HEMMING Francis William

Francis Hemming attended Worcester Royal Grammar School from 1899 to 1906. During this time he was secretary of the school debating society, involved with drama productions and appears in photos of the 1st XI cricket team as umpire.  He was Head Boy prior to leaving the school, attaining a Maths Scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford. He passed his Finals for the Law Society in 1912 and joined the Worcestershire Territorials in the same year, where he trained as a signals specialist.

He arrived in France with his unit on 1st April 1915.  In April 1917 the battalion were near Epehy, France and plans had been made to capture a key position on a spur, Gillemont Farm, which overlooked the defensive Hindenburg Line.  In the early hours of the morning of 24th April 1917, the attacking companies moved forward to the line and at 03.45, under heavy fire, the attack commenced.  After successfully storming the farm, the men began to dig in whilst being under heavy bombardment from the enemy, suffering many casualties.  At 08.30 the Germans launched a counter attack and with little hope of holding the position, the order to retreat was given.  The surviving men, under incessant shell-fire, fought their way back to their original positions.  They had suffered heavy losses, including 7 officers killed, one of whom was Captain Francis Hemming.  He had been wounded twice before eventually being shot in the head.

In 1918 a very moving ceremony was held in Perrins Hall at the school when his father presented a cup dedicated to the memory of his son that was to be awarded annually to the most deserving cadet in the Officer Training Corp within the school.  The cup continues to be awarded to this day at the annual Speech Day.

Source for additional information: In Dedication to a Future World by Mark Rogers, 1999.

The following report appears in the Bromsgrove Weekly Messenger, 5th May 1917:
Francis William Hemming was the son of Mr F.J. Hemming, solicitor of Worcester.  He was killed in action on 24th April whilst gallantly leading his company in an attack on a farm that was strongly held.  During the early stages he was slightly wounded in the shoulder by a bomb, but carried on before being shot in the head and killed instantly. Aged 29 he was educated at Worcester Royal Grammar School and won a scholarship to Jesus College, Oxford where he studied for the legal profession.  Francis was an officer in the Territorial Force in 1912 and went abroad two years ago last Easter.  Some time ago he was gassed. Made a Temporary Captain in June 1915.

A photograph of Captain F.W. Hemming can be found in Berrow’s Worcester Journal Supplement, Saturday 5th May 1917, available at Worcestershire Archives.