Francis Octavius Grenfell

Picture from The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 5 June 1915

Riversdale Nonus Grenfell

Picture and article from The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 26 September 1914

Beaconsfield St Mary & All Saints

To the heroic memory of
Captain Francis Octavius GRENFELL  VC
9th Lancers and
Riversdale Nonus GRENFELL
attached to the 9th Lancers
Twin sons of
Pascoe Du Pre Grenfell
late of Wilton Park
Born 14th Sept 1890
Killed in Flanders
24th May 1915
14 Sept 1914

They died for England

This window is dedicated by their family

They were lively and pleasant in their lives and in their deaths they were not divided

 Photo by Peter Underwood

Click photo to enlarge

Eton College

 Photos by Peter Underwood with the permission of Eton College

Francis Octavus [sic: should be Octavius] Grenfell VC
Captain 9th Lancers
Killed in action at Ypres 24th May 1915

Riversdale Nonus Grenfell
Captain, Bucks Hussars (attached) 9th Lancers
Killed in action at the Aisne 14th September 1914

Additional information about these two casualties can be seen at:

• Grenfell Family History Site (web archive of dead site)
• Francis O. Grenfell and Riversdale N. Grenfell, A Memoir by John Buchan (to turn pages, use left and right arrows at foot of page)

To commemorate the centenary of the beginning of World War I, the Government announced that a commemorative ‘paving stone’ would be situated in the birthplace of every VC. Captain Grenfell was born in Guildford but spent most of his life in Beaconsfield. In circumstances like this, the purchase of a duplicate ‘paving stone’ could be considered. Captain Grenfell’s stone is shown below close to the Beaconsfield War Memorial. The original is in Guildford. The date is when the VC was awarded not the date of death. For further information please visit BBC News: Beaconsfield remembers WW1 hero Francis Grenfell.

Captain Francis GRENFELL
9th (Queen’s Royal) Lancers
24th August 1914

Photo by Peter Underwood