Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Beuvry Communal Cemetery | 9 | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.134 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 24C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of Alexander Innes Shepherd (late Maj. Indian Army) and Agatha Shepherd.He was born at Kasauli, India, on the 14th July, 1882. Eldest son of the late Major Alexander Ames Shepherd, of the same regiment (then known as the 4th Punjab Infantry), and was a nephew of General Sir A.Gaselee, G.C.B.. G.C.I.E.
Education & Career :
He was educated at Bedford and at Dover College.
Captain Shepherd was a member of the Junior Naval and Military Club, and was unmarried.
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 57th Wilde's Rifles (Frontier Force) |
| Action : Winter Operations 1914-1915 |
23 November 1914 - 6 February 1915. As the armies of 1914 fought themselves to exhaustion they settled down by the end of the year to the realities of static trench warfare. During the winter, activity was mostly comprised of a series of small scale raids and attempts by the BEF to gain superiority over the battlefront. At the same time increasing numbers of Territorial battalions and replacements for the Regular battalions came into theatre and had to be trained and acclimatised to trench occupation. This period was further noted for the severity of the weather and the need to rapidly source and equip the troops with adequate winter and waterproof equipment, whilst improving the trench conditions. Miserable times.
In the following year he was transferred to the Indian Army, in which he was promoted Lieutenant in August, 1903, and obtained his Captaincy in 1910. Captain Shepherd was on active service in 1902 on the north-west frontier in the operations against the Darwesh Khel Waziris, and subsequently, in 1903-04, in Tibet, when he was present at the action at Niani, the operations at and around Gyantse, and the march to Lhassa. For these services he received the medal and clasp.
Detail :
CAPTAIN GERALD ALEXANDER GASELEE SHEPHERD, 57th WILDE'S RIFLES, FRONTIER FORCE, INDIAN ARMY, who was shot in the trenches at La Bassee on the 20th December, 1914.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Kitchener No. 2998 E.C. | Northern India |
| Joined : | Northern Star No. 1463 E.C. | Punjab |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
23rd June 1913 | 1st September 1913 | 15th October 1913 |
Gerald was initiated as a 30 year old Captain based at Simla into Kitchener Lodge No. 2998. He resigned 23rd October 1913 just seven days after his ceremony of Raising, and despite that is recorded as having been "Killed in Action 20.12.14."
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