Extract from The Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War, by Captain H. FitzM. Stacke.

Second Lieutenant Chignell was killed during the second battle of Kemmel. The village had been taken by British forces but when the French failed to take Kemmel Hill and provide support for them, they were forced to withdraw from the village to the railway line. The 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment lost 9 officers and 90 N.C.O.’s and men during the battle, including Hugh Chignell.

Arthur Whitmore

Second Lieutenant, 5th Battalion attached 1st Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. Killed in action 7th July 1916. Aged 42. Son of the late John Swinton Isaac, D.L., of Boughton Park, Worcester. His brother, John also fell (see below). In the 1881 census he was aged 7, born Powick, Worcestershire, a scholar, son of John S. and Amelia A. A. Isaac, resident The Court House, Malvern Road, Powick, Upton on Severn, Worcestershire. In the 1891 census he was aged 17, born Powick, Worcestershire, a Student at Harrow School, son of Amelia A.A. Isaac (a widow), resident Boughton House, Boughton Street, Worcester, Worcestershire. In the 1901 census he was aged 27, born Powick, Worcestershire, a Banker, son of Amelia A. A. (a widow), resident Boughton Park, Upper Wick, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Worcester, Worcestershire. In the 1911 census he was aged 37, born Powick, Worcester, a Banker, married to Lucy Isaac with one son, resident Upper Wick near Worcester, Worcester St John Bedwardine, Worcestershire. No known grave. Commemorated on THIEPVAL MEMORIAL, Somme, France. Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C. First team member for Worcestershire County Cricket Club from 1899-1911. See also Worcester Guildhall and Worcester Cricket Club and Lords MCC WW1 Memorial and Worcester Masonic Hall memorials.

Extract from The Worcestershire Regiment in the Great War by Captain H. FitzM. Stacke of the Regiment, 1928.

On the 7th and 8th July the drizzle developed into heavy rain, converting the trenches into troughs of knee-deep mud. At about 2 p.m. the enemy were heavily reinforced and commenced a powerful attack. The German artillery pounded the ruins held by the Worcestershire, and strong bombing parties of the enemy worked down from the higher ground. A desperate struggle raged round the ruins of the Church, where a party of the Worcestershire, inspired by two brave subalterns, 2nd Lieutenant A.W. Isaac and 2nd Lieutenant W.B. Burns, fought on till all were overwhelmed.

Extract from Evening Despatch - Tuesday 26 June 1917, page 3:

WORCESTER OFFICER’S WILL.
FORMER COUNTY CRICKETER LEAVES £13,000 ESTATE.

Lieutenant Arthur Whitmore Isaac, Worcester Regiment, of Upper Wick, Worcester, a partner in the banking firm of Berwirk, Lechmere, and Co., and afterwards a director of the Capital and Counties Bank, who played cricket for his county and was a member the Worestershire Hunt, and who was killed on 7 July, has left estate of the gross value of £13,241.

In the event of his having come into the Boughton Park property, then he leaves it in trust for his wife for life, with remainder to his son, Herbert Whitmore, and his issue. All his property he leaves to his wife for life and then for his two sons, Herbert Whitmore and John William Vernon.

ISAAC

John Edmund [Valentine]

Captain, 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade. Born 14th February 1880 at Powick Court, Worcestershire, died 9th May 1915 at Rouge Bancs, Fromelles Ridge, Armentieres, France. Son of the late John Swinton Isaac, D.L., of Boughton Park, Worcester. His brother, Arthur also fell (see above). Awarded the DSO. First team member for Orange Free State 1906/07 and Worcestershire County Cricket Club from 1907-1908. Buried in NEW IRISH FARM CEMETERY, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium. Plot XXXI. Row F. Grave 13. Also appears on Worcester Guildhall, Worcester Cathedral cloister windows and Lords Cricket Members World War 1 Memorial.

Extract from Distinguished Service Order 1886-1915 published by Naval & Military Press:

ISAAC, JOHN EDMUND VALENTINE, Capt., was born 14 Feb. 1880, at Powyke Court, Worcestershire, son of John Swinton Isaac, D.L., of Boughton Park, Worcester, Banker, and Amelia Alicia Anne, daughter of Major-General R. H. Crofton, Royal Artillery. He was educated at Wixenford and Harrow, and was gazetted to the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers at York 9 May, 1900. He joined his Regiment in South Africa, on active service, leaving England on 28 June, 1900. He was dangerously wounded at Nooitgedacht (General Clements' action on the Mahaliesburg 13 Dec. 1900); and, after two years' sick leave, went back to duty. He had been gazetted Lieutenant 28 Nov. 1900, and became Captain 1 April, 1905. On the disbandment of his battalion he was gazetted to the Rifle Brigade 24 June, 1908, and subsequently served in Malta and Egypt. In the autumn of 1911 he sent in his papers, and went to Vancouver, British Columbia. On rumours of war he at once returned to England, and joined the Rifle Brigade, Reserve of Officers, 1 Sept. 1914. Capt. J. E. V. Isaac was appointed A.D.C. to Major-General Sir Thompson Capper, Commanding the 7th Division, and went to Flanders on his Staff in Oct. 1914. He was present at the First Battle of Ypres, where he was badly wounded in the left arm. For his services at that time he was mentioned in Despatches, and created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 1 Dec. 1914]: "John Edmund Valentine Isaac, Capt., Reserve of Officers, The Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort's Own). He has shown conspicuous gallantry on all occasions, and has always obtained reliable and valuable information when required. On 24 Oct. he guided a unit to a critical point with great skill, which resulted in checking the enemy. He was wounded in the engagement." With his arm still rather useless, he returned to duty on 19 Dec. 1914, and obtained leave to rejoin his Regiment, 2nd Battn. Rifle Brigade, 5 May, 1915. Four days later he was killed, leading his men, on the Fromelles Ridge. The " Athletic News " of 6 Sept. 1915, says: "Capt. J. E. V. Isaac (Rifle Brigade), unofficially reported killed, was a member of the well-known Worcestershire cricketing family. Since 1903 lie had been a member of the M.C.C. In Nov. last he received the D.S.O." Capt. Isaac was a good cricketer; played for his county and his Regiment. He was a member of I Zingari and the Free Foresters' Club. He won the Cairo Grand National in 1911, while with his Regiment in Egypt. He was a keen huntsman and hunted with the Worcestershire, Pytchley, York and Ainsty, etc., etc.

See his statistics on CricInfo

Extract from The Bond of Sacrifice Volume 2:

CAPTAIN JOHN EDMUND VALENTINI ISAAC, D.S.O., RESERVE OF OFFICERS attd. 2nd BATTN. RIFLE BRIGADE (THE PRINCE CONSORT'S OWN, third son of John Swinton Isaac, Esq., D.L., of Boughton Park, Worcester, was born at Powyke Court, near Worcester on the 14th February, 1880.

He was educated at Wixenford and at Harrow, and was gazetted to the Northumberland Fusiliers from the Militia in April, 1900, and, being posted to the 2nd Battalion, sailed in June to join it in South Africa. Thus he began his military career on active service in the Boer War, in the course of which he was severely wounded in December, 1900, at Nooitgedacht. He was present at operations in the Transvaal, Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony between May, 1900, and March, 1901. For his services he received the Queen's medal with four clasps. He was promoted Lieutenant in November, 1900, and Captain in April, 1905. On the disbandment of his battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers he was transferred, in June, 1908, to the Rifle Brigade.

In 1911 Captain Isaac retired from the Army, and went to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he made many friends. On hearing rumours of war he returned to England in August, 1914, and in a fortnight joined the Special Reserve of Officers. Shortly afterwards he was appointed A.D.C. to Major-General Sir T. Capper, Commanding the VIIth Division, and proceeded to the front in October, 1914. He was wounded on the 24th October at the first Battle of Ypres. For his behaviour there he was awarded the D.S.O., receiving the decoration at the hands of the King on the 15th April, 1915.

The following is the official record of the award: “Has shown conspicuous gallantry on all occasions. Has always obtained reliable and valuable information when required. On October 24th he guided a unit to a critical point with great skill, which resulted in checking the enemy. He was wounded in the engagement."

He was also mentioned in Sir John French's Despatch of the 14th January, 1915. On recovering from his wound he returned to his duties on the Staff in December, 1914, rejoining his Regiment on the 7th May, 1915. He was killed on the 9th May near Fromelles while leading his men. He fell just after they took the German trench, but it was not possible to recover his body.

Captain Isaac, who was a member of the Bath Club, was a good cricketer, playing occasionally for his county, and belonging to the I Zingari, the Free Foresters, and the M.C.C. He was also a good rider, and won the Cairo Grand National in February, 1911.

ROWE

F

ALSO IN MEMORY OF
THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN SINCE
IN THE EVERLASTING
FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

ALSO
THOSE
WHO FELL
IN THE 1939-45
WAR