Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Grave: | Dernancourt Communal Cemetery Extension | X. D. 9. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.122 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 7C/41D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | Military Cross Mentioned in Despatches Messina Medal (Italy) Order of the Red Eagle (Prussia) | ||
Early Life :
Born Alverstoke, near Gosport on 24th July 1884, the eighth son of the late Colonel Matthew Henry Farquharson, RMLI (died Glengarry, Woking 1/2/17 age 77. Egypt Medal & Khedive's Star, 4th Class of the Osmanieh. Four of his sons held commissions & were serving in HM Forces) & Emma Farquharson, of Ulverston, 179 Tulse Hill, London SW ; Married Miss Wilfrida Ethel Marinea Usher on the 14th June 1916.Education & Career :
Attended Dulwich College and the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, passing out 1902. Joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry, at first being gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant, before being promoted to Lieutenant, and Captain in 1913.
See also: Dulwich College Fallen.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 2nd R.M. Bn. R.N. Div. |
| Action : The First Battles of the Somme 1918 and associated actions |
21 March - 4 July 1918. The Battles of the Somme in 1918 were mostly concerned with stemming the German advance which started in March 1918 and which made considerable gains in the Somme/Arras sector. Utilising surplus troops which had become available following the surrender of Russia after the October Revolution, the Germans gambled on a massive campaign that could win the war in the west before the USA could bring its resources to bear. Initial gains were in places spectacular but eventually dogged resistance coupled with supply problems and sheer exhaustion closed down the battle. Other attacks were launched along the front to probe the Allied defences but the same pattern of initial gains followed by stalemate prevailed. British casualties were almost 345,000.
Officer Commanding 1st RM Bn. 19/11/17-17/12/17 & 26/12/17-13/1/18 ;
Officer Commanding 2nd RM Bn. 18/1/18
Detail :
Acting Lieutenant Colonel (Major) Cecil Graham Farquharson M.C., MiD, Royal Marine Light Infantry 2nd Royal Marine Bn. 24/03/1918 Died of wounds in 56th Casualty Clearing Station (5.9 Shell wounds to left arm & shoulder fractured, right arm, Leg & Spine sustained on 22/3/18).
Dulwich College "When the outbreak of hostilities occurred he was at first serving with the Grand Fleet, before, in 1915, joining the Royal Marine Brigade who took part in the Gallipoli campaign. Cecil was made adjutant of one of the battalions during the evacuation and ultimately went on to be mentioned in despatches for his services during this period. After a period in Salonica, he was sent to France, where he was severely wounded at Beaumont-Hamel and as a result invalided back to England for several months. Whilst in England he got married, to Winifred Usher, and was offered staff employment, although he turned this down in order to return to the front line. During the early part of 1918 he was promoted to Major, before going on to serve as Lieutenant-Colonel due to the wounding of his superior, and was also awarded the Military Cross. On March 22nd he was inspecting his men in a front line trench near Albert when he was hit by shrapnel and taken to a casualty clearing station, where he died as a result of his wounds two days later. His elder brother John, a fellow OA, had also been killed in action in November 1914."
The CWGC list him in error as Farquarson (mis-spelt)
Citations & Commemorations :
In a varied pre-war career he was awarded;Messina Medal (Italian Earthquake 1908 HMS Duncan landed to participate in rescue operations.) ;
Granted private permission to accept & wear the insignia of the order of the Red Eagle conferred by the German Emperor.
During the war: MiD from Gen. Sir. C. Munro, MEF (London Gazette 13/7/16) ;
9/1/18 Awarded the MC (London Gazette 1/1/18)
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | St. John & St. Paul No. 349 E.C. | Malta |
| Joined : | Navy No. 2612 E.C. | London |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
24th May 1910 | 15th October 1910 | 29th October 1910 |
Initiated into St. Johns and St Pauls Lodge No. 349 in Malta, but further joined Navy Lodge No. 2612 on the 1st December 1911, recorded as c/o Admiralty and R.M.L.I. The annotation in the contribution record shows that he "Died Mar 1918."
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley