Biography of Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke 1877-1916

On 19th June 1877 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke was born to Edward Meyricke (age 33) and Evelyn Maria Richardson. He was baptised at All Saints Church, Cheltenham on 30th May 1877.

On 1st September 1897 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 20) was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Royal Fleet Auxillary but a year later appeared before Medical Boards on 4 Aug 1898 in London and on 9 Nov 1898 in Horfield Barracks, Bristol. The cause was that he had had an epileptic fit in the Spring, but the boards concluded that he had not had any further since then so after the second board he was declared fit for duty.

On 28th November 1899 a Medical Board concluded that Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 22) was suffering from epilepsy so sent him back to the UK to recover.

On 1st September 1900 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 23) promoted to Lieutenant.

In 1902 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 24) returned to South Africa to serve in the 2nd Boer War in 1902 in operations in the Cape Colony and Orange River Colony for which he was awarded the Queen's South African Medal with three clasps.

Before 30th September 1903 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 26) went to India and served in 'E' Battery, Royal Horse Artillery.

On 30th September 1903 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 26) attended a Medical Board at Mhow since he was suffering from extreme debility and insomnia due to service in India, as well as attacks of malaria. He was therefore instructed to return to the UK to recover and was described at the time as phlegmatic of character and regular of habits.

On 1st September 1904 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 27) was promoted to Captain.

In 1907 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 29) was serving in 56 Battery RFA when he attended two further Medical Boards, one at Devonport on 3 August and the other at Bristol on 3 December. They concluded that he was suffering from nervous weakness accompanied by uncontrollable muscular spasms which were occurring several times a day. The board at Bristol though concluded that he had recovered sufficiently so was "suffering from some slight undefined nervous symptoms" and that getting back to duty would be good for him.

On 9th September 1914 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 37) landed at St. Nazaire, France with his unit as part of the British Expeditionary Force.

On 30th October 1914 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 37) was promoted to Major and had a few days leave in Paris from 24 Nov 1914. At some point he returned to the UK and was assigned to 58 Bde to be the commander of B/58.

On 2nd February 1915 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 37) intervened to try to help one of his men, Gnr WSS Lewis (11163), obtain a separation allowance for his wife.

On 1st July 1915 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 38) sailed on SS "Knight Templar" from Devonport, arriving in Alexandria on 14th July 1915. A box of safety cartridges was sent after him on SS "Ionic" which sailed from Devonport a few days after his departure.

On 28th July 1915 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 38) sailed from Alexandria, landing at Suvla Bay on 9th August 1915.

On 12th November 1915 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 38) was admitted to 35 Field Ambulance with jaundice and was evacuated to Malta on HMHS "Kildonan Castle", arriving in Malta on 18th November 1915. He was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital, Bighi (now Villa Bighi, Kalkara, home of Heritage Malta) overlooking the Grand Harbour. As well as the jaundice he had tropical ulcers on one of his legs and his back and an unspecified gradually worsening "nervous disease". A week later, the jaundice and ulcers had largely healed but Maj Meyricke was still suffering from considerable weakness and debility. He had wished to stay on Malta until he was fit for duty but was instead told that he was to be evacuated back to the UK on HMHS "Soudan" on 25th January 1916.

On 25 or 27th January 1916 Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke (age 38) committed suicide in Malta. His body was found in the grounds of the hospital. Suicide by shooting himself with a small automatic pistol he had smuggled into the hospital a few hours before he was due to be evacuated back to the UK - he had wanted to stay on Malta so as to be able to rejoin his battery. Maj Meyricke had himself carried on a wheeled chair to the terrace at the front of the hospital over-looking the harbour, sat on a wooden garden seat and after a few minutes produced a Colt automatic pistol he had hidden about himself and committed suicide. He was buried in Pietà Military Cemetery, TTriq id-Duluri, Malta.

On 17th February 1917 Lieutenant-Colonel Robert James Francis Meyricke (age 38) was killed in action at the Battle of Boom Ravine near Miraumont whilst rallying his men. He was buried at the Aveluy Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.

Memorial to Lieutenant-Colonel Robert James Francis Meyricke and Major Rupert Chabbert Meyricke at St Laurence's Church, Ludlow [Map].

Lieutenant-Colonel Robert James Francis Meyricke: On 3rd January 1879 he was born to Robert Henry Meyricke and Katharine "Kate" Carswell Clerk at 7 Porchester Square, Bayswater. He was baptised on 17th February 1879 at In 1917 he was appointed Lieutenant Colonal in the 11th Battalion Royal Fusiliers attached to the 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment.