Darvell, Frederick William
Second Lieutenant Frederick William Darvell, M.C. It is to be feared that Sec.-Lt. F. W. Darvell is dead; on the 27th May last he was reported missing, and no further news of him has been procurable. He entered the Army in August, 1915, and in the same month was sent to France, being attached to the chemistry section of the R.E., and in this capacity he took part in the first British gas attack at Loos. He was wounded in August, 1916, but did not come to England on leave till December, 1916. In the following May he came over to England for a commission, and after his training at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he was gazetted to the 8th Border Regt. With this he went again to France in April, 1918, and was reported "missing" a month later. Enquiries through the Red Cross organisation brought no news, and nothing further was heard of him, except that a sergeant who was with him all through the last day thought he had been taken prisoner. In the following August, announcement was made that he had been awarded the M.C., and with the notice of it was sent an illuminated certificate signed by Sir Herbert Plumer, congratulating him on the deed by which he had won it. The chaplain attached to his battalion wrote: "He was a splendid officer and loved by all who knew him. He was a special friend of mine and we often had some very good times together." He made special reference to Lt. Darvell's splendid work at Le Clytte" shortly after the battalion had gone to France, and speaking with evident appreciation that his good work should have been recognised by the award of the M.C., says how greatly he was missed by all his men and fellow-officers. King's College Review, June 1918
Biographical
| Surname(s) | Darvell |
|---|---|
| First name(s) | Frederick William |
| Family details | Son of the late Arthur and Jane Darvell |
| College | King's College London and/or King's College London Hospital |
| Dates at college | 1914 |
| Dept / course | Faculty of Science, Day student class 1 Chemisty, Pure Mathematics & Physics |
| Military unit | 8th Border Regiment Royal Engineers |
| Date enlisted | August 1915 |
| War / conflict | World War One (1914-1918) |
| Decorations / medals | M.C. |
| Citation(s) | For Conspicuous Gallantry and devotion to duty while commanding a platoon he took out a patrol at night when the enemy's position was somewhat obscure and brought back valuable information of his movements. Next day he took out a daylight patrol in the direction whence the enemy attack was expected & during the attack he behaved with great gallantry and when all his Lewis gunners became casualties carried on firing gun himself, throughout he did valuable service. |
| Date of death | 27 May 1918 |
| Age at death | 20 |
| Rank at death | 2nd Lieutenant |
| Cause of death | Killed in action |
| Burial place | No known grave |
| Commemoration(s) | King's College Chapel; Soissons Memorial, Aisne, France |
| Sources | King's College London Archives; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; London Gazette 16 September 1918 |
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