1/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Lancelot Conway Chess was born at Gotherington, Cleeve, Gloucestershire in early 1878. His mother was Anna Amelia Chess, who appears to have been known as ‘Hannah’. Born in 1846, she appears have never married and died in 1926. The 1881 census shows her living at Gotherington with four children — Arthur (14), Alma (12), Lancelot (3) and Drusilla (seven months). They were joined by Harriet Louise in 1883 and Tom in 1888. The census of 1911 does show her living as a ‘servant’ with a William Aston.
Upon leaving school Lancelot became a labourer and in common with many men from poorer families he decided to join the Army. Some papers relating to his initial Army service record have survived and are available via the National Archives. He enlisted into the Gloucestershire Regiment on 15 December 1896, initially signing up for seven years with the colours and a further five in the reserve. He was assigned the number 4939.
After initial training he was posted as Private in the 2nd Battalion on 7 April 1897. He was then promoted to Lance Corporal on 12 March 1898. On 10 November 1898 he transferred to the 1st Battalion and was promoted to Corporal on 30 October 1899. On 6 April 1904 he was made a
Lance Serjeant and became a full Serjeant on 12 August 1905.
His service with the colours continued for the full 12 year term and in 1908 it was extended further until he was discharged as ‘medically unfit for further service’ on 21 October 1912 (reason not stated). In all he had served for 15 years and 311 days, of which 11 years and 200 days was spent in India.
A note placed in his service file to the Colonel in charge of Infantry Records No 7 District from the Major commanding 1st Glosters, dated 17 October 1912 reads: ‘I am unable to furnish the sobriety certificate as asked for, as I do not consider that this NCO is deserving of one’.
Although there is no service record relating to his Great War service, the Medal Index Card for him indicates that he re-joined the Glosters, probably during September and October 1914 and received the number 3048, retaining his previous rank of Serjeant and went to France on 20 September 1915. There is some evidence that he was an acting Colour Serjeant for some of the time.
Recently Pension Record Cards were released to the public and there are two for Lancelot, one of which contains the record relating to his service as number 4939 and relates to an application by his mother, living at Oxenton, north of Cheltenham (rejected); the other, relating to his Great War service, as number 3048. The latter shows him living at 13 Clarence Square, Cheltenham and having been awarded a 100% disability pension from 2 December 1920, due to tuberculosis. There is no indication of his discharge date from the Army but this was possibly the date his pension commenced.
A death notice in the Gloucestershire Journal of 22 January 1921 states that Lancelot died at the Over Hospital, Gloucester, on 16 January aged 43. He was buried in Gloucester Old Cemetery, where a standard CWGC headstone marks his grave.
Researched by Graham Adams 8 June 2019