Lieut Aidan Chavasse

• Age: 26
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 4th July 1917
• Commemorated at: Menin Gate Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 4 & 6

Aidan was born on 26th July 1891 at Wycliffe Hall, Banbury Road  was the son of The Right Rev. Francis James Chavasse, Bishop of Liverpool of The Palace, 19 Abercrombie Square, Liverpool, and his wife Edith Jane (nee Maude) daughter of the late Joseph Maude, Vicar of Chirk. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 19 Abercrombie Square, Liverpool. His father, Francis J. is 54 years of age and a Bishop in the Church of England, and was born in Edgbaston, Warwickshire, his mother, Edith J. is 50 and was born in Newport, isle of Wight. They have seven children in the houshold;  Dorothy is 18 years of age, Christopher and Noel are 16, Edith and Mary are 14, Francis is 11, and Aidan is 9. They have seven visitors, Herbert Probyn a 30 year old clergyman in the Church of England, Herbert Palmer is 23 years of age and a divinity student as is  Ernest Savage aged 22, Ethel Stratton is a 31 year old governess, as is 31 years old Judith Stokes, aCyril White aged 5 and Russell White aged 4 who are children of Letitia White one of the servants. The family employ eight servants. 

Aidan was confirmed into the Church of England on 25th March 1908 at St Saviour's Church.

He was privately tutored before attending Liverpool College and Oxford Corpus Christi College. Whilst at Oxford he represented the college in athletics and rugby. He received a Second in Mathmatics and Third in History. He was an active member of the OTC at both Liverpool College and Oxford University. He had intended to return to University to study Theology . 

The 1911 Census finds the family are still living at 19 Ambercrombie Square. His father, Francis James is now 64 years of age and a Bishop in the established Church, his mother Edith Jane is aged 60. They advise that they have been married for 29 years and have had seven children. Five of their children are still in the household; Noel Godfrey is 26 years old and a medical student, Edith and Mary are 24 years of age, Francis is 21 and a student as is 19 year old Aidan. There are ten servants and three visitors Claud Hewlett a 32 year old clergyman, William Ferguson a 29 year old clergyman and 23 year old Hugh ? a theological student.

Upon the outbreak of war in August 1914, Aidan left Corpus Chrisiti College, Oxford and enlisted, joining the 11th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment. His name appeared in a list of military promotions in the London Gazette on 21st August 1914 as Temporary 2nd Lieutenant.

He served with the 11th Battalion K.L.R. in France in 1915.

His name appeared in the London Gazette under the heading: The undermentioned temporary Second Lieutenants to be temprary Lieutenants. Dated 01st January 1915. 

He transferred to the 17th Battalion in February 1917.     

He was wounded on a patrol and subsequently was reported as Missing:

12:15 am  on the night of 3 - 4th July 1917, 17th Bn. King's Liverpool Regt. sent out a fighting patrol from the trenches at Observatory Ridge, east of Zillebeke. The objective of the patrol, consisting of Liet. Aidan Chavasse and eight men was to gain information regarding the disposition of the German units opposite, obtain identification and kill the occupants. " On nearing the enemy's wire, the patrol encountered a German patrol, which opened fire on Lieut. Chavasse and his men. A stiff fight ensued and the patrol withdrew, Lieut. Chavasse bringing up the rear, but oin reaching our lines the officer was found to be missing. A search party was formed consisiting of: Capt A.I. Draper, Capt C.E. Torrey, Capt F. B. Chavasse RAMC (brother of Lieut. Chavasse), 2nd Lieut. C. A. Peters, and L/Cpl Dixon, then went out and searched No Mans Land. During the search Capt. Torrey was wounded and taken back to the trenches. 2nd Lieut. Peters and L/Cpl 11531 H. Dixon then discovered Lieut. Chavasse, who had been wounded in the thigh, lying in a shell hole. Lieut. Peters returned for assistance but was killed on his way back. Meanwhile, L/Corpl. Dixon had bandaged the wounded officer, and, after awaiting the arrival of necessary assistanc, he too went back to our lines for stretcher bearers to carry Lieut. Chavasse in. But, on returning, the party could not find the wounded officer and had to retire on account of the dawn breaking..."

The following night 3 men under L/Corpl. Dixon left the Liverpool's trenches in an endeavour to find Lieut. Chavass, but to no avail. The body of 2nd Lieut. C. A. Peters was found and brought in by another party.              

Aidan was reported as Missing in the Derbyshire Times on 14th July 1917:

BISHOP OF LIVERPOOL'S SON MISSING

The youngest son of the Bishop of Liverpool, Lieutenant Aidan Chavasse is reported as "wounded and missing". He joined the army during the first month of the war. He has three brothers serving, one Captain N.G. Chavasse M.C. R.A.M.C. having gained the Victoira Cross. Aidan Chavasse was on patrol duty when wounded, his companions were unable to bring him in, and the officer in charge in attempting to go for a stretcher was killed. The Lieutenant's brother, Captain F. B. Chavasse, R.A.M.C. attached to the same battalion went out in search five times without finding his brother. The Bishop of Liverpool is connected to Chesterfield. He was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School.       

It was initially reported that Aidan had been taken as a prisoner of war.

Nearly a year after the war had ended, his father, the Right Rev. the Bishop of Liverpool, of The Palace, 19 Abercromby Square, Liverpool, contacted the International Red Cross in hopes that the Germans had some information on Aiden. He received a reply in the negative on 01st October 1919.

His sister May received a letter from Lance Corporal Dixon:

"Lieut. Chavasse was attached to "D" Coy. I went out on patrol with him 3rd - 4th July. We were coming back from the German wire about 3 a.m. when Lieut. Chavasse was hit by a bullet in the right leg between the knee and thigh, I was alone with him, and told him that I could not carry him back mysel, and left him lying in a shell hole about 10 yards from the German sap. I went back to him and bandaged him up, and he then told me to leave him as it was fast getting light. I did so, but the same evening as soon as it was dark, I went back with his brother, to the place where I had left Lieut. Chavasse but there was no sign of him. We searched again without success".      

Aidan’s mother was badly shaken by her youngest sons death, and each year, on the anniversary of his death, she used to dream that he was calling to her from No Man’s Land. She also had the same dream on the night that she died which was exactly ten years to the day, that he himself died.

Apart from F. B. (Bernard) Chavasse, who was later awarded the Military Cross, and another brother, Captain Noel Godfrey Chavasse, RAMC, who won a Military Cross along with a Victoria Cross and Bar only one of three men in history to be so honoured. Both of his awards were for service as Medical Officer to the 10th Battalion The King’s Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Scottish) the bar being awarded posthumously.

Aidan is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial at Ypres.

The site of the Menin Gate was chosen because of the hundreds of thousands of men who passed through it on their way to the battlefields. It commemorates casualties from the forces of Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and United Kingdom who died in the Salient. In the case of United Kingdom casualties, only those prior 16 August 1917 (with some exceptions). United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. New Zealand casualties that died prior to 16 August 1917 are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery.

The YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL now bears the names of more than 54,000 officers and men whose graves are not known. The memorial, designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield with sculpture by Sir William Reid-Dick, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927.

Probate was granted at Liverpool on 11th April 1919 as follows:

CHAVASSE Aidan of the Palace, Abercrombie -square, Liverpool lieutenant 17th Liverpool regiment died 4 July 1917 in France (sic). Administration Liverpool 11 April to the right reverend Francis James Chavasse lord bishop of Liverpool. Effects £455 9s 8d 

His mother died in 1927.  

His father died on 11th March 1928.

Both Aidan and Noel are Commemorated on the family grave in a special plot, just outside Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

Both are also commemorated on a stained galss window which originally hung in St Saviour's Church, Liverpool. It is now housed in the Museum of Liverpool Life, Pier Head, Liverpool.  

Aiden is also commemorated on the following war memorials:

Liverpool College. Sefton Park

Corpus Christi College

St Peter Le Bailey Church, Oxford

Private 16813 Harry Foggo MM of the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment, later 4th Battalion K.L.R. recalled the search for Aiden many years later to his friend Peter Dellius who has Harry's 1914/15 star:

"An officer call Chavasse was lying out in no mans land and was crying for help all day, it was pitiful to hear, the German's were shouting and several of the boys wanted to go out to him but it was suicide. It was decided to wait. As darkness fell an officer, a Padre turned up and told us it was his brother lying out there and asked for volunteers. I with a couple of others went out and crawled in direction of cries, we had only gone a few feet and silence, he never cried again. As far as I know he was never found"

Harry also advised:

"I signed on at St Georges Hall with my two brothers, two of us got consecutive numbers but the other dozy bugger got talking to a chap in line and that fellow got in the way of us having three numbers in a row"

All three brothers came back.

Grateful thanks are extended to Peter Dellius for sharing Harry Foggo's recollections. 

The article below was taken from the book: Liverpool’s Scroll of Fame.

Lieutenant Aidan Chavasse, who was born in 1892, was the youngest of the four sons of the Bishop of Liverpool. He was possessed of great charm of manner, manly simplicity of character, and a keen sense of honour, which won the hearts of all who came into contact with him. His loss was greatly regretted and deplored. He entered Liverpool College in 1902, and remained till 1910. He identified himself thoroughly with the work and the life of the school, and ultimately took a prominent part in all school activities. He played wing three-quarter for the XV. Won the challenge Cup at the Annual Athletic Sports two years in succession, and was a keen member of the Officers’ Training Corps. He was Senior Prefect, and as such his steadfast loyalty and devotion to duty had an influence all for good. He also took a keen interest in the Debating Society and was an effective speaker, with a fund of anecdote and a quaint original humour. On reaching the sixth form he read Mathematics with much success and promise, and gained an open exhibition in the subject at Corpus Christi College Oxford.

He went into residence at Oxford and with characteristic enthusiasm entered into all the activities of his College with the greatest keenness representing it in Rugby Football and in Athletics, and taking a special interest in the Debating Society. He took Mathematical Moderations in due course, obtaining second-class honours, but decided to read History for his Finals.

Then came the war, and without waiting to take a degree he at once volunteered for active service. He was given a commission in the 11^th(Pioneer) Battalion K. L. R., and went to France in February 1915. He was soon promoted to full Lieutenant. In February 1917, he was transferred, at his own request to a more active combat battalion the 17^th Kings (Liverpool Regiment).

Brigadier-General Stanley, in his book on the 89^th Infantry Brigade, records the events connected with the closing scene in Lieut. Chavasse’s  career in the following words:-

“About the 3^rd July a fighting patrol of the 17^th K. L. R. went out to obtain an identification of the Germans, but were heavily engaged with two hostile patrols. After a good fight our patrol withdrew, the officer in command, Lieut. Chavasse, brought up the rear. When the patrol reached our line it was found that Lieut. Chavasse was missing. A search party under Sec.-Lieut. Peters went out and found him lying close to the Boche’s wire with a wound in his thigh. They returned for a stretcher and on the way back Sec.Lieut. Peters was unfortunately killed. Capt.C.E Torrey also made an attempt to get him in, but he was wounded whilst doing so. It was then becoming light, and it was deemed advisable not to attempt a further rescue until darkness came on again. The following night a search party which included his brother Capt. Chavasse, R. A. M. C., went out, but could find no trace of him. This officer is still missing and it is feared that he must have died soon after being taken in by the Germans. He was a most gallant fellow like all the rest of his family. “

Lieutenant Chavasse was noted in his Battalion for his consistent cheerfulness and sense of humour, which the horrors of war did not see able to blunt, and for his absolute fearlessness and coolness in the face of the enemy. His name will always be held in affectionate remembrance and esteem by all his old school and college friends, and by his comrades – in-arms of all ranks.

The above was taken from the book: Liverpool’s Scroll of Fame.

His twin sisters May and Marjorie celebrated their 100th Birthdays in 1986. May died just before her 101st Birthday while Marjorie died aged 103.    

We currently have no further information on Aidan Chavasse, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.