Bernard Charles Vick
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Bernard Charles was the youngest son of Victor Valentine and Kate Vick (neé Heather). His father Victor Valentine was born in Portsmouth in 1856 (bap. Portsea All Saints), the son of Charles Richard and Mary Vick. The family lived at 17 Princes Street, Portsea. His mother Kate Heather was born in Chichester, Sussex, in 1862. Victor and Kate were married in 1887 and had nine children, all born in Chichester: Ellen Mary, Victor Henry, Leslie Francis, Edith, Margery, Bernard Charles b. 1896 (A/M/J Chichester), Dorothy Gertrude, Hilda Josephine and Kathleen Dora. In 1891 Victor (35), a gas company's clerk, and Kate (28) were living on South Street, Chichester, with their three children Ellen (3), Victor (1) and Leslie (under 1 year). Also in the household was a general domestic servant. By 1901 the family had moved to 12 Basin Road, Chichester; Victor was now assistant manager at the gas works. He and Kate had seven children: Ellen, Victor , Leslie, Edith (8), Margery (6), Bernard (4) and Dorothy (under 1 year). In 1911 the family was living at 2 Ettrick Road, Chichester; Victor was now secretary of the gas company. Seven of their nine children were at home on the night of the census: Lelsie a bank clerk for Barclays Bank, Edith a student, Margery, Bernard, Dorothy (10), Hilda (8) and Kathleen (8). Their eldest daughter, Ellen was living with a cousin, Walter Sayes and his wife Alice, in Chichester, while their eldest son Victor, a carpenter and joiner, was a boarder at Foreland Road, Bembridge, Isle of White. Bernard's parents were stlil living on Ettrick Road when he was reported missing in October 1915. His father completed a form for the army in July 1919 listing Bernard's surviving relatives: parents, Victor and Kate, of 'Kintore', Etterick Road, Chichester, brother Leslie Francis and sisters Ellen (31), Edith (26), Margery (24), Dorothy (19), Hilda (18) and Kathleen (16) of the same address, and Victor Henry (29) of North Street, Chichester. Bernard's parents were still living at the same address when his father Victor died on 4 January 1925. His mother Kate was living at 108 Whyke Lane, Chichester, with her two unmarried daughters, Edith and Kathleen, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled. She was still living at the same address when she died in 1948. Victor Henry attested on 10 December 1915; he was married, had one child and was a newsagent and stationer. He had served in the Dorset Regiment (Territorial Force) but joined the Royal Field Artillery (212551 Gunner) and probably served in India from mid-1917. He was demobilized in 1919, home address Chichester. Leslie Francis served in the Essex Yeomanry (847) but was later commissioned in the Royal Field Artillery and was awarded the Military Cross (Salonika, Balkans; London Gazette 3 June 1919).
Bernard Charles enlsited in the Territorial Force on a four year engagement on 14 September 1914 at the age of 18 years 5 months and joined the 8th Bn Sherwood Foresters. He was appointed lance corporal on 8 December 1914. He later transferred to embodied service and having served for ten months at home embarked at Southampton on 28 June 1915 for France, disembarking at Rouen the same day. Bernard joined his batallion on 18 August 1915. He took part in the action at the Hohenzollern Redoubt in October 1915 and was reported missing in the field on 14 October 1915. A Court of Inquiry was held the following February to ascertain whether Bernard might be reasonably supposed to be dead. (See 'Extra information' for the proceedings of the Inquiry.) His service records shows that a report on 5 December 1916 confirmed that his death had been accepted for official purposes 'on or since 14 October 1915.' Bernard Charles has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Bernard qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of the Loos Memorial (extract): 'The Loos Memorial forms the sides and back of Dud Corner Cemetery. The Cemetery stands almost on the site of a German strong point, the Lens Road Redoubt, captured by the 15th (Scottish) Division on the first day of the battle. The name "Dud Corner" is believed to be due to the large number of unexploded enemy shells found in the neighbourhood after the Armistice. The Loos Memorial commemorates over 20,000 officers and men who have no known grave, who fell in the area from the River Lys to the old southern boundary of the First Army, east and west of Grenay, from the first day of the Battle of Loos to the end of the war.' (www.cwgc.org)
Bernard is also commemorated on the Chichester City war memorial, Litten Gardens, Chichester, and on the Rumboldwhyke war memorial in the parish church of St George. Bernard was initially reported missing in action and his service documents include an account of the Court of Inquiry which was held on 4 January 1916: 'Proceedings of a Court of Inquiry assembled at Molingham, France, on the 4th day of January 1916 by order of Lt Col SE Blackwall office commanding 8th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters for the purpose of collecting all the evidence relating to the disappearance of 2465 L/Cpl BC Vick, after the action at Hohenzollern Redoubt on Oct. 13-14 1915 and not satisfactorily accounted for, and for recording an opinion as to whether it is reasonable to suppose that the soldier is dead. President Captain JW Turner 8th Sherwood Foresters, Members 2nd Lieut RV Harvey 8th Sherwood Foresters, 2nd Lieut HK Simonet 8th Sherwood Foresters.' The Court of Inquiry documents included the evidence of a witness from Bernard's platoon, the document is slightly damaged: 'Document: Evidence: 1st Witness. No. 1560 Cpl WG Moore 8th … ‘On the afternoon of October 13th 1915 L/Cpl Vick and I, the Battalion grenade platoon in one of the supp(-) Hohenzollern Redoubt under 2/Lieut Hemingway. As far as I remember … 2,45pm. We had orders to move up to the old (-) line trench: this we did, and I saw L/Cpl Vick in (-) trench. This was the last I saw of him. I and the (-) of the Grenade platoon went over the parapet, but (-) say whether he went over with us or not.’ Signed WG Moore.' Note: 1560 Corporal Walter Gilbert Moore 8th Bn Sherwood Foresters, d. 26 June 1916. 'Opinion: ‘The Court having carefully considered the above are of opinion that the evidence available insufficient to come to any decision [text missing] No. 2465 L/Cpl BC Vick was killed [text damaged] made a prisoner of war..’ Signed at Molingham, this (-) day of (-). Signed John W Turner Captain and RV Harvey 2/Lieutenant and HK Simonet 2/ Lieutenant, members.' Note: Captain HK Simonet MC 8th Bn Sherwood Foresters, d. 29 April 1918. Chichester Observer and West Sussex Recorder, Roll of Honour, 17 March 1915: ‘Chichester. Vick, Bernard, 8th Notts & Derby. Vick, Leslie, Essex Yeomanry.' (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). Note: A ROH of those serving was probably published weekly. Chichester Observer, ‘The War’, 27 October 1915: ‘A Chesstrian Missing. Mr VV Vick, the Secretary of the Chichester Gas Company, received news on Monday that his youngest son, Bernard, had been missing since October 15th. He is in the Sherwood Foresters, and according to a letter from the Lieutenant of his Company he failed to answer the roll call after they had been in action. The Captain in his Company had previously been reported killed.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Chichester Observer, ‘The War’, 3 November 1915: ‘Lance-Corporal Bernard Vick: Chichester. Some further news has been received concerning Lance-Corporal Bernard Vick of the Sherwood Foresters, the youngest son of Mr VV Vick, of Chichester. According to a letter from his brother, Leslie Vick, who is attached to the Signalling Section of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, who was able to see some of his comrades, Bernard was in charge of a bombing party that went forward, and inasmuch as nothing of this party has since been heard, it is possible that they were made prisoners. Before joining the Sherwood Foresters, Lance-Coporal Vick was a student at Kelham College, his intention being to enter holy orders’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his father Victor Valentine Vick was his legatee.
