An emotive Kut-Al-Amara Officer casualty 1914 Star trio and Memorial Plaque issued to Captain C.T. Tresidder, 7th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, late of the British Red Cross Society and Order of St. John of Jerusalem who initially spent three months service on the Western Front from September to December 1914 where he was employed as a Volunteer Dresser at the Duchess of Westminster’s War Hospital. In January 1915, he would enlist into the Lancashire Fusilier and shortly afterwards would be commissioned into the Lancashire Fusiliers and later the 7th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment. After a few months in Egypt, he would be sent to Mesopotamia where he in March 1916 he was appointed Machine Gun Officer. In mid-April 1916 he would receive a serious stomach wound which he would succumb to on 22nd April 1916. Having no known grave he is now remembered on the Basra Memorial
Group of 4: 1914 Star; (C.T. TRESIDDER. B.R.C.S. & O.ST.J.J.) British War Medal and Victory Medal; (CAPT. C.T. TRESIDDER.) Great War Memorial Plaque; (CHARLES TOLMIE TRESIDDER) Mounted in a wooden frame with velvet backing. Part of the frame around the Plaque cracked.
Condition: a crack to the wooden surround of the Memorial Plaque, the frame with a stand to the reverse enabling it to be stood up on a table or flat surface. Nearly Extremely Fine
Along with copied studio image of the recipient and coped group shot taken in Mesopotamia.
Charles Tolmie Tresidder was born on 26th April 1888 in Yorkshire, the youngest son of three sons of John Tresidder, an Indian born Army Captain, and his wife, Amy. The family had a particularly strong connection to Dulwich as not only did Charles and both his brothers attend the College, but their father had been one of six brothers to do so, and seven of their cousins were also Alleynians. Charles himself started at Dulwich in September 1902 and would go on to be a pupil at the school for just over three years. After leaving he eventually took up a position studying medicine at St. Bart’s where he had been due to take his final exams in early 1914 but was prevented from doing so when he broke his leg whilst representing the hospital at Rugby.
Upon Charles’ recovery war had broken out, and as a result he went over to France, spending three months of late 1914 as a volunteer dresser at the Duchess of Westminster’s War Hospital. In January 1915 he enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers and received his commission shortly afterwards. That may he was promoted to Lieutenant and only a few days later was promoted once more, at first on a temporary basis, to Captain. Later that year he was transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment, with whom he would travel to Egypt that November. After several months in Egypt he was sent to what was then called Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq. In March 1916 where he was appointed a Machine-Gun Officer. Several weeks later, in mid-April, he received a serious stomach wound which he succumbed to a few days afterwards, on April 22nd 1916, whilst in a hospital in Amarah. He was survived by his widow, Lilian whom he had married in the Autumn of 1915, and their son Charles, just six weeks old at the time of his death. Having no known grave he is now remembered on the Basra Memorial and is noted as the son of Captain Tolmie John Tresidder, C.M.G. (Royal Engineers) of ‘Trefusis’ College Road, Upper Norwood, London.
Brigadier General W. De S. Cayley, 39th Brigade, XIIIth Division wrote:
Dear Captain Tresidder – I have only just heard of your son’s death from his servant who had gone with him to the stationary Hospital at Amarah. I understand from the man that Lieut. Hodson of the 7th Gloucesters, who was in the same hospital, wrote to you at the time, but perhaps you would like to hear what little I know. Your son was my Brigade Machine Gun Officer and I had a very high opinion of him and his work. On the 19th April my brigade had to attack some trenches held by the Turks at Beit Aiecessa. I brigaded some of the machine guns and put them in position to protect our left flank with your son in charge. The enemy’s shelling was pretty heavy and accurate and I fancy it was a shrapnel bullet which passed through his stomach. His servant took him to the 39th Field Ambulance on the 19th April, where he was kept for the night. On the 20th he was taken down the river to the Officers’ Hospital at Amarah where he died on the 21st. For some reason, which I have not been able to discover, the news of his death only reached me the day before yesterday. I had been buoying myself up with the hope that he had been sent straight off to India. Your son was a most capable and keen officer and a very great favourite with us all. I miss him very much indeed and sympathise with you most deeply. Believe me, yours very truly, W. de S. Cayley,’
Along with the group are photocopies of the recipients Memorial Scroll and forwarding letters for his medals, all of which are still believed to be held by the family as well as a photocopy of a 47 page notebook chronicling Tresidder’s service on the Western Front between September and December 1914 with the British Red Cross and Order of St. John of Jerusalem
