Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Charles Edward Ellwood, a Clergyman of the Church of England, born on the 20th October 1843 in Hargrave, Cheshire and baptised on the 19th November 1843 in St. Peter’s Church, Hargrave (son of William Ellwood, 1797-1875 and Elizabeth Cheers, 1805-1892) and his wife Mary Katherine Ellwood (nee Hopwood, married on the 11th September 1888 in St. Mary’s Church, Ketton, Rutland), born on the 22nd June 1861 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland (daughter of John Turner Hopwood, 1827 and Mary Augusta Henrietta Coventry, 1841. Geoffrey Thomas Lovick was born in the 10th January 1892 in Cottesmore, Rutland, his siblings were, William James Howard, born on the 22nd February1893, Michael Oliver Dundas, born on the 13th July 1894 and Aubrey Beauclark, born on the 3rd July 1897, all his siblings were born in Cottesmore, in March 1901 the family home was at The Rectory, Cottesmore.
In April 1911 Geoffrey was absent from the family home at The Rectory, Cottesmore, residing there was his father, a Clergyman of the established church, his mother and brother Charles John, a student, born on the 3rd June 1889 in Cottesmore.
FAMILY NOTES: Geoffrey also had another sibling, Hew Gilbert Coventry born in the October quarter of 1890 in Cottesmore.
Geoffrey’s Army service documents, if they survive can be found at the National Archives under the Record Series WO 339 and WO 374. All that is presently known, and available in the public domain, is that he was commissioned into the Leicestershire Regiment. He first entered the theatre of war on the 29th January 1915 with the 6th (Service) Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, and at the time that he was killed in action, in the field, on the 14th July 1916, had attained the rank of Lieutenant. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. He was awarded the 1914-15 STAR, British War Medal and Victory Medal. In the event of his death, Geoffrey nominated his father, Reverend Charles Ellwood as his sole legatee.
NOTES:
There are over 217,000 British Army officers’ service records for the First World War held by The National Archives. An officer’s file originally had three parts but two of these were destroyed by enemy action in September 1940. What remains was heavily weeded prior to 1940 and in many cases, this means that nothing remains for many officers.
The content of the surviving files varies – some have simply a note of the date of death whilst others contain attestation papers for those commissioned from the ranks, a record of service, personal correspondence and other items.
On Friday October 29th 1915, The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “LOCAL WAR ITEMS.” – COTTESMORE OFFICER WOUNDED. Information has been received that Second-Lieut. G. T. L. Ellwood, 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, was wounded in France in the 18th inst., having received a bullet through the right shoulder. Lieut. Ellwood is the third son of the Rev. C. E. Ellwood, rector of Cottesmore, and has two brothers serving in the army, and one in the Royal Navy.
The War Diary records: 14-17 Jul-16 - FRICOURT. The 110th Brigade attacked and captured BAZENTIN – LE – PETIT WOOD and village and held same.
Appendix I. The action attached.
Narrative of action of the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment from 3.00am 14/7/16 to 8.00am 17/7/16.
The Battalion moved from FRICOURT WOOD via the southern and eastern edge of MAMETZ WOOD and reached the north east corner of this wood just before 3.00am. The Battalion was formed in four lines by 3.15am under a fairly heavy bombardment and lined up with the 7th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. on its left about 100 yards in front of MAMETZ WOOD. At 3.25am 1st and 2nd lines advanced on German first line, and five minutes later the third and fourth lines advanced, and, crossing first line, assaulted and took the German second line. The first German line was very much knocked about and some 25 or 30 prisoners were taken in it. The right Company blocked German first line trench on right of the attack, and also the same in the German second line. While crossing “No man’s” land the barrage was not very severe but the two right Companies suffered a good many casualties from enemy machine guns in BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD, which had not then been cleared by 7th Division on our right. There were also two enemy machine guns in the south east corner of BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT WOOD. These were charged by the third and fourth lines and the detachments killed, and the guns taken. There were not a large number of Germans in second line when it was entered. The trenches had been so knocked about that it was difficult to consolidate them. At 4.00am first and second lines, leaving small parties to deal with any dugouts, advanced to German second line, which was also being consolidated by the third and fourth lines. At 4.20am three platoons remained in German second line, and the rest of the Battalion advanced to the “one hour” line, which was reached after suffering a good many casualties from enfilade fire from the direction of BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD. Soon after this the enemy, retiring in front of the 7th Division from BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD on our right, were enfiladed from the eastern edge of the wood by our Lewis guns, and suffered heavy losses. For some time, the right Company had to form a defensive flank as many of the enemy were trying to get from BAZENTIN-LE-GRAND WOOD to BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT WOOD. At 5.20am the Battalion advanced to the “two hour” line and remained there till 6.00am, waiting for the 7th Division to come up on our right. At 6.00am the Battalion was reinforced by several platoons of the 9th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. At 6.05am the line advanced against the village, and, the left of the 7th Division not being up, the whole village was assaulted and taken, and 3 officers and 200 prisoners. At 6.40am the ROYAL IRISH RIFLES entered the village and the eastern portion was handed over to them. At 7.15am the Battalion occupied and began consolidating the line from the northern end of the village, thence southwards to the north eastern point of BAZENTIN-LE-PETIT WOOD, thence along northern edge of wood halfway to the railway. An attempt to get the real objective was heavily enfiladed from a point just outside the wood near the railway. About 50 prisoners were taken in a trench along northern edge of wood. At 8.30am the enemy made a counter attack against the northern portion of village. The 7th Division who were not very strong here fell back on cemetery. The Battalion conformed and held northern edge of wood and the prolongation of same through the village. At 9.15am the 7th Division were reinforced and retook eastern portion of village, and the Battalion resumed its previous line, joining up with the 7th Division north of the village. At 3.00pm the enemy made another counter attack against northern and north eastern edge of village. Many of them reached the road running from north end of village to railway and were at once stopped by our rifle and Lewis Gun fire. The Battalion held and consolidated this position on the night of the 14th and also on the 15th there was no change. At 2.00am on the 16th a party of one officer and 50 men were sent out to try to consolidate the original objective along the road. They were preceded by a party of one officer and 40 men of the YORKSHIRE REGT. The latter party got to the road and held it for some time while our party was trying to consolidate, but were heavily bombed and enfiladed from enemy post just outside wood near railway, and was forced to retire. On the night of the 16th the Battalion was relieved by the 10th KING’S OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY and the Battalion went into bivouac just south of FRICOURT WOOD, arriving there at 1.00am the 17th instant. The Battalion suffered the following casualties 7 officers killed and 20 wounded. 500 other ranks killed, wounded and missing.
War Diary records: 16 Jul-16 - 6th Battalion right supported by 9th LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. 7th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT. on left supported by 8th Battalion LEICESTERSHIRE REGT.
War Diary records: 17 Jul-16 - The Battalion marched from FRICOURT WOOD at 7.45pm and arrived at RIBEMONT at 12.30am 18th July 1916.
On Friday August 4th 1916, The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” - COTTESMORE OFFICER KILLED. – We regret to learn that Lieut. Geoffrey T. L. (Gussie) Ellwood, of the Leicester’s has been killed in action. He was aged 24, and was the third son of Rev. C. E. and Mrs. Ellwood, Cottesmore Rectory. Born January 10th, 1892, he was educated at Cheam and Marlborough, where he gained a House Scholarship, and was a member of the O.T.C. He was an exhibitioner of Magdalen College, Oxford, where he won a Goldsmith’s Scholarship, and was reading for Greats when the war broke out. He received a commission in the Leicestershire Regiment in August, 1914, and went to France in July, 1915. Severely wounded last October, he returned to England for six months, re-joining his regiment at the end of April this year. His Colonel writes: “He was a very gallant officer, and will be mourned by all ranks. I will ask you to receive on his behalf my deepest thanks and gratitude for the splendid services he rendered to his regiment and to his country, and I can assure you he is the greatest loss to us.” Mr. and Mrs. Ellwood have four other sons in H.M. Forces – Pte. H. G. C. Ellwood, Royal Fusiliers; Lieut. W. J. H. Ellwood, Canadian Artillery, both in France: Sub-Lieut. M. O. D. Ellwood, H.M.S. Dreadnought; and Flight Sub-Lieut. A. B. Ellwood, R.N.A.S.
On Friday 4th, August 1916, The Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury published the following article on page 2, under the heading. – COTTESMORE. – LIEUT. T. E. L. ELLWOOD KILLED IN ACTION. – The county of Rutland mourns the loss of Lieut. T. E. L. Ellwood, killed in the recent fighting in France. Receiving a commission in the Leicestershire Regt., in August, 1914, he went to France in July, 1915, and was severely wounded in October the same year. He re-joined his regiment last April. His Colonel writes: - “I can assure you he is the greatest loss to us.” Mr. and Mrs. Ellwood have four other sons in H.M. Forces, namely, priv. H. G. C. Ellwood, Royal Fusiliers; Lieut. W. J. H. Ellwood, Canadian Artillery, both in France; Sub-Lieut. M. O. D. Ellwood, his Majesty’s ship Dreadnought; and Flight Sub-Lieut. A. B. Ellwood, R.N.A.S.
A biography reproduced from the 1920 publication, Rutland & the Great War, compiled by G. Phillips records the following: - He was educated at Cheam and Marlborough, where he gained a house scholarship and was a member of the O.T.C. He was an undergraduate of Magdalen College, Oxford, where he won a Goldsmith’s scholarship and was reading for Greats when the war broke out. He received a Commission August 26th, 1914 in the 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment, and went to France July 31st, 1915, where in September of that year, he received the rank of Lieutenant. Severely wounded in the shoulder and back on October 18th 1915 while engaged at night with a wiring party, he returned to England, and having passed fit for light duty, again went to France, April 18th, 1916. He was killed by a rifle bullet in the head when leading his men in the attack on Bazentin-le-Petit village and the wood of that name on July 14th, 1916. This attack was carried out entirely by the Leicestershire’s. They flowed over the open and into the trenches opposite, capturing some 500 prisoners. They continued to fight their way with splendid steadiness through the wood, and held it for the remainder of the day. His Colonel wrote to his parents: - “He was a very gallant officer, and will be mourned by all ranks. . . Accept my deepest thanks and gratitude for the splendid services rendered to his regiment and his country.”
[recognitum IX-XI-MMXXIV]