Menin Gate Memorial Panel 5
‘B’ Squadron, 20th Hussars, 5th Cavalry Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division
Age 19
KIA 30.10.14
Son of Charles Robert Sydenham Carew MP and Muriel Mary Heathcoat (Amroy) Carew, Colliepriest House, Warnicombe, Tiverton, Devon. Charles was Conservative MP for Tiverton from 1915 to 1922 and he was also a Justice of the Peace for Devon. They had two sons and three daughters.
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Early Life
Francis was born on 4 March 1895 in Tiverton. He attended to Winchester College in 1908 where he was a House Prefect and a member of the Boat Club Committee and rowed for his house. He went to the Royal Military College Sandhurst in 1912. He joined the 20th Hussars and was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant on 25 February 1914. He went to France on 18 August 1914.
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His Death
The 5th Cavalry Brigade was heavily involved in the First Battle of Ypres and were holding the line between Messines and Hollebeke in front of Oosttaverne Ridge.
At 6.30am on 30 October, the 20th Hussars came under heavy shell fire and the Germans began their advance at 9.30am. As the enemy advanced in strength and other units were retiring the order was given for the 20th Hussars to retire at 3.35pm during this retirement Francis was killed in action at Oosttaverne. The War Diary records that his body had to be abandoned along with others.
The War Diary recorded the casualties for the 30 October as:
