Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

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.

Detail :

Taken from Leamington Spa Courier - 5th April 1918.
Eastertide will henceforth ever be a sad memory for the greatly respected Governor of the Weston Training School, Mr W.E. Pengelly, for on Easter Sunday his eldest son, Captain Edgar Ambrose Pengelly, M.C., R.E., made the great sacrifice, dying at 4 a.m. in hospital in France from wounds received in action the previous day. Cheering his men to the last, this very gallant soldier, spoken of by all who knew him locally as "one of the best," was hit in the head and legs by a shell. It was just outside Amiens, and he was doing magnificent work in the present crisis.

Captain Pengelly at the commencement of the war voluntarily assisted at the Headquarters at Warwick instructing recruits, and ultimately joined the new Army, receiving his commission as Lieutenant in the Leamington Fortress Company, Royal Engineers. Subsequently, he received his Captaincy on being appointed Commanding Officer of the 213th Army Troops Company, R.E. In May, 1917, he was mentioned in dispatches, and in January of the present year was awarded the Military Cross for "very special services."

He was born in 1882, and was educated at Norwich and the Leamington Collegiate School. In 1898 he was appointed assistant at the Weston Training School, and in 1909 he became Deputy Governor. He served for 13 years in the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry, and was awarded the Long Service Medal. He had served for two years overseas.

He married Miss E.M. Ansell, third daughter of the late Mr. John Ansell, and Mrs Ansell of Greatheed Road, Leamington, by whom he had one child, a little daughter, born last August. Captain Pengelly was recently home on leave, returning to the Front five weeks ago. During his visit he was initiated a Freemason (Guy's Lodge) at a special Lodge held for the purpose. Universally popular, possessing the best qualities of the soldier, he is a loss to his country as well as to his family and friends - A memorial service will be held at Weston Church on Sunday evening.

Mrs Pengelly has received a letter from a fellow officer of her husband who writes: "I can hardly realise he has gone yet, as he was such a dear fine fellow. The men of his company worshipped him, and I didn't really know how to tell the men of the company when it happened. We all feel the loss of a very dear friend, and a very valuable officer. He was always cheerful, and always thinking of others. One of his mean I have seen today tells me that even until just a few seconds before he was hit he was cheering them on. They had all had a very hard time, and he kept them cheery and bright through all their troubles to the end. I cannot speak too highly of him - he was really fine."

He is also to be found in an article published in The Courier in Leamington on 24th August 2014.

Masonic :

Entered Apprentice who did not get the change to do his later ceremonies. Annotated in the records of United Grand Lodge of England to have been "Killed in Action April 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