Photo: Andrew Whittaker

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour Vol 3 page 106

Douglas Charles Fox was born on the 8th March 1885, at 56 Wellington Road, Old Charlton, Kent, the son of the late George Clement Fox, of Old Charlton, Kent, and his wife Mrs Fox of 4 Eastbrook Road, Blackheath, London. S.E. He was the Captain of the Old Colfeian Tennis Club.

He was educated at the Colfe Grammar School in Lewisham.

Douglas enlisted into the 28th Battalion, (Artist Rifles) London Regiment on the 4th September 1914 as a Private, service number 2395. Sent to France and Flanders on the 20th February 1915. Whilst in France he passed through the Artist Rifles O.T.C. and was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers on the 15th August 1915.

He joined that Battalion on the 23rd August, and was wounded on the 25th September 1915, in the final engagement of the Second Battle of Ypres known as the Second Attack on Bellewaarde, which served as a diversionary action to the main ‘push’ which started that day at Loos.

By March 1916 he recovered enough to re-join his battalion. Douglas was killed in action at Delville Wood, Sunday, 23rd July 1916 during the Battle of the Somme aged 31. On the day of his death, the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers led an attack from west of Longueval starting at 3.40 am. They initially made good progress through the northern part of Longueval and into Delville Wood but came up against heavy machine gun fire from the front and left forcing them to withdraw. [first to Piccadily and eventually to their starting place in Pont Street]. He was killed in action on the 23rd July 1916. He was unmarried.

De Ruvigny Roll of Honour

With thanks to Andrew Whittaker

Douglas Charles Fox is remembered in Alnwick in A11.43, page 7

Caterpillar Cemetery In Memory
Delville Wood Roll of Honour
War Graves Photographic Project
London on Line War Memorial
The CWGC entry for 2nd Lieutenant Fox