Second Lieutenant Hubert Foveaux Weiss, Post Office Rifles

Hubert Foveaux Weiss was born in London in 1889 and grew up in Hanover Square, Mayfair as the only son of a wealthy surgeon of Great Ormond Street and the West London Hospital, who he was named after. His father died young in a yachting accident near Gosport, Hampshire in 1892, after retiring early due to his considerable private means.

Hubert's mother later remarried to prominent Irish Nationalist John O’Connor Power, who was MP for Mayo from 1874 – 1885 and later President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. He became known for his fierce oratory and obstruction of parliament, as a strong advocate for Irish Home Rule.

Hubert grew up in London and by 1911 was resident at 7 Luttrell Avenue, a suburban area of Putney, south-west London. He studied at Epsom School then the University of London, being a member of the Officer Training Corps (OTC) there as a Private in 1914.

Post Office records show that he was in their employment as an Assistant Surveyor for the General Post Office before his war service, having joined in 1912. This was a role with significant responsibility - it included the management of a district's postal operations, and as such Surveyors could be influential members of a society which relied heavily on postage for communication. 

It is unclear exactly when Hubert enlisted, but pension records show he initially served as a Private in the 28th Battalion, London Regiment (Artists’ Rifles), and then was commissioned as an officer in the 8th Battalion, London Regiment (Post Office Rifles). Many enlisted members of the Artists’ Rifles, which attracted large numbers of university students and public school boys, were transferred as officers to other units, and Hubert’s pre-war employment with Post Office would have made him a natural fit in his new unit, with which he stayed until his death. 12,000 men served with the Post Office Rifles throughout the First World War, and the three battalions of the unit fought with distinction from 1915-1918, with around 1,800 being killed.

Hubert’s battalion formed part of the 174th (2/2nd London) Brigade of the 58th (London) Division, a division comprised entirely of Territorial units made up of pre-war 'Saturday soldiers', mostly from across London. The division saw hard service, most notably at the Battle of Passchendaele and the Hundred Days Offensive in the closing months of the war.

It was during these closing months that Hubert lost his life. Not much is forthcoming about the exact nature of his death but it occurred at the time his unit was engaged in the Second Battles of the Somme, as part of the British Fourth Army, during which allied forces pushed the Germans back to their final defensive positions, victory ensuing shortly after. 

Hubert died of wounds on 3rd September 1918, presumably as a result of this fighting. He now lies in Heilly Station Cemetery, a large cemetery on the site of a former major Casualty Clearing Station, at which soldiers who were wounded across the Somme were treated, and where many, including Hubert, succumbed to their wounds.