Cheltonian Victoria Cross Recipients

Paving stones are to be installed to mark the 100th anniversaries of Cheltenham’s First World War Victoria Cross heroes. Three men from the borough who received the award will have commemorative stones placed at the war memorial outside the Municipal Offices.

A service to and commemorative stone laying for Cheltenham Victoria Cross recipient Lt Col Richard Annesley West to mark the 100th anniversary of the action for which the VC was awarded will be held at Cheltenham War Memorial on 2nd September. For further details please revisit our events calendar later in the year.

The stones have been provided to local authorities by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which last year ran a competition for the design of the stones. Across the country, each First World War VC recipient will have a stone, commemorating their efforts made one hundred years ago.

You can read more about the three Cheltonian Victoria Cross recipients by clicking the links below:

Captain Arthur Forbes Gordon Kilby of the South Staffordshire Regiment who died 25 September 1915.
Born at East Hayes, Pittville Circus Road, Cheltenham in 1885. Commissioned into the South Staffordshire Regiment after graduating from the Royal Military College Sandhurst. Capt Kilby was killed in action during the first day of The Battle of Loos on and awarded posthumous VC. His body was eventually found on 19th February 1929 and buried in the Arras Road Cemetery, Roclincourt, France. Captain Kilby was also awarded the Military Cross and was Mentioned in Despatches twice.

Captain Anketell Moutray Read of the Northamptonshire Regiment who died 25 September 1915
Born in Beaumont House, Shurdington Road, Cheltenham and educated at Glyngarth School Douro Road, Cheltenham, Capt Read was commissioned into the Gloucestershire Regiment in 1903 and served for some time in the Royal Flying Corps. He was killed in action at Loos whilst serving in the Northamptonshire Regiment and awarded a posthumous VC. He is buried in Dud Corner Cemetery, Loos, France.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Annesley West of the North Irish Horse Regiment who died 21 August 1918.
Born in Oxford Street. After service as a trooper with the Imperial Yeomanry during the Boer War he remained in South Africa until 1914 when he returned home and was commissioned into the North Irish Horse. Killed in action at Courcelles, France on whilst commanding the 6th Battalion of the Tank Corps.

You can read more about other local VC recipients at http://www.remembering.org.uk/victoria_crosses.htm


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3 responses to “Cheltonian Victoria Cross Recipients”

  1. Paul McGowan avatar
    Paul McGowan

    Interested as to why you’ve selected these 3 out of the broader group of Cheltenham’s awarded the VC in WWI.

    Just wanted to make sure you knew about the others. Presumably they are having stones laid elsewhere?

    1. cheltenhamremembers avatar
      cheltenhamremembers

      Dear Paul,

      Many thanks for your comment and for visiting our website. Yes, the intention will be to add more stories to the website over the next few years. Did you have any information you wanted to share with us or a connection to one of the VC recipients? We’d be pleased to hear from you.

      In the interim I will add a temporary link to the website http://www.remembering.org.uk/victoria_crosses.htm which provides details of other VC recipients connected to the area.

      I will pass your inquiry about commemorative paving stones to the team who are arranging this activity.

      Best Wishes from the Cheltenham Remembers team

    2. cheltenhamremembers avatar
      cheltenhamremembers

      Dear Paul,

      Having spoken to the team who have lead on this project I can confirm that in August 2013, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced a campaign to honour Victoria Cross recipients from the First World War. As part of this, commemorative paving stones will be laid in the birth place of Victoria Cross recipients. The recipient of the VC must have been born in Cheltenham and died during WW1 to receive a commemorative paving stone in Cheltenham.

      We will also be please to receive information about other VCs with a link to Cheltenham which we will add to the growing archive of material on the Cheltenham Remembers website.

      Best wishes from the Cheltenham Remembers team.

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