On this day in 1915 Captain Lewis Shapter was killed in action.
Lewis was a regular officer who, before the war, had served in Canada for over three years prior to returning home on the outbreak of war.
Born in September 1886 in Exeter, his parents died when he was only two years old. This left Lewis and his four siblings as orphans.
Three of the children (John, Una and Lewis) were looked after by a housekeeper initially but Lewis later went to live with his Aunt Frederica (sister of his late mother) who lived in Bournemouth with her husband, a retired colonel.
Another child, Elsie, was put up for adoption and adopted by a Mr Upcott and his wife. Elsie married (and later divorced) Leslie Duke Knocker and became a nurse during the Great War as mentioned below.
As Lewis's grandfather and great-grandfather had both served in the Suffolks it was only natural that, after leaving Stourwood College, Lewis would gravitate to that regiment - joining them in 1904. Promoted to Lieutenant in 1905 he won a silver cup for shooting in 1908.
It seems that on returning to the UK Lewis was attached to the 1st Battalion Hampshire Regiment and subsequently (for reasons speculated on below) was attached to the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. He was killed on 31 January 1915. His death is recorded in the 2/Bedfords war diary as shown below.
Above: War Diary 2/Beds (TNA WO 95/1658)
In the de Ruvigny roll of honour it is stated he was attached to the 1/Hants but no reference is made to the 2/Bedfords. It is also noted that he was "Buried in the Military Cemetery Chateau Rosenberg, Coix le Blanc" however this is not necessarily correct as the exhumation report for his later burial suggests he was originally buried at (map reference) 36.H.33.d.1.6, which is on the Rue des Bassier, as shown on the Trench Map below. It is a short distance south of Fleurbaix.
Above: The yellow dot shows Shapter's original grave position.
It is likely Lewis Shapter was originally buried in Croix-Blanche British Cemetery which was in a garden by the road leading South-East from Croix-Blanche. The cemetery was begun by the 2nd Yorks and the 1st Grenadier Guards, and used from November 1914 to July 1916; it originally contained the graves of 36 soldiers from the United Kingdom.
The graves of Lewis and others buried here were, post-war, concentrated into Y Farm Cemetery.
Above: The headstone of Lewis Henry Shapter in 'Y' Farm Cemetery
As mentioned above, it is notable that Lewis was the brother of Elsie Knocker who - with Mairi Chisholm - one of the 'Madonnas of Pervyse'.
Above: Elsie and Mairi. Elsie was the sister of Lewis Shapter
Here the plot thickens. The war diary of the 1/Hampshires reports that some eight days into February there occurred the death of Arthur Padget Knocker. Arthur was a cousin of Leslie Duke Knocker (Leslie being Lewis Shapter's former brother-in-law).
Although we can't be certain after more than one hundred years, but given the fact Elsie had divorced Leslie Knocker, it may be that Lewis was uncomfortable being in the same battalion (1/Hants) as someone related to his wife and therefore managed to transfer to the 2/Bedfords.
Above: Extract from the war diary of the 1/Hampshires detailing the death of AP Knocker (TNA WO 95/1495).
Whilst the death of Lewis Shapter is unremarkable, the activities of Elsie (his sister) and Mairi are now quite well known.
Further information about Elsie and Mairi can be watched on a WFA webinar presentation which can be viewed on the WFA's YouTube Channel - this is also available below.