mentionedindespatches

Albert Baswitz, b 1892 in Bradford, a student teacher and former member of London University OTC, was commissioned into 22nd (County of London) Battalion The London Regiment (The Queen's). He was the son of Mr Herman Baswitz, a German citizen and an enquiring agent with an insurance company. The family home in 1911 was at 40 Tamworth Street, Fulham, London. Albert Baswitz was a student at King's College 1911-14 and afterwards at the London Day Training College. He passed his Intermediate Arts examinations in 1912 and graduated with a Mathematics BSc with Honours in 1914. The award of a Military Cross to 2Lt (Temporary Lt) Albert Baswitz is published in the Supplement of 14 Jan 1916 to Edition 29438 of the London Gazette dated 11 Jan 1916. 2Lt (Temp Lt) Baswitz was promoted to Temp Capt with effect 5 Jul 1916. [LG 29694 dated 4 Aug 1916]. 2Lt (Temp Capt) Baswitz was promoted to Lt (Temp Capt) with effect 12 Sep 1916 [LG 29778 dated 10 Oct 16].//

The King's College London Memorial contains the following extract from the King's College Review of December 1916 kingscollections.org/warmemorials/kings-college/memorials... Captain Baswitz met his death gallantly leading his men against the Germans on September 16th last. A brother officer writing of his death says: "His sheer keenness for the whole thing was wonderfully infectious. On the 16th his chance came - the chance he had been longing for. He was ordered to take his company up and reinforce another battalion which was going to attack. So he died, gallantly leading his men, doing a work that he was always anxious to do." Another writes: "His men, especially the bombers, adored him. There was no more popular officer in the whole division. His example will always be before us." His Colonel, writing to his bereaved parents, said: "He was one of the bravest men I have ever met and one of the best of friends, beloved by the officers and all of his men too."

In September 1916 the strong and dominating German position in the notorious ‘High Wood’ feature still remained to be taken. III Corps was assigned to assault this feature, as part of a broad attack on Martinpuich and Flers Courcelette, using 47th (London) Division. 47th Division, commanded by Major General Charles Barter, had recently arrived on the Somme and they relieved 1st Division in trenches in front of their objective on 10th September. Tanks were to be used for the first time in this attack, but because of the proximity of the British front line to High Wood the 3 day artillery preparation that was to be brought down elsewhere, commencing on 12th September, was not fired for 47th Division. Maj Gen Barter and the Commanders of 140, 141 and 142 Brigades wanted to temporarily pull back to allow the British artillery to include High Wood in the fire-plan, but they were overruled by HQ III Corps. Barter also, correctly, had misgivings about the ability of the tanks to negotiate the tree stumps and craters in and around High Wood. At 06.20hrs on 15th September the 47th Division attack began with 50th Division on their left and the New Zealand Division on their right. The first wave, left their trenches before ‘zero’ and lay out in formation, consisted of London battalions from 141 Brigade – 17th Battalion (Poplar & Stepney Rifles), 18th Battalion (London Irish), and two companies 15th Battalion (Civil Service Rifles) from 140 Brigade. The Germans immediately responded with artillery and machine-gun fire. 15th Battalion suffered 80% casualties and had both Company Commanders killed. The tanks, as predicted, became ditched and stuck and were left behind. As the attack lost momentum the second wave of 141 Brigade, 19th Battalion (St Pancras) and 20th Battalion (Blackheath & Woolwich) went over the top. Meanwhile on the left of High Wood 140 Brigade was caught by enfilade fire quickly countered by 7th Londons who got into the ‘Switch Line’ trench. 8th Londons (Post Office Rifles) followed them into the churned and stump filled wood and despite taking heavy casualties began to roll-up the German positions – this advantage was quickly exploited by 6th Londons (Rifles) who reinforced them at 0820hrs. The infantry battle for High Wood became a savage, close-quarters, hand-to-hand fight which raged for 5 hours during which the London battalions had to call for close artillery and trench mortar fire to neutralise the enemy in prepared positions in the north, north-west and eastern extremities of the wood. Eventually the Germans were overrun and began to surrender. By 1300hrs the British finally held High Wood, though the Germans continued to bring down artillery fire. 142 Brigade, (21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th Londons) were quickly moved into High Wood to tackle any by-passed positions and consolidate the ground taken. The 332 men killed and wounded in 17th Battalion reflected the desperate ferocity of the battle which cost 4,500 British casualties. On 19th September, 47th Division was relieved in place by 1st Division. The GOC, Maj Gen Barter was immediately relieved of his command by the III Corps Commander, Lt Gen Pulteney, who accused him of unnecessarily wasting men. This was manifestly unjust as Barter had strongly objected to attacking without preliminary artillery support and the consequences chiefly arose from the flawed III Corps plan. Maj Gen C StL Barter was awarded a KCG in 1916 and a KCMG in 1918, but was denied the official enquiry into his dismissal from command.//

Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists following details BASWITZ, ALBERT Rank:Captain Date of Death:16/09/1916 Age:24 Regiment/Service:London Regiment 1st/22nd Bn. Awards:M C Grave ReferenceI. E. 13. Cemetery FLATIRON COPSE CEMETERY, MAMETZ Additional Information: Twice Mentioned in Despatches. Son of Mr. H. Baswitz, of 40, Tamworth St., Fulham, London. Theses details can be found here www.cwgc.org/search-for-war-dead/casualty/556251/BASWITZ,... A photo of his grave can be found here twgpp.org/information.php?id=3201880

Albert is one of my cousins. I added him to our family tree last year as his name was not included on the same tree where his father, mother and three other siblings are. From English census records was able to verify he is/was very much a part of our family. He died too young, but he died valiantly. As another of our cousins pointed out, there was a very good chance Albert was fighting his own cousins across enemy lines as there were others of our relatives who fought on the German side during WWI, unbeknownst to each other.

DSO awarded in New Year Honours (Military) 1 January 1917, published in the London Gazette of 29 December 1916. Promoted from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant on 17 November 1897. London Gazette of 18 January 1898. Promoted to Captain on 10 October 1900 and having been Seconded for Service to the Militia Artillery as an Adjutant from 19 September 1903, he was 'restored to the regular establishment of the RGA on 15th February 1909 - London Gazette of 19 March 1909. Freegift W Van der Kiste married (13 Nov 1900) Evelyn Grace Shipley (1876-1939) of Salisbury, Wilts. They had four sons, one of whom, Wg Cdr Robert Edgar Guy Van der Kiste was a distinguished RAF pilot with Coastal Command in the Second World War - DSO, OBE, and twice Mentioned in Despatches. Other sons were William Reginald Robert Van der Kiste, b. 28 Oct. 1901; Edward Conway Van der Kiste, b.19 Ap. 1903; and John Clement Van der Kiste, b. 1907, who was killed in action in Belgium aged 33 when serving as a Captain with the North Staffordshire Regiment on 28 May 1940. A grandson, John Van der Kiste, son of Guy (above), is a noted historian and writer. Freegift W Van der Kiste married again in 1943.

Freegift, an unusual name.

Unusual, but not unique. There may be a family tradition of using this name - there's a glimpse of a Freegift William Vanderkiste, born 1792 in Cork, Ireland, son of Mark Vanderkiste and Mary Anne Osborne. He is listed as a Freeman of the City of Cork 1710-1841 at www.corkarchives.ie/media/freemen1710-1841.pdf There was also a Freegift Chamberlain (1758-1838) who, though born in London, fought as a Private soldier in the General Newell's Pennsylvania infantry in the American Revolutionary War of 1776. Perhaps there is a family connection. There appear to be strong roots of the Vanderkiste family in Pennsylvania, where the origin of their name might be from Sweden - 'Kiszt'.//

I couldn't find the name Van der Kiste in either Holland or Belgium, so a Dutch adaptation of a Swedish name seems plausible. It often happened to non-Dutch settlers in the Dutch colonies of NE America. In 1655 the Dutch overran the colony of New Sweden (modern PA and NJ) which fell under Dutch colonial administration from then on.

Mr John Van der Kiste, the historian grandson of Lieutenant Colonel Freegift William Van der Kiste, has provided the following details. Freegift was always known as "Bill". He possibly had three siblings. Margaret Elizabeth (b.1876); John Edward; and Robert, - but no dates of birth (or death) for the two latter. The surname, Van der Kiste, is Dutch, apparently a group of them arrived from Holland at about the time of the 1688/9 Glorious or 'bloodless' revolution, and settled in Southern Ireland, establishing themselves in or near Limerick. They were staunch Protestants and when the troubles in Ireland became serious, at about the time of the 1916 Easter Rising, the family came over to England, basing themselves in the Winchester area. To which I can add that during the Great War, John Edward Van der Kiste served in the Royal Marine Artillery. He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Artillery in 1899, and a Captain in 1910, being relegated to the Royal Marines Reserve in 1917.//

The CWGC has this additional information:

Additional Information:
Son of Alexander and E. J. Cooke, of Nottinghill House, Belfast.

Notting Hill House, Belfast www.flickr.com/photos/gerryward/1717209254/

A Charles E Cooke, aged 26, born Belfast was a passenger on board a steam ship in Holyhead harbour on census night 1911. He was described as a Merchant's Clerk.

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/