‘D’ Company, 2/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
Richard Fitzpatrick Worthington was born in Guernsey on 30 April 1881, the youngest son of Richard Burton and Lucy Helen Worthington. His father was formerly in the Indian Civil Service.
He was educated at Tonbridge School (family lived at 21 Manor Grove, Tonbridge at that time) and he went up to Emmanuel College, Cambridge in October 1900.
He was awarded a BA in 1903 and was an Assistant Master at Bradfield College in 1904-5. In the years 1905 to 1912 he was a school master in France, Germany and Belgium, moving to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada in 1912, where he stayed until 1915.
He appears to have played a lot of cricket at university and to have been an all round sportsman.
His file in the National Archives (WO374/76950) states that he once held the rank of Lieutenant in 1/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment (Dursley Territorials) but this was relinquished on 5 January 1914.
He was re-commissioned into the Glosters on 29 July 1915. His service career appears to have been marked by periostitis* of the right femur — a recurrence of an old condition.
Having been appointed Temporary Captain on 28 June 1916 he was, according to his university alumni record, wounded in action on 7 April 1917.
According to the Gloucester Journal of 12 May 1917 he was repatriated to the University Hospital in Birmingham and was seemingly making a recovery before his condition suddenly worsened and he died on 4 May 1917, aged 37.
His remains were conveyed by train from Birmingham to Cam Station and he was buried with full military honours in a family plot in the churchyard of St Bartholomew’s.
He was unmarried at the time of death and his mother lived at The Steps, Cam, Gloucestershire.
Administration of his estate (£693 13s 1d or £693.65) was granted to Mary Worthington, the elder of his two sisters (she was a member of the local Military Tribunal).
There were also three brothers, Arthur F, Charles R and Edward H B.
Research by Graham Adams 29 April 2014 (revised)
- Periostitis, also known as periostalgia, is a medical condition caused by inflammation of the periosteum, a layer of connective tissue that surrounds bone. The condition is generally chronic, and is marked by tenderness and swelling of the bone and an aching pain. (Wikipedia)