bevere that Lieut. Frederick Gwatkin Oldham (Freddie) Curtler has been killed in action.  He was 21 years of age, and the son of Mr F. L. Curtler, of Bevere.  He was educated at Rugby.  He joined the 5th Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment in December last, and went out to the front with the 2nd Battalion.  His cousin, Lieut. W. L. Curtler, is with the 8th Worcestershire Hunt.

The following information has been researched by Geoff Hill:
Frederick Curtler attended Rugby School.

1911 Census
Bevere House, Claines
Frederick G O Curtler, 17 – school boy
At the same address: Frederick L. (father), of private means: mother, 3 sisters and 7 servants.

Frederick Curtler was a regular Army Officer in the Worcestershire Regiment (commissioned in the 5th Battalion in April 1912 and subsequently attached to the 2nd Battalion). He was among the first troops to embark for France at the start of the First World War. The 2nd Battalion landed at Boulogne-Sur-Mer on 13th August 1914 as part of the 5th Brigade in the 2nd Division.

The First Battle of Ypres (19th October – 22nd November 1914) was fought in West Flanders, Belgium. There were several actions which made up the battle, each one credited with its own name and included those involving the French and Belgian armies and the British Expeditionary Force fighting against the Germans from Arras in France to Nieuport on the Belgian coast. The 21st October 1914 was the opening day of the Battle of Langemark, fought to the north-east of Ypres.

Frederick Curtler has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on the Ypres Menin Gate Memorial.