Captain Kenneth Carlyle Gill MC
1st Cambridgeshire Regiment (attached 22 Sqd RAF)
Died of Wounds 23rd October 1918, aged 28
Lived at West Wittering, Sussex
Buried in Fillievres Cemetery, France - A.32
Burnley Express 16th November 1918 - 16th November 1918

Capt K C Gill MC of No 22 Sqn RAF (formerly 1st Bn, Cambridgeshire Regt) died on 23 October 1918 from injuries received the previous day while flying Bristol F2B C4888 with his observer 2Lt J V Scorton, who was severely injured. They were on a practice flight which left 11-40am and crash-landed at 102Sqn and the aircraft was wrecked.
Capt Gill’s MC was awarded while serving with 1/1st Cambs Rgt. His citation reads: “For gallant and most useful work on patrol duty on several occasions. Near Ypres, he went with another officer along the line of the enemy’s trenches to investigate some dead ground concealed from our trenches. On 14th May 1915 he went out and remained on the German parapet one and a half hours gathering valuable information. On the night of 1st-2nd June, near Houplines, when reconnoitering hostile wire with another officer, the patrol was discovered and heavily fired upon. Lt Gill though severely wounded, made repeated efforts to bring in his brother officer, who was wounded and unable to move within 20 yards of the German trenches.” (LG 15-9-15).

His MC also related to the incidents noted for his Mentioned in Despatches (Supplement to LG 1-1-16) – when Sir John French’s despatch of 15-10-15 cited him as one of the ‘three examples of special gallantry’ by which French wished to illustrate the spirit of the army.

His brother was the famous sculptor Eric Gill and at St Peter and St Paul’s Church West Wittering is the Parish War Memorial beautifully carved by Eric Gill on which twenty names are recorded in black with the year of death in red. One of them is Captain Kenneth Carlyle Gill MC of the Cambridgeshire Regiment killed in action on October 22 1918. Kenneth and Eric's father was vicar of West Wittering 1914-30. Kenneth Carlyle is also commemorated in an attractive stained glass window in the south aisle. The glass shows St George in a blue cloak and carrying a red shield and St Patrick dressed in green.

From “Flight” November 14th 1918 – Personals – Casualties.
Capt. KENNETH CARLYLE GILL, M.C., R.A.F., who recently died of wounds received in flying back from a hospital (believed to have been to visit his wounded brother, probably 2nd/Lieut Evan Gill who was twice wounded)), was the sixth son of the Rev. A. T. and Mrs. Gill, of West Wittering Vicarage, Chichester. He first went out in February, 1915, as sec. lieut. in the 1st Cambridge Regt., having been at St.Catharine's College, Cambridge, two years, intending to take Holy Orders with a view to becoming a missionary under the auspices of the S.P.G. He was soon promoted to lieutenant, and was distinguished for his skill and coolness in patrol duty. In trying to bring in his brother officer, who had been mortally wounded, he himself was severely wounded. He received
the M.C., but was in hospital for over ten months. On rejoining his old regiment in 1916 he became attached to
the R.F.C., and in 1917 became an instructor in the R.A.F. He went out to the front again last September. Capt.
Gill was educated first at Pennington House School, Bognor,and later at St. John's School, Leatherhead, of which he wasan exhibitioner. Capt. Gill married this year (6th April 1917) Louise Gwendolen, the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Cullen, of Mickleham Downs, Surrey.

Younger brother Lieut Cecil E.G. Gill RFC POW 23/8/1918 released November 1918

Last 11 November, we organized in our small village of 500 citizens, the celebration of the Centenary of the end of the Great War. It was a very beautiful and emotional day.
Ten english persons were crossing the Channel between England & France to come especially to honor their ancestor who are burried in the British cemetery : Captain A.C.F. Hill and Private H. Williamson.
We paid this fine tribute to the Poilus (nickname given to the french soldiers) and to the Tommies. We offered to our village a beautiful proof of dynamism and dedication.
The Director and the Teachers of the Fillièvres's school will be also proud of the beautiful performances of their little pupils, who, let's not doubt for a moment, will perpetuate, when they have grown up, in the same way as us, historical memory and respect for values.
A special thanks for you, who has contributed to give to me a lot of information about the Captain Kenneth Carlyle GILL.
As a gift for you, I would like to give to you my last study (No. 39):
"The soldiers of the English cemetery of Fillièvres will never be unknown".

(Courtesy of Mr. Stephane Oniszczyk- Scribe of The Association "Les Amis du Vieux Fillièvres")