GIBBS Gilbert Fincher

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

Gilbert Gibbs was born in Worcester in 1891, the son of Harry James and Fanny Gibbs (nee Stokes) who married in 1882. In 1891 the couple lived at Clevedon House, Lansdowne Road, Worcester with their two young sons, Frederick aged 6 and Harry aged 4. Fanny’s mother Anne was also resident in the house. By 1901 Frederick was living with an aunt in Aston Birmingham and working as an insurance clerk. His brothers Harry, Gilbert and Archibald resided with their parents and grandmother Anne Stokes at Clevedon House, Worcester. Gilbert attended Worcester Royal Grammar School from 1902 to 1908. Gilbert’s father was an insurance broker and after leaving school he joined his father working as a clerk in an insurance office. The 1911 census records Harry, Fanny and their two youngest sons, Gilbert and Archibald, living at 145 Lansdowne Road, Worcester.

Gilbert enlisted as a Corporal in the Royal Fusiliers in 1915, entering the theatre of war on 14th November 1915. He rose to the rank of Lance Sergeant before gaining a commission as a Second Lieutenant with the Somerset Light Infantry on 6th July 1916. Gilbert was killed in action on 28th April 1917 during the battle of Arras, just 3 days after his younger brother Archibald.

Gilbert’s death was reported in the Worcester Daily Times 9th May 1917, Worcester Herald 12th May 1917 and Worcester Herald 19th May 1917:
Son of Harry James and Fanny Gibbs, 26 Sunnyside, Worcester. Deceased was aged 28 and educated at Worcester Royal Grammar School. He passed the London Matriculation in January 1908 and he was with his father in the Norwich Union office for a year and then engaged in the office of the Royal Exchange Assurance, Birmingham. He quickly rose to the position of cashier and accountant. He left in 1913 with expressions of goodwill of the manager and staff to take up at Derby an appointment as inspector with Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society for the counties of Derby and Salop. When war broke out he immediately offered to enlist but was rejected for a slight defect, which was afterwards treated and cured. In September 1914 he joined the Public Schools’ Corps and left Derby with a contingent of 150, meeting the Worcester contingent, and his brother at Hyde Park. He remained with his regiment (Royal Fusiliers) and rose to the rank of Sergeant. He spent the Winter of 1915-16 with them in France and then in March 1916 transferred to Oxford and was given a commission. He was gazetted in July 1916 to the Worcestershires, but in October transferred to the Somerset Light Infantry and joined them in France where he remained until his death, while Acting Temporary Adjutant.

The following information was taken from the Aviva plc. website Heritage pages:
Gilbert Fincher Gibbs, worked at the Manchester Office of the Norwich Union Fire Assurance Society Ltd, 2nd Lieutenant, Worcester Regiment (Somerset Light Infantry) 8th Battalion, died 28 April 1917, aged 25. Resident inspector for counties of Derby and Salop from 1913. Died at Battle of Arras. Manager wrote that he was a “promising young fellow, and gave me every satisfaction whilst in the service of the society”. Brother, E A Gibbs, died too aged 22.
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A photograph of Second Lieutenant G.F. Gibbs can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 19th May 1917, available at Worcestershire Archives.

The following information has been researched by Geoff Hill:
1911 Census
145 Lansdown Road, Worcester
Gilbert Frederick Gibbs, aged 19, clerk in insurance office
At the same address: Harry James Gibbs (father), insurance broker, mother and 1 brother.

As a component of the 37th Division, the 8th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry participated in the first three phases of the Battle of Arras in 1917. The battle, also known as the Second Battle of Arras, was a British offensive on the Western Front during World War I. From the 9th April to 16th May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the Western Front. There were big gains on the first day, followed by stalemate. The battle cost nearly 160,000 British and about 125,000 German casualties.

Gilbert Gibbs has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on Arras Memorial.