salonika

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 Commonwealth War Graves Commission has following entry for this soldier Rank:Lieutenant Date of Death: 04/10/1918 Age: 25 Regiment/Service:Royal Scots Fusiliers 3rd Bn. attd. 3rd Bn. Royal Fusiliers Grave Reference C. 25. Cemetery GUIZANCOURT FARM CEMETERY, GOUY Additional Information: Son of the late Evan Alcock Nepean and of Evelyn Maud Nepean, of Verulam Lodge, 24, Church Crescent, St. Albans. Born at Woodfield, Hatfield, Herts.

This officer is related to Evelyn Charles Yorke St Vincent Nepean RFA who is also included in this IWM portfolio. Evelyn Charles Yorke St Vincent Nepean's father, St Vincent Nepean, b. 1844, and Evan Alcock Nepean's grandfather, Sir Even Colville Nepean, b. 1836, were brothers; sons of the Reverend Cannon Evan Nepean, b. 1800. //

excellent shot

In 1911 Evan was alone in the house with his father at 27a Sloane Square, now a branch of Kookai (!) maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=27a+sloane+square&ba.... There were 3 servants: a Nurse, a Cook and a Maid. The Great War Forum 1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=45157 has this on 3rd Royal Fusiliers: On 4th Oct 18 they had been in France since 14th July and, after training, marched to the front as part of 149th Brigade, 50th Division. They had marched overnight on the 3rd october and at 6.10am the following morning they advanced between Le Catelet and Vendhuile upon a redoubt at Richmond Copse. They had to move down the slope to the Scheldt Canal and then up the slope on the other side. They were enfiladed from both flanks, from Le Catelet and Vendhuile, but reached their objective at 7.30am. Finding themselves isolated they withdrew nearly to the start line. They took over 300 prisoners including several machine gun teams and the 4/KRRC later advanced over the same ground with very few casualties. They lost 9 officers killed, including Nicholson and Nepean; 2 officers wounded; and 139 other tanks casualties. The regimental history of the RF suggests this was the highest number of officers killed in one action by any battalion of the RF. Evan Cecil Nepean is listed on www.thepeerage.com thepeerage.com/p23884.htm Also in the War Graves Photographic Project twgpp.org/information.php?id=2271370 Evan is listed in De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour Vol 5 which states that he was killed at Le Catelet and quotes a 'brother officer' who wrote: "He was one of the bravest gentlemen that ever wore the King's uniform, and his death has been felt more than anybody's. He was a grand character, brave, loyal and courteous, always thinking of his men's comfort." Another said: "His loss is very great, he was so popular, and such a good soldier. He has always done well - his best. He was cheerful in all circumstances, and gallant in danger beyond anything. We have lost one of our best, one of the type we most wanted to be spared." The Chaplain wrote: "Though he probably did not know it, he was a great help to me spiritually." St Alban's, High Street War Memorial www.roll-of-honour.com/Hertfordshire/StAlbansHighStreet.html The London Gazette 2 Apr 1915 www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29118/pages/3255/page.pdf 10484 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 23 OCTOBER, 1915 shows him as Second Lieutenant (on probation) www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29337/supplements/10484/p... Given his Christian name he is probably related to Sir Evan Nepean (c.1752-1822) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evan_Nepean and thus loosely connected to the actor Hugh Grant!

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/

Tragic.

He joined the army under age . Suffered a lot of sickness. Came home but enlisted again, The poor guy was dead by age 18. What a sad story.

According to CWGC website he was Private 544. Son of Mrs. M. A. Evans, of 13, Tyr Nest, Bonymaen Rd., Swansea. Public family tree on Ancestry shows he was the son of John and Mary Ann Evans (nee Francis) and was born in Swansea circa 1899. In 1901 the family were living at 8 Owens Row in Swansea where Mr Evans was a Lead Smelter. By 1911 they had moved to another house in the same street at 5 Owen's Row, Kilvey Road, Foxhole, Swansea. Ivor had 3 older brothers and one younger.

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/