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Herman J L Willink

2 Park Terrace

History of 2 Park Terrace

1913 –

1918

Captain Herman J L Willink of Duke Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, son of Rev Arthur Willink (d 1913) died of wounds 5.11.1918

From Tonbridge at War website:

CAPT. HERMAN JAMES LINDALE WILLINK, 6TH BATTN. DUKE OF WELLINGTON’S (WEST RIDING REGT.) (T.F.). DIED NOVEMBER 5TH, 1918, OF WOUNDS RECEIVED ON NOVEMBER IST, AT FAMARS, NEAR VALENCIENNES. AGED 34. At the School 1898—1903 (Parkside). Capt. H. J. L. Willink was the husband of Mrs. H. J. L. Willink, of Endmoor, Kendal, Westmorland, and the youngest son of the late Rev. Arthur Willink. He married, in 1912, Maye, eldest daughter of Colonel J. W. Weston, M.P. for South Westmorland, and leaves two sons, Christopher Alfred, born in 1913, and Peter John, born in 1915. Entering the School in September, 1898, he was in the Engineering Sixth for his last two years, and left in the summer of 1903, having been a House Praepostor since September, 1901, and a School Praepostor since September, 1902. He was in the XV. in 1901 and 1902 and Captain in the latter year, being described in the characters of the XV. as ” a successful and popular captain” and ” a three-quarter well above the average . . . with the great merit of running straight.” In 1903 he was Captain of the Boat Club and stroked the School IV. He was in the Shooting VIII. for four years, 1900 to 1903, and Captain in 1901. In 1903, under the captaincy of G. R. Dain, the VIII. wc n the Ashburton Shield with a record total of 500, 28 points above the previous record, to which he contributed the second best score, 64 (34 and 30), out of a H.P. of 70). On leaving School he went up to Caius College, Cambridge, where he was in the XV. He also played on occasion for the Cambridge University XV. and for Blackheath. Soon after the outbreak of war he enlisted in the 16th (Public Schools) Service Battn. of the Duke of Cambridge’s Own Middlesex Regiment at Kempton Park. On January 18th, 1915, he received a commission in the 6th Battn. of the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regt.) (T.F.). He was promoted Temporary Captain, September 7th, 1915, and, with this rank, was training men in England for nearly two years, till he went out to the 9th (Service) Battn. in France as Acting Captain in January, 1917. On April 30th he transferred from this Service Battalion to the l/6th, his own Territorial Battalion. On July 20th, 1917, he was promoted to full Lieutenant, with precedence September 5th, 1916, and was Acting Captain (Additional), July 20th to October 24th, and again from November 18th to January 25th, 1918. He again became Acting Captain, in command of a Company, on April 27th, 1918, and was leading his men in the attack at Famars, near Valenciennes, on November 1st, 1918, when he received a machine-gun bullet in the leg. He died of septic poisoning four days later in No. 30 Casualty Clearing Station, on November 5th. His Colonel wrote to Mrs. Willink :— ” Your husband was leading his Company forward in the most gallant manner when he was hit, and it was largely owing to his excellent leadership that his Company did so very well and that our attack was such a success.”

1962

Albert G Brighton

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