Lt Richard Bracken Farrer aged 37

Richard Bracken Farrer was born on the 12th April 1880 at “Woodlands”, Midgley, Yorkshire, Richard was the youngest son of Lt Colonel Arthur Farrer and Edith Annie Bracken. Richard had an elder brother, Arthur and two younger sisters, Edith and Hilda. In the 1891 census Richard and brother Arthur are at boarding school in Nottingham, Richard was also a boarder in 1899 at Rossall Boarding School, Lancashire before attending Oxford in 1903. After Oxford, Richard as well as being a Director of the families paper business, Jonathan Bracken & Sons Ltd, trained to be a Solicitor. When war broke in 1914 Richard enlisted at the Inns of Court Officers Training Corp in the September of 1914. Upon completion of his training, he was assigned to B Company of the 5th Bn Leicestershire Regiment. 2nd Lt Farrer sailed to France with the Battalion, landing at Le Harve on February 28th 1915. He was back in London in the July, where he married Alicia Bray Webb at St Matthews Church, West Kensington on July 22nd 1915. Richard’s return to his unit was however brief, on September 13th a German bombardment killed 11 and wounded 39 of the unit, Richard was evacuated with shrapnel wounds. It would be nearly two years before Richard rejoined his unit on 25th May 1917. When he did, fate dealt the harshest realities of war upon him. June 1917, two days of training in readiness for an inevitable offensive, on June 6th , the Battalion moved into the front line trenches West of Lens, Northern France, to make their final preparations. June 8th 1917 at 8:30pm the 5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment, The Tigers, went over the top, their objective was to take Hill 65. C Company, attacking on the right, led by Captain Moore went very well. B Company, attacking on the left, led by Capt Wynn was halted by withering German machine gun fire, Capt Wynn and 2nd Lt Richard Farrer were killed. The Battalion suffered total casualties of 5 Officers and 91 other ranks. The Battalion Commander speaking of Richard said, ’As you know, he was in my company; we came out here together, and he helped me through many trying times. He was very much loved by his men and by everyone, and died gallantly leading his men in face of very heavy machine gun fire. I feel his loss very much indeed; he was always such a thorough man and did his work so well’. Richard is Buried at Bulley Grenay, his grave is tendered by the War Graves Commission.

His name is also recorded on the Roll of Honour at Rossall Boarding School, Lancashire and on the stained glass window of St Mary’s, the Church where he was christened.