2nd Lieutenant Gerald Howard Eardley Wilmot
Machine Gun Corps
Died of Wounds
Date of Birth: 14 March 1890
Place of Birth: Lewisham, London
Date of Death: 10 March 1916
Buried: Corbie Communal Cemetery
Awarded the 1914-15 Star, The British War Medal and the Victory Medal
2nd Lieutenant Gerald Howard Eardley Wilmot, age 25.
Gerald was born on 14 March 1890 in Lewisham, the fifth and youngest son of Francis Eardley Wilmot, RN and Lucy Mary Emily Prynne.
He was educated at Lancing College, Sussex where he won an Exhibition.
On leaving school he was apprenticed to the Brush Works at Loughborough as an electrical engineering student and he worked for them until he moved to join the firm of Messrs. Brown, Bouverie and Co.
During this time he wrote a number of articles on technical matters in engineering publications.
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He applied for a commission in the army on 20 August 1914, had a medical examination at Exeter on 9 November and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment on 27 November 1914.
He landed in France on 1 October 1915, one of a draft of 300 officers and men sent out to replace the crippling losses the 9th Battalion had suffered at Loos the previous month. He joined his battalion in the field on 5 October while the battalion was in trenches at Cambrin.
The group waited at Le Preol until the battalion came out of the line when they were inspected by the Adjutant there on 9 October. On 15 December 1915 he attended the Divisional School, rejoining his battalion on 8 January 1916 and from the 16 to 28 January he went home to the UK on leave. He rejoined his battalion in the field on 30 January.
Machine Gun Corps
cap badge
The 20th Machine Gun Company of 20th Brigade was formed on 10 February 1916 and he transferred to the new unit on the same day. The 20th Machine Gun Company was in support of its Brigade in trenches opposite the village of Fricourt.
Gerald Eardley-Wilmot was struck on the left side of his chest by a rifle grenade and badly wounded at 3pm on 10 March 1916. He was evacuated to 5 Casualty Clearing Station at Corbie where he died of his wounds later that day. He was buried at Corbie Communal Cemetery.
His Company Commander wrote:-
"Just a line to send you my sincerest sympathy. I was very sorry to hear that your son had died from the wound he received. He joined the Company on the 10th of last month, and during the short time I knew him I formed a very high opinion of your son. He was a splendid officer, always cheerful, and was very popular in his Company."
The Eardley-Wilmots had moved to Winthorpe House, Shaldon. His death was reported in the Western Times of March 16th 1916.
Memorial painting by Reverend Hubert Valentine Eardley-Wilmot
