Hubert Francis Fitzwilliam Brabazon Foljambe

Foljambe was gazetted to the Kings Rifle Corps 6th March 1895 and promoted to Lieutenant 18th Feb 1898, Captain 20th July 1901 and Major 17th July 1912. He served in the South African war 1900-02, took part in operations in Natal and the Transval, and was for some time Commandant at Helvetia. For his services he was awarded the Queen's medal with 2 clasps and the King's medal with 2 clasps.When the European war broke out, he went out with the first Expeditionary Force in August 1914; served through the retreat at Mons and was killed in action on the Aisne 14 September 1914. Major H.F.F.B. Foljambe Worksop Guardian 16 Oct 1914The late Major H.F.F.B. Foljambe of the King’s Royal Rifles. Third son of the Right Hon. F.J. Savile Foljambe, of Osberton who was killed in action on Sept. 19th 1914.Hubert Francis Fitzwilliam Brabazon Foljambe was an Old Etonian born in 1872, commissioned into the Kings Royal Rife Corps in 1895 with whom he served with credit in the Second Boer War 1899-1901 when he was promoted to Captain and then Major in 1912.At the outbreak of The Great War he was aged 42 and in command of B Company of the 2nd Battalion KRRC stationed at Aldershot.The 2nd KRRC landed in France at Havre on 13 August 1914 and with the rest of the 1st Division formed part of 1 Corps under the command of General Sir Douglas Haig, part of 80,000 strong British Expeditionary Force. After taking part in the Battle of Mons and thereby holding back the German advance, the BEF were forced to make an arduous retreat, marching for 12 days until the French General Joffre organised a French Reserve Army and attacked the Germans on the River Marne on 7 September forcing them back to the River Aisne where The Allies attacked again on 12 September. The 2nd KRRC with Major Foljambe took part in all these actions.The Brigade attacked the Germans on the Northern slope of the river just after dawn on 14 September. Hard fighting took place with ground gained then lost to counterattack and then regained. With 14 officer casualties including four dead and 306 other ranks from the one battalion. Hubert Foljambe was one of the dead officers. The KRRC Chronicle states ‘He was killed in action ... during a gallant charge on the Aisne. His body was riddled with bullets ... A better man never wore a Rifleman’s jacket’.Hubert Foljambe’s body could not be found for formal burial or re-burial so his name appears on the Memorial to the Missing at La Ferte-sous-Jouarre.Robert Ilett November 2014...................................................................................................

Memorial Scofton St John's: 'In loving memory of Hubert Francis Fitzwilliam Brabazon Foljambe, Major King's Royal Rifles, who was killed in action on the heights of the Aisne, 14th Sep. 1914. Sans peur et sans reproche. In sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection.'Further information about Hubert Foljambe and other relatives who served in the Great War can be found in, 'Family at War: the Foljambe family and the Great War', Brigadier Jolyon Jackson (2010), ISBN 978 1 84425 943 2). (RF)Research by Colin Dannatt