Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Thiepval Memorial, Picardie
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.139
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour2C GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 5th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment 

1/5th Battalion August 1914 : in Gloucester. Part of South Midland Brigade, South Midland Division. Moved on mobilisation to Isle of Wight but thence to Swindon but very quickly on to Maldon in Essex, arriving by end of August 1914. 29 March 1915 : landed at Boulogne. 15 May 1915 : formation became the 145th Brigade, 48th (South Midland) Division. November 1917 : moved with the Division to Italy. 11 September 1918 : left the Division and returned to France. 17 September 1918 : attached to 75th Brigade in 25th Division

Action : The Battles of the Somme 1916 

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

Lieutenant Cyril WINTERBOTHAM was born 27th February 1887, in Cheltenham. Educated at Cheltenham College and Lincoln College, Oxford where he gained a Law degree. He was listed as a member of the Inner Temple. He was Commissioned in September 1914. He was killed when the Battalion, without support, attacked German positions near Mouquet Farm near Ovillers-la-Boiselle. His body was not found and identified and he is listed on the Thiepval Memorial. Winterbotham was a war poet and his poems were privately published in 1917. He was also a joining member of OLD CHELTONIAN LODGE NO 3223 (London) on 4/2/1913 and of DONERAILE LODGE NO 3558 (London) on 11th March 1913 and resigned 9/11/1915.

His name is listed amongst nine names of Freemasons of the Province of Gloucestershire, located at Gloucester Cathedral in the Cloisters, which was reported in the Gloucester Journal 30th October 1920: "WAR MEMORIAL ERECTED IN THE CATHEDRAL. A bronze masonic memorial tablet has recently been erected in Gloucester Cathedral to the memory of Freemasons of the Province of Gloucestershire who fell in the Great War. The tablet which was designed by Mr. N.H. Waller of College Green, Gloucester, and executed by Messrs. Martyn of Cheltenham, ahs been surmounted by masonic emblems, and placed within the cuspated stone panelling of the north wall of the Cloisters- a most appropriate position in view of the fact that the north walk owes its restoration to the munificence of the Freemasons of the county-and it has been deservedly admired by all who have seen it. Nine names are recorded in the order of Lodges to which the deceased respectively belonged."

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Foundation No. 82 E.C.Gloucestershire
Joined : Old Cheltonian No. 3223 E.C. London
Joined : Doneraile No. 3558 E.C. London

Initiated
Passed
Raised
26th January 1910
23rd February 1910
25th May 1910
 

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2019-10-06 06:04:27