Captain Wilfred Stanislaus Stapleton-Bretherton

Family details:
Son of Frederick and The Hon. Isabella Stapleton-Bretherton, of The Hall, Rainhill, Liverpool.

Census details:
1891 - 4 years old Wifred S is living at Peterfield, Fareham, Hampshire with parents Frederick (50), Isabella (42) and eleven siblings: Frederick B (18), Robert (15), Evelyn (14), Agnes (13), Edith (12), Winfride (11), Edmund (9), Ethel (7), Monica (5), Vincent (2), Gertrude (2 mths). Also at the address are servants Louisa Morris (39), Hannah Geary (42), Anne Cox (42), Anne Stockley (25), Mary Budd (24), Mary Pritchard (21), Agnes Hall (20) and Margaret White (22). 1901 - 14 years old student Wilfred is at Beaumont College, Old Windsor, Berkshire.

The First Officer Casualty Captain Wilfred Stanislaus Stapleton-Bretherton 4th Bn., Royal Fusiliers Killed in Action, 8th November 1914 Born on 26 November 1886, Wilfred was the son of Frederick Annesley Stapleton-Bretherton and Hon. Isabella Mary Petre. After attending Beaumont College in Windsor, he was listed in the London Gazette of 6th April 1906 as being awarded a commission as Second Lieutenant with the 3rd Battalion, Hampshire Regiment. He transferred to the Royal Fusiliers on 22nd January 1908 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 18th October 1911. The 4th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment), were based on the Isle of Wight when war broke out. They were very quickly mobilised and moved to Le Havre on 13th August 1914 and were then involved in the early actions of the war in the Mons area. Lt Stapleton-Bretherton arrived in France on 25th October 1914. The War Diary for the 4th Royal Fusiliers states that he joined them 28th Oct 1914 after heavy losses "only 8 officers and 350 ORs left now". For the 8th November, the War Diary reports, -still in trenches, very heavily shelled all day several attacks by the enemy on our trenches all repulsed. One particularly heavy attack on 'Y' Coy at about 6pm was repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy. 'Y' Coy under Lt Stapleton-Bretherton charged the enemy who were advancing on our trench. The Coy drove the enemy away but went too far as Lt Bretherton ,2nd Lt Jackson & most of the Coy are missing." The following is an extract from pages 58/59 of the Royal Fusiliers in the Great War by H.C. O'NEILL: 'On the night of November 6th the 4th Bn. took over the positions from the 6th Cavalry Bde, east of Hooge, on the south side of the Ypres-Menin road. They had some difficulty in reaching their positions as the roads about Ypres were blocked with traffic. But they settled down on the edge of the Herenthage Wood with Zouaves on their left and the Northumberland Fusiliers on their right. Almost at once the Bn, now so weak, became merged in the great crisis of Ypres. On November 7th the Zouaves were blown out of their trenches. On the following day(the 8th) the shelling continued all day, and several minor attacks were beaten off. The most serious blow fell upon Y Company, But the Zouaves were forced back, and the Germans got into the wood, round the Fusilier's open flank. STAPLETON-BRETHERTON and JACKSON, with half of Y Company delivered a violent counter-attack and penetrated to the German trenches. Very few of these gallant fellows came back. The two officers and 62 men were seen no more. But, thanks to this charge and the advance of the West Ridings, the line was restored.' See also page 59 British Battalions in France and Belgium by WESTLAKE - several enemy attacks repulsed (8th). One attack driven back by "Y" Company under Lt.STAPLETON-BRETHERTON who charged the enemy. Most of the Company missing. War Diary records heavy shelling throughout -"This is much the most severe shelling I (Lt.G.THOMAS -O'DONEL) have seen during the war." CWGC states that Lt. Stapleton-Bretherton died 8th November 1914, but "Burke's Peerage" gives 11th November 1914 as his death date. It seems likely that 8th November was when he was missing in the action, but he may have been taken prisoner and died of wounds 3 days later. The London Gazette of 6th April 1915 reported his promotion from Lieutenant to Captain, dated 24th February 1915 (later changed to 18th February 1915). The Liverpool Echo of 5th February 1915 reported that he was now reported to be a prisoner of war, though as we now know, he had in fact died three months previously. He does not have a marked grave and is remembered on the Menin Gate memorial in Ypres. (Courtesy of [url=http://www.prescot-rollofhonour.info/]Stephen Nulty[/url]) [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/Stapleton-Bretherton1.png[/pic][caption]Manchester Courier 27/01/1915[/caption] [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/Stapleton-Bretherton-1.png[/pic][caption]Liverpool Echo 05/02/1915 (Newspaper clips courtesy of [url=http://www.prescot-rollofhonour.info/]Stephen Nulty[/url])[/caption] [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/Stapleton-Bretherton2.jpg[/pic][caption]The panel on the Menin Gate Memorial bearing the inscription for Lieutenant Wilfred Stanislaus Stapleton-Bretherton[/caption] [pic]imgs/WW1_headstones/Stapleton-Bretherton.jpg[/pic] [pic]imgs/WW1_headstones/Stapleton-Bretherton_2.jpg[/pic][caption]A dedication for Captain Wilfred Stanislaus Stapleton-Bretherton at Rainhill (St Bartholomew's) Churchyard (Photo courtesy of Jeff Keenan)[/caption] [center][url=http://www.rainhillremembers.uk/the-stapleton-bretherton-family.html]The Stapleton-Bretherton Family on Rainhill Remembers[/url][/center] [pic]imgs/WW1_ext/LoweHouseMem3.jpg[/pic][caption]Wilfred is remembered on the [url=lmem.php?lmem=10]Lowe House Memorial[/caption]