Name: POWLES-CURTIS
Initials: A J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Captain
Regiment/Service: King's Royal Rifle Corps
Unit Text: 17th Bn.
Date of Death: 11/09/1916
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 13 A and 13 B.
Memorial: THIEPVAL MEMORIAL

This officer was a turn up for the books. I had got him as a non commemorated from my research into the Times archives. The attached article is from the Times of 14th Sep 1916. On doing my cross check with the CWGC records he was recorded as above. Being most confused I decided to do some more digging - he had no DC ref on GRO overseas but the UK DC ref matched. Terry sent off for the DC through IFCP which confirmed everything. Before anyone asks I will not be checking the other 72000 names on the memorial.

Chris

Photos courtesy & copyright of Judy7007





My thanks to Judy7007, Wesley, Terry Denham & Danielle at St Marys Cemetery who let me have the grave details in under 5 minutes

Chris

How do double barrelled names work? Why does he appear to be the only person to have ever had that surname? I can't find any reference to his being born with that name. Can't find a reference to a marriage between those two surnames.

Presumably his parents are deceased if his aunt is his NOK. How old was he?

Were members of the Green Room Club exclusively actors?

Did you have to be a barrister to get in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps?



I also expect a 5 minute response time. Thanks.

IPT

Well done Chris.

Is it my eyes or does the inscription read 1918?

Is 6 minutes OK according to the grave he as 37 years old - Inns of Court became an officer training unit on the outbreak of war - dont think you had to be a barrister to be trained by them
The Green Room Club seems to be the oldest actors club going

Dont have a clue to any of the family details

Chris



Diane

its the way the 1916 is written - it does not become clear until you zoom in

Chris

Photo of the Green Room Club War Memorial - at the moment it is not on public display

Hello All

Does anyone have any additional information on Capt Curtis or a photograph?

The memorial, erected by his brother officers and actors is unusual, especially as he died away from the battlefield.

Fascinated.

Maricourt

Maricourt

Im now working with the Green Room Club to transcribe their war memorial so watch this space

Chris

Dear Chris

Just looked at your sister-thread in Soldiers and good luck with the project. It is a fascinating read and I look forward to learning more about Captain Curtis and all the men mentioned on the memorial.

Best wishes ... Maricourt

Chris,
Sorry, I missed this till reaching it via the link in your Green Room Club topic - I tend to concentrate only on Soldiers and Units & Formations!

Here's Powles-Curtis's obituary from the 1916 KRRC Chronicle (which would have saved you a great deal of trouble chasing the Thiepval Memorial entry!):

CAPT. ARTHUR JOHN POWLES CURTIS.
On the outbreak of war Curtis joined the Inns of Court O.T.C., obtaining a commission in the Regiment on the 24th May, 1915, and was posted to the 17th Battalion. He served continuously with this Battalion, being promoted temporary Captain in December, until he was wounded in the operations on the Somme on September 3rd, and died of wounds in Queen Mary's Hospital, London, on September 11th, 1916.

The 17th (British Empire League) Battalion, KRRC operation on 03 Sep 1916 was an attack in the Beaumont Hamel sector. 17/KRRC were acting as support to 17th Notts & Derbys. Captain Powles-Curtis was OC 'C' Coy.

The operation began with an artillery bombardment at 05:10hrs with 17/Notts & Derbys and 16/Rifle Brigade beginning the infantry assault shortly afterwards. The enemy responded with a very effective counter-barrage targetted on No Man's Land, the front line and the communicating trenches where 17/KRRC were assembled.

Word was received at 06:45hrs that 17/Notts & Derbys had established themselves in the German trenches but that support was urgently required. 'B' and 'C' Coys of 17/KRRC advanced to attempt re-inforcement at 08:00hrs still under a very heavy barrage.

While crossing No Man's Land, all the officers and most of the NCO's became casualties, including Capt Powles-Curtis.

By 13:00hrs the attack was cancelled and orders to withdraw back to the original front line were issued by Brigade. All units retreated accordingly.

17/KRRC was raised by the British Empire League with recruiting starting about 21 Apr 1915. Powles-Curtis was commissioned from the Inns of Court OTC around a month in on 24 May 1915. He would have been one of the earlier officers to join the establishment.

By this stage of the War, the Inns of Court OTC was open to all and little connection with its legal traditions. It had re-located to Berkhampstead.

At that stage, the 17/KRRC battalion HQ was at Norfolk House, 3 Laurence Pountney Hill, EC4 (near Monument) with most of the men billeted in Pimlico. Drill was carried out at Devonshire House (above Green Park tube in Piccadilly but rebuilt in 1924) and in Green Park.

Powles-Curtis was one of the original officers who embarked overseas with the battalion (as a Lieutenant) on 07 Mar 1916.

As regards the double-barrelled name, in the KRRC Chronicle he is referred to as both A.J. Powles-Curtis and A.J.P. Curtis, but mostly the former.

Cheers,
Mark

Mark

thanks very much for all of the above

Chris

Especially poignant as today is the anniversary of Arthur's funeral

Not forgotten.

Mark

Mark

yes indeed

May He Rest In Peace

Chris

Gosh, this man is difficult to trace! I'd be interested to hear what the Green Room Club have got on him, and whether anything below is correct at all. He's not immediately obvious in any genealogical records, so I thought I'd do a bit of detective work.

I've come to the conclusion that either the "John Powles" bit was his stage name, or he was adopted.

Looking at the address on the MIC - Miss M.A.Wickens (aunt), 2 Talbot Sq, Sussex Gdns - there is indeed a Minnie WICKENS living at this address on the 1911 Census. She's the 59yo cook to two elderly spinsters, Mary and Katharine BRUCE.

Her age and birthplace (Rotherfield, Sussex), make it fairly certain that she is one of the two Mary Ann WICKENSes born in Uckfield district in Q4 1852 (no Minnies/Wilhelminas born there at the time).

One of these Mary Ann WICKENSes (daughter of William and Susannah, living in Wadhurst by 1861) had a sister Louisa, born Rotherfield Q2 1854), who married James CURTIS (from Necton, Norfolk) in Wandsworth district in Q4 1872.
On the 1881 census, these two have a "son" Arthur, age 1, born Battersea, but I can't find an Arthur CURTIS born in Wandsworth/Battersea in 1879-80.
If he was born plain Arthur CURTIS, then his birth registration might be Lewisham Q3 1879. He's definitely not Woolwich Q1 1880, as this is a different family.

James, Louisa and Arthur are living at 49 Russell St, Battersea, in 1881. James is a bricklayer.

James and Louisa can be tracked through 1891 (still in Russell St), 1901 (at 37 Gladstone Terrace, Battersea) and 1911 (at 32 Brougham St, Battersea), but Arthur isn't with them.
In 1891 he may be the 11yo Arthur CURTIS, scholar at "Catholic Schools, Union Street, South Mimms, Barnet" (St Andrew's boarding school?). But his place of birth is given as "London", so it could easily be someone else.

Given his acting career, in 1901 he is almost certainly the Arthur CURTIS, 21, Actor, born "Islington", boarding with Mary Ann AUSTIN and her daughter Mary at 83 Loughborough Rd, Lambeth.

I can't readily find Arthur in 1911. But the entry for his parents is intriguing:
James CURTIS, Bricklayer, born Necton, age sixty-something overwritten 44 (his DoB varies with each census, but he must be 67-ish by now), wife Louisa, born Wadhurst, Sussex, age 57, married 30 years. [So it's definitely the same couple.] Children born to this marriage: None !

Does this mean that the CURTISes adopted him? Was his name before adoption Arthur POWLES or Arthur John POWLES? I can't find any likely birth registration under any combination.

I think Louisa died in Wandsworth district in Q4 1914, and James is probably one of the several deaths in London between 1911 and 1917 of a James Curtis born between 1843 and 1846, but it's impossible to say which because we never know his true age.
So his aunt Minnie was his closest living relative after the war.

It's all rather confusing really! Hope the Club can fill in some of the blanks.

Adrian

Adrian

nice bit of detective work there - my thanks for that - I will what else the club has got to say - all this from simply finding a grave

Chris