Lieutenant, Guy Ogden de Peyster CHANCE
Aged 22
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Guy Ogden de Peyster CHANCE was born on 28th February 1892 in Edgbaston(Kings Norton Q2-1892 6C:441) youngest son of William Edward and Laura Thornycroft CHANCE (née KESTEVEN).
1901 census...Aged 9, he was at Aldby Park, Buttercrambe with Bossall, near Stamford bridge, Yorkshire with his father William Edward CHANCE [58] a glass manufacturer born Birmingham; his mother Laura [44] born Wolverhampton; sister Sylvia May de Navarre [21] born Edgbaston. He had elder brothers, George H.P.Chance [1877] and Oswald Kesteven Chance [1881] (later Brigadier General). 1911 census...Aged 19 he may have been at Eton. His parents were at Thurston Grange with just 6 servants |
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De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour states:- CHANCE, GUY OGDEN DE PEYSTER - Lieut., 1st Battn (23rd Foot) The Royal Welsh Fusiliers, yst s of W.E.Chance, of Thurston Grange, Bury St.Edmunds; b.28 Feb.1892; was gazetted 2nd Lieut. Royal Welsh Fusiliers 20 Sept.1911 and promoted Lieut. 19 April 1913: served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, and was killed in Action at Dadizeele 19 Oct.1914. Battalion war diary has:- Oct 19th- Enemy reported strongly entrenched online Wervice-Menin with fortified advanced posts at Kleythoek and just s of Gheluwe. An attack in three phases was proposed 1..Attack by 22nd Bde on KLEYTHOEK 2..Attack by 20th and 21st Bdes on Gheluwe 3..Combined attack by whole division on Menin from Gheluwe and Kleythoek Phase one of attack was to be supported by the artillery from KRUSEIK and neighbourhood of TERHAND. 3rd Cav.Div. reported at MOORSLEDE and sending 1 Bde to St Peter to cover left flank of attack by 22nd Bde. 3rd Army Corps reported NW of LILLE moving E. 1st R.W.F moved from BECELAERE at 5 am acting (with Bde HQ troop Northumberland Hussars) as advance guard to 22nd Bde,proceeding to rendezvous at X roads at S of STROOIBOOMHOEK. Reached rendezvous without incident at 6:16 am Patrols reported all clear 1/4 S of DADIZEELE though Uhlans had been in that town up to 5 am. 7:30 am Bde moved on the DADIZEELE, Adv guard as before. Plan for attack..1st RWF and 2nd R Warwickshire Regt to form front line, latter regiment on the right and directing, dividing line being the MENIN-ROULER road. First objective top make good line W? of VUFWEGEN - E of HALTE On reaching X roads between 5 and 6 kilo stones on MENIN - ROULERS road firing was heard from LEDEGHEM. A Coy was despatched to clear up the situation and secure this flank. The ROYAL DRAGOONS and 10th HUSSARS now appeared, being part of the Cav.Bde covering the left of the 22nd Bde and took part in an attack on LEDEGHEM. A Coy was not seriously involved and drew off with the remainder of the Battalion to attack KLEYTHOEK. Advance from X roads on MENIN-ROULERS road between 5 and 6 kilo stones was delayed owing to this diversion on the flank till 10 am. A and D Coys now formed 1st line (D on right) B and C Coy supporting. 10:30 am orders were received only to extend left of Bns front as far as L of HALTE, as the ? Regt was being brought up on the left flank and the MENIN-LEDEGHEM railway now became the dividing line between A Coy and D Coy. Orders to attack KLEYTHOEK were received at 11:15 and the Battalion at once moved forward to assault the enemy's position. Bn HQ was established close to KEZELBERG windmill, just E of ROULERS-MENIN road and the ridge this windmill stands on soon proved to be one of the enemy's chief range marks for it was continuously swept by a heavy shrapnel fire. Although the ground to the S is low lying, it was quite impossible to locate the exact position either of the enemy infantry or guns. The attack was very rapidly pushed home although there was no artillery support whatever and all but about 3 platoons of the two supporting companies were in the firing line when an order was received at 12:40 pm for the whole line to withdraw. RWF were ordered to retire by main road and DADIZEELE on the P of POTTERYEBRUG. 1 RWF and R Warwickshire Regt were ordered to to hold high ground about KEZELBERG and cover retirement of QUEENS and S STAFFORDS, the R Warwickshire finally covering retirement of 1 RWF. Practically the whole Bn being very closely engaged with the enemy, this order was one which could not easily be carried out, the more so as the very hot fire from made communications from front to rear most difficult When the retirement was ordered, some of A Coy were actually within 200 yds of the hostile guns led by Capt E.O.SKAIFE. The Companies were gradually withdrawn but not without suffering considerable loss and once more artillery support was totally absent, although it had been definitely promised. The Germans did not press closely on the retiring force so that once the high ground about KEZELBERG was passed there was not much fire. At 3 o'c a further order was received to retire via TERHAND and BECELAERE to original trenches at Zonnebeke. The 21st Bde were in position at TERHAND and once their line was passed no puruit by the enemy was possible. ZONNEBEKE was reached at 6 pm and troops moved at once into same trenches as had been captured on 16th/17th. Casualties during the day: KILLED, Capt E O SKAIFE Capt J H BRENNAN (3rd RWF) Lt G Ode P CHANCE 15 NCOs and men, WOUNDED Maj R E P BABBETT, Capt W HARRIS St JOHN, CaptS JONES, 2 Lt R E NAYLOR 84 NCO and men, MISSING 11 NCO and men" His memorial plaque at Eton College reads: GUY OGDEN DE PEYSTER CHANCE LIEUTENANT 1ST ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS YOUNGEST SON OF WILLIAM EDWARD AND LAURA CHANCE KILLED IN ACTION NEAR MENIN OCTOBER 19TH 1914 IN HIS 23RD YEAR In St. Peter's Church is the above plaque photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission and a brass plaque at Eton College click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
