Name
Horace Lennan Willats
19 April 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/12/1917
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
East Yorkshire Regiment
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HIGHGATE CEMETERY
79.40479
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Stained Glass Window, Hitchin Boys Grammar School, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Berkhamsted - Berkhamsted Collegiate School
Pre War
Horace was born on 19 April 1894 in Finsbury Park, London, and baptised on 22 June 1894.
In St Mark’s Church, Noel Park: Lymington Avenue, Wood Green, Haringey,
his parents were Francis Montague Allen and Margaret Jane Willats (née McLennan) who married on 6 July 1881 in St John the Evangelist Church, Finsbury Park: Gloucester Drive, Hackney, London.
In 1891, before Horace was born, the family were living at 27 Lordship Lane, Tottenham, Middlesex. Present were both parents: Francis (33) and Maragret (34), with Francis working as an inspector of Insurance agents. Their children were: Margret E (9), Francis I (7), Allen M (5) and Alton Henry (1). A domestic servant, Ester Bailey (21).
He attended the Hitchin Grammar School from 1903 to 1909 including two years in the school kindergarten. He qualified for the Oxford junior certificate with French as his special subject. On leaving he went to Berkhamsted school.
By 1901 the family were living at 17 Verulam Road, Hitchin. Present were both parents, with Francis working as an assurance agent. All their children above were present except Frances, and they had been joined by Horace Lennan (6). They now had two domestic servants Lydia Smith (21) and Gertrude Saunders (21).
By 1911 the family were living at Glenlyn, Wymondley Rd, Hitchin. Present were both parents, Francis still an assurance agent. Of the children only Alton and Florence remained at home, Alton was 21 and working as a builder’s assistant. They still had two domestic servants, Florence Wilshire (15) and Ellen Clifton (35), and at the time of the census two visitors were also there and William Dorch (23) and Georgina Dorch (24). Horace was at school at the Berkhamsted Collegiate School and boarding at Alderley, Chesham Road, Berkhamsted.
Wartime Service
Horace was names in the Daily News of 25 February 1914 as one of the gentlemen cadets that had been commissioned to second lieutenant on the 24th and served with East Yorkshire Regiment. He
arrived at Mudros on the 14 July 1915 on his way to Gallipoli with the 6th battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment., landing at Suvla Bay on the 7 August 1915.
He was shot through the head behind the eyes at Suvla Bay but amazingly recovered and was sent to the front again. The Battalion distinguished itself amid the hopeless muddles of General Ian Hamilton and his Staff.
At the time of his death Horace was in the 7th Battalion of the Regiment and was Bombing Officer at a Midland Camp in England when a grenade, thrown by a private soldier, exploded prematurely. Both were seriously injured "but Captain Willats first and last thoughts before he succumbed to his injuries were for the young private". His older brother Alton, who was with the York and Lancaster Regiment must have been too far away because he was called to identify his body.
His death most reported in several papers in the staff's Sentinels of 20 December 1916 his death was reported as follows:
“It appeared that on Sunday morning deceased was taking part in bombing practise, and was in charge of the operations. Private Partridge was assigned to throw a grenade, and having removed the safety pin he threw the grenade, which exploded soon after leaving his hand. The deceased was struck in the mouth and other parts of his body by fragments of the grenade. The officer was removed by the stretcher-bearers, and taken to the medical hut. At the time of the premature explosion of the grenade, the deceased was standing about four yards from the thrower and the rear of him.
Sergeant Ellershaw, in his evidence, stated that the grenade was timed to explode 5 seconds after it left the throwers hand, but in this case the grenade exploded one second afterwards. His explanation of the premature explosion was that it was a faulty grenade, and he added that Pte. Partridge, who himself injured, was in no way to blame. The witness said that he had seen thousands of grenades thrown, and this was the first faulty 1 he had ever experienced."
The inquest verdict was death from wounds accidentally caused.
He is buried in Grave 79.40479 in the Highgate Cemetery, St. Pancras in north London.
Additional Information
His pension cards refer to his mother but contains few details.
After his death various sums were recorded, but it is not clear to who they were paid. The sums were £0 6s 4 (12/16) and £1 19s 0d (3/17), plus effects of £62.
F M Willats Esq. applied for his medal on 18 November 1919, when he was living at Wymondley, Heath Gate, Hendon, London, NW4. – the same date that he applied for Alton Henry’s medals.
Probate 17 July 1917
His brother Alton Henry was killed in 1917.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
