Captain Lord Richard Wellesley

Lord Richard Wellesley was the son of Col Arthur Charles the 4th Duke of Wellington, born on 30 Sep 1879.' He had served in the Boer War, and on 30 Apr 1908 married Louise Fitzgerald . They had two daughters. He was killed near the village of Gheluvelt on 29 Oct 1914.' The 1st grenadier Guards were in 20th Brigade, 7th Division. This is a quote from 'The Seventh Division' by C T Atkinson:
'It was pretty clear that the First Division's line had been penetrated, for Germans were swarming forward along the road to Gheluvelt in strength. They came on shoulder to shoulder, presenting splendid targets of which the Grenadiers took ample advantage, though the support trenches proved a mere snare, being so deep that the men had to get out into the open to fire. Still, even when the King's Company had been brought up by Major Stucley, the second in command, the Grenadiers were too few to stay the advance of such overwhelming masses. Major Stucley led one counter attack which thrust the enemy back, but they surged forward again, and in heading a second he was killed and most of his men went down. The pressure increased every minute; Capt. Lord R. Wellesley was killed in a counter attack on the right, and before long No, 4 Company was forced back from the trenches to a brickyard in the rear. Here a brief stand was made, but finally the remnants of the battalion recoiled to a wood some distance back.'
The regimental history says that Captain Wellesley was shot through the head while making a counter-attack with his no.3 Company shortly after Maj Stucley of King's Company.' The 1st Battalion was left with 4 officers and 100 men out of 1,000 only days before.'

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