September 1918: Royalty and World War I

by Susan Flantzer

Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alexander Thynne
Timeline: September 1, 1918 – September 30, 1918
A Note About German Titles
September 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

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Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alexander Thynne

Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alexander Thynne; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Born on February 17, 1873, Lord Alexander Thynne was the youngest of the six children and the third of the three sons of John Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath and The Honorable Frances Vesey, daughter of Thomas Vesey, 3rd Viscount de Vesci.

Known as Alex, he had five older siblings:

Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath (1862–1946), married Violet Caroline Mordaunt, had five children, their eldest son 2nd Lt. John Thynne, Viscount Weymouth was killed in action in 1916. See Unofficial Royalty: February 1916 – Royalty and World War I
Lady Alice Thynne (1863–1942), married Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart, 8th Baronet , no children
Lady Katherine Thynne (1865–1933), second wife of Evelyn Baring, 1st Earl of Cromer , had one son
Lord John Thynne (1867–1887), unmarried
Lady Beatrice Thynne (1867–1941), unmarried

Alex joined the Wiltshire Yeomanry Territorials as a second lieutenant in 1897 and served in the Boer War (1899-1902). In 1910 , he was elected an Member of Parliament for Bath and held that position until his death. At the start of World War I, he was in camp with the Wiltshire Yeomanry Territorials as a Major in command of “A” Company and the second in command of the regiment. His first cousin Colonel Ulric Thynne was the commanding officer.

Alex arrived in France in July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme and almost immediately became the commanding officer of the 8th Battalion Gloucester Regiment due to the previous commanding officer’s injury. On July 30, 1916, while urging his men on, Alex was shot in the chest, damaging his right lung and liver. He spent some time in an army hospital in Boulogne, France and returned in mid-August to England to recover. In mid-December, having been declared fit for duty and now attached to the 10th Battalion Worcester Regiment, he returned to France.

In January 1917, Alex received the Distinguished Service Order and the Croix de Guerre. He returned to the Wiltshire Regiment and became the commanding officer of the 6th (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Battalion. The battalion was engaged in heavy fighting in Ypres and Cambrai. In March 1918, the battalion was in Baupaume and suffered heavy casualties. Alex was wounded by a piece of shrapnel that was embedded in his left arm. By the end of March 1918, he was back in England recovering. Despite suffering severe wounds twice, Alex was anxious to return to duty. On the same day he was deemed fit to return to duty, he wrote a letter requesting to return to his original battalion in France. He could have taken a position behind the lines or back in England or he could have returned to his duties in Parliament – Members of Parliament were exempt from military service – but that was not his style.

Alex was back in France by the end of May 1918 and on September 14, 1918, he was killed at the age of 45. The following letter was written by an army chaplain to his next of kin, his brother Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath:

“It is with very great regret that I write to offer you my sincere sympathy on the death of your brother Lord Alex. Thynne, in command of this battalion. He was killed while on his way to take over some fresh Head-Quarters. A shell burst right on top of the party whilst they were trying to shelter in a ditch at the side of the road. The doctor was badly wounded, the Signal Officer was killed instantly, and your brother died from the effects of his wounds within a few minutes. The bodies were brought down to our transport lines this morning, and they were buried this evening at 6.00pm. The Senior Chaplain took the service and I helped him. The coffin was carried by four sergeant-majors and the bugler sounded the “Last Post” at the end of the service. The Divisional General was present and a good many others. Your brother’s death will be a great loss to the Battalion, to every man of which he endeared himself. Personally, although I have been only a few months with him, I shall miss him very much.” (Information from Led by Lions: MPs and Sons Who Fell in the First World War by Neil Thornton)

Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alexander Thynne was buried in the Bethune Town Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France.

Grave of Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alexander Thynne: Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Timeline: September 1, 1918 – September 30, 1918

The Western Front in France in September 1918; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

September 1–2 – Battle of Peronne, a phase of the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin, Mont Saint-Quentin, near Péronne, Picardy, France
September 2–3 – Battle of Drocourt-Queant Line, final phase of the Second Battle of the Somme, between the French towns of Drocourt and Quéant
September 10 – Battle of Savy-Dallon, a phase of the Hundred Days Offensive
September 12 – Battle of Havrincourt, a phase of the Hundred Days Offensive, in Havrincourt, France
September 12–19 – Battle of Saint-Mihiel, a phase of the Hundred Days Offensive, in Saint-Mihiel, France
September 14 – Battle of Vauxaillon, a phase of the Hundred Days Offensive
September 14–29 – Vardar Offensive, final offensive on the Balkan Front, in Vardar Macedonia (present day Republic of Macedonia)
September 15 – The Allies (French and Serbs) break through the Bulgarian lines at Dobro Polje, a phase of the Vardar Offensive, in Dobro Pole (present day Republic of Macedonia)
September 18 – Battle of Epehy, a phase of the Hundred Days Offensive in Épehy, France
September 18–19 – Third Battle of Doiran, a phase of the Vardar Offensive, in Dojran Lake, Kingdom of Serbia (present-day Republic of Macedonia)
September 18 – October 17 – Battle of the Hindenburg Line, a phase of the Hundred Days Offensive, the Allies break through the German lines, at the Hindenburg Line in France
September 19–25 – Battle of Megiddo, the British conquer Palestine in Tel Megiddo and surroundings, Ottoman Syria (now Israel)
September 19–25 – Battle of Nablus, a phase of the Battle of Meggido
September 19–25 – Third Transjordan Attack, a phase of the Battle of Nablus in the Jordan River valley
September 19–25 – Battle of Sharon, a phase of the Battle of Megiddo
September 19 – Battle of Tulkarm, a phase of the Battle of Sharon
September 19 – Battle of Arara, a phase of the Battle of Sharon
September 19–20 – Battle of Tabsor, a phase of the Battle of Sharon
September 20–21 – Battle of Nazareth, a phase of the Battle of Sharon
September 23 – Battle of Haifa, a phase of the Battle of Sharon
September 25 – Battle of Samakh, a phase of the Battle of Sharon
September 25 – Second Battle of Amman, a phase of the Third Transjordan Attack
September 26 – November 11 – Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the final phase of the Hundred Days Offensive and of World War I, in France
September 26 – Battle of Somme-Py, Initial phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, in France
September 27 – Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub, a phase of the Capture of Damascus
September 27 – October 1 – Battle of the Canal du Nord, a phase of the Battle of the Hindenburg Line, in Canal du Nord, France
September 28 – October 2 – Fifth Battle of Ypres (also known as Advance on Flanders), a phase of the Battle of the Hindenburg Line in Ypres, Belgium to Ghent, Belgium
September 29 – October 10 – Battle of St. Quentin Canal, a phase of the Hundred Days Offensive
September 30 – Bulgaria signs the Armistice of Salonica, an armistice with the Allies
September 30 – Battle of Saint-Thierry, initial phase of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
September 30 – Charge at Kaukab, a phase of the Capture of Damascus
September 30 – Charge at Kiswe, a phase of the Capture of Damascus

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A Note About German Titles

Many German royals and nobles died in World War I. The German Empire consisted of 27 constituent states, most of them ruled by royal families. Scroll down to German Empire here to see what constituent states made up the German Empire. The constituent states retained their own governments, but had limited sovereignty. Some had their own armies, but the military forces of the smaller ones were put under Prussian control. In wartime, armies of all the constituent states would be controlled by the Prussian Army and the combined forces were known as the Imperial German Army. German titles may be used in Royals Who Died In Action below. Refer to Unofficial Royalty: Glossary of German Noble and Royal Titles.

24 British peers were also killed in World War I and they will be included in the list of those who died in action. In addition, more than 100 sons of peers also lost their lives, and those that can be verified will also be included.

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September 1918 – Royals/Nobles/Peers/Sons of Peers Who Died In Action

The list is in chronological order and does contain some who would be considered noble instead of royal. The links in the last bullet for each person is that person’s genealogical information from Leo’s Genealogics Website or to The Peerage website If a person has a Wikipedia page or a website page with biographical information, their name will be linked to that page.

Wolf Ernst, Graf von Stolberg-Wernigerode

son of Constantin, Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode and Elisabeth, Princess of Stolberg-Wernigerode
born December 7, 1895 in Merseburg, Saxony (Germany)
killed in action September 1, 1918 in Soissons, France, age 22
http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00062845&tree=LEO

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Prince Ferdinand of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich

son of Ludwig, Prince of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich and Louise, Gräfin zu Lynar
born May 25, 1886
killed in action September 1, 1918
http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00354861&tree=LEO

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Prince Albrecht of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

son of Prince Wilhelm of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenac h and Princess Gerta of Ysenburg and Büdingen
born December 23, 1886 in Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
killed in action September 9, 1918 in Gouzeaucourt, France
http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00191500&tree=LEO

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Lieutenant Colonel Lord Alexander George Thynne (see above)

son of John Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath and The Honorable Frances Vesey
born February 17, 1873
unmarried
Lieutenant Colonel in the Wiltshire Regiment
killed in action September 14, 1918 in France, age 45
buried at Béthune Town Cemetery in Pas de Calais, France
http://www.thepeerage.com/p2453.htm#i24526

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Lieutenant Colonel The Honorable Arthur Reginald Clegg-Hill

son of Rowland Clegg-Hill, 3rd Viscount Hill and his second wife The Honorable Isabella Wynn
born June 15, 1877 at Hawkstone Hall in Hodnet, Shropshire, England
married 1905 Evelyn Hilda Sinclair Bell, had two daughters who did not survive infancy
Acting Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2nd Battalion, Cheshire Regiment
killed in action September 18, 1918 in Salonika, Greece, age 41
http://www.thepeerage.com/p22104.htm#i221032

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Ferdinand-Joseph, Graf von Galen