25 March 1915 : Lieut. Eric Robert Meade Odling, Royal Engineers

Eric Odling was born on 30 October 1893, Darjeeling, Bengal, India

Location of Darjeeling, Bengal, India  (cc OpenStreetMap)

Eric's parents were Charles and Alice (née Meade). His father Charles Odling was the chief engineer for the India Public Works Department. 

Bringing in the Darjeeling tea harvest, circa 1890

At the 1901 Census, age 7, Eric was living with his parents, older sister Winifred and a domestic servent in Frimley, Surrey. 

At the 1911 Census, age 17, Eric was a boarder at school in Cheltenham College. In a sheet of 29 names six boys were born in Inida, several in Ierland, one in the USA and one in Paris). By this time his parents were back in England and living in Wimbledon. 

The Chapel at Cheltenham College

Eric went straight from school in 1912 to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 20 December that year. He was promoted to Lieut. 12 Nov 1914 and appointed in due course to Acting Adjutant to the Signalling Company, at Headquarters. 

He was invalided home in October 1914 but returned to duty in January 1915 joining the Field Company at Givenchy 11 March. 

British troops watching German prisoners being marched to captivity at Festubert, May 1915. (c) IWM Q 90283

He waskilled in action, Festubert 25 March 1915

Gorre British And Indian Cemetery (c) CWGC 2022

He is buried in the Gorre British And Indian Cemetery

Sources: De Ruvignys; Census Returns 1901, 1911; IWM Photographic Archive; Wikipaedia, OpenStreetMap; Cheltenham College Roll of Honour.