8th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
From The Graphic – Edward Vick is in the centre
Edward Vick was born in Cheltenham on 12 November 1888 to Benjamin and Elizabeth Vick who lived at 17 Fairview Road, Cheltenham. He was educated a t All Saints’ School, Cheltenham.
On 7 September 1914 he enlisted into the 10th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment which was forming at Horfield Barracks, Bristol. The battalion later trained on Salisbury Plain before being stationed for training at Cheltenham, the HQ being situated at Lansdown Crescent. It was at this time he was promoted to Lance Corporal instructing his comrades in the use of the bayonet. In May 1915, the battalion returned to Salisbury Plain for intensive field training attached to 26th Division prior to moving to France on 8 August 1915.
On arrival in France the battalion joined the 1st Infantry Brigade, part of 1st Division, in preparation for the attack at Loos which began on 25 September 1915. On this day the battalion attacked in the direction of Hulloch but at Bois Carre the battalion suffered many casualties and were almost brought to a halt, the remnants fighting on towards Hulloch with only 60 men able to continue. Edward Vick managed to survive the battle and continued to serve with the battalion up to and including the Somme Offensive.
In the autumn of 1916, Corporal Vick, as he was then, was involved in an incident near Martinpuich, High Wood and Mametz Wood, when the battalion’s trenches were put under a heavy barrage by German artillery causing two officers and three men to be buried. Corporal Vick managed to rescue these personnel and was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal which was promulgated in the London Gazette published on 20 October 1916. The citation read: For conspicuous gallantry. A very heavy and continuous barrage was put on our trenches, two officers and three men being buried, and the trench flattened for over 30 yards. He worked for over two hours in this barrage, assisting to dig out and rescue the buried men.
After this, he was promoted to Sergeant Major and recommended for a commission. He was appointed to a Temporary Regular Commission in the Gloucestershire Regiment as a Second Lieutenant and was posted to the 8th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment on 26 April 1917.
He was serving with the 8th Battalion on 9 July 1917 during the attacks on the German defences called the Oosttaverne Line, east of Wytschaete in Belgium. The battalion was assaulting this line, pushing forward aiming to capture Druid’s Farm and Edward was killed in the actions to take the Farm; he was 28 years of age.
Second Lieutenant Edward Vick DCM is buried in Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery. He is commemorated on the Cheltenham War Memorial, on All Saints’ Church War Memorial and on the grave of his father in Cheltenham Cemetery.
(Taken from Leaving All that was Dear – Cheltenham and the Great
War by J Devereux and G Sacker)
Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery