Rank: Second Lieutenant Regiment: 3rd Bn. Attd 1st Bn., North Staffordshire Regiment Died: 29/10/1914 Age: 19y Parish: Budleigh Salterton Local Memorials: Budleigh Salterton War Memorial, St Peter's Burial Ground, St Peter's Church War Memorial, Budleigh Salterton Roll of Honour Other Memorial: Ration Farm Military Cemetery, La Chapelle-D'armentieres; St Peter's Church, Hixon, Staffordshire; Berkswich War Memorial, Stafforshire; Dover War Memorial [Google] PDF Download: HUGHES Lionel Holford
Lionel Holford Hughes was born at Wychdon Lodge near Stafford on 25 July 1895, the only son of Allen Edward Hughes, an earthenware manufacturer, and Evelyn Emma (nee Plant) Hughes of Wychdon Lodge, Weston in Staffordshire and of "Cintra", Budleigh Salterton in Devon.
He was educated at St Ronan’s School in Worthing and at Lancing College and at the latter was a Cadet Officer in the Officer Training Corps. While still at Lancing he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, Special Reserve of Officers on 26 April 1913.
He was transferred to the 1st Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment as of 6 March 1914 and spent some time training in Ireland. Following the outbreak of war he landed in France on 21 September 1914, leading the first draft of 100 replacements for the 1st Battalion. On completion of this task he did not return to England, instead he spent the next month at a base before joining his battalion in the field on 27 October while they were in billets at Fleurbaix.
The following day the battalion relieved the 1st Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment in trenches at Rue du Bois and spent the day attempting to remove the large number of German bodies which had built up in front of the trench. On the 29th Lionel Hughes was killed by a stray shell.
His Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Vigant William de Falbe DSO wrote: “He was killed today by a shell in the trenches near Rue du Bois, a small village two miles south of Armentieres. He was killed instantaneously, and is buried on the west side of the Armentieres-Wavrin Railway, and 300 yards north west of the level crossing at Rue du Bois. The grave is marked with a cross inscribed with his name and regiment.”
He is commemorated on the war memorial at St Peter's Church, Hixon in Staffordshire, on the war memorial at Berkswich in North Staffordshire and on the Dover war memorial. (Information courtesy of Lancing College). Lionel H. Hughes, 2nd Lieut 1st North Satffords is listed under 'Died in their Country's Service' in the Budleigh Salterton Roll of Honour.
Lionel’s father died in 1916 and is buried in St Peter’s Cemetery, Moor Lane, Budleigh Salterton, and there is a gravestone naming all the family along with a tribute to Lionel.
His widowed mother and two sisters went to live in Kingswood, Surrey where they all died, but Evelyn Emma is buried with her husband. In addition he is remembered on the War Memorial and the brass plaque in St Peter’s Church, and at the Ration Farm Military Cemetery at La Chapelle-D’armentiers in France.
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