Cyril Martin Cassidy
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Cyril was born in 1893 in Ilford and was the son of the late Thomas Cassidy a bank clerk , of Church End, Finchley, London and his wife Mary (nee Simmons) and was one of five children born to the couple. He was educated at the Mercer School in London and then went on the King's College in Londonand by the 1911 census he is 18 years of age and living with his family at 6 Hawthorns,Regents Park Road,Finchley he is shown on the census as single and a scholar. During his time at King's college he obtained,by open completion a clerkship in the Estates Duty Office at Somerset House
He joined the Artisit Rifles in October 1912 and volunteered for overseas service at the outbreak of the war and left for France with the 1st battalion on 27th October 1914. After passing through the cadet school at Balilluel he was given a temporary commission in the 1st battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps on 23rd April 1915. H was mortally wounded during the advance near Richebourg L'Avou in the battle of Festubert , on the night of 15th - 16th May while leading his platoon over the rampart of a German trench and died in the field hospital at Bethune the following night and was is buried in Bethune Town Cemetery, France
A comrade who served with him in the Artists Rifles said of him: "He had an extraordinary easy-going manner, always cheerful and ready to laugh if things went wrong. His heart was in the right place."His is also commemorated on the memorial at King's College Chapel.
