Lieutenant Francis Cecil Hyde of the 1st Battalion Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment), was born 1897 at Portsmouth the son of Matthew Hyde (born 1859) and Florence Fraser (born 1870) of 5 Neville Park, Tunbridge Wells.

The 1901 census records him with his family at 13, Western Parade, Portsmouth. Matthew aged 43 was a retired solicitor born at Portsmouth. Florence aged 29 was born at Rochester. Children recorded, all born at Portsmouth, are Dorothy aged 6 and Francis aged 4. Louis Bloch aged 29 was the governess, born Switzerland.

He was educated at St Christopher’s, Eastbourne, Hurstleigh, Tunbridge Wells and Wellington College, where he is recorded in the 1911 census as a pupil.

From Wellington College he went to Sandhurst in July 1914. He gained a prize cadetship and was gazetted as a 2nd Lieutenant in December and posted to the 1st Battalion QORWK.

His Medal Index Card records arriving in France on the 16th of April 1916. He was promoted to Lieutenant in May and fought in the Battle of the Somme.

On the 19th of April 1917, he was killed in action at Vimy Ridge, in the Battle of Arras.

The Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser for the 20th of April 1917 reports his death and his life in some detail and includes the following letter received from the Colonel of the Regiment.

“I am unable to give any details due to the censorship, but I can tell you that your son met his death whilst most gallantly leading his men in what was the biggest defeat of the Germans in this war up to now. It was largely due to your son’s courage and dash that the battalion captured nine German guns including three heavy howitzers. He was not, however, killed until he had done all that was necessary, and he knew before he was hit that we were not only victorious, but that our success had exceeded all expectation”.

Francis was buried close to where he fell but in the post Armistice concentration of graves he was exhumed and interred in the Nine Elms Military Cemetery at Thelue, north of Arras.

He is remembered on the Wellington College Roll of Honour on the war memorials of Rusthall and Tunbridge Wells and upon the grave of his parents – Matthew who died on the 29th of August 1929 and Florence who died on the 26th of April 1945.