In the Hazebrouck Communal Cemetery, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 1830 Private Edward Rust serving with the 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment who died 30/04/1915.
It carries an unusual amount of wording. It reads:
1830 Private
Edward Rust
Yorkshire Regiment
30th April 1915 age 19.
Seriously wounded while
advancing with his regiment
in the fighting near
St. Julien Sat. April 24, 1915.
He was taken to the field
hospital but was so eager to
uphold the honour of his
regiment and to serve his
country that he returned next
day to the firing line and
remained with his comrades
until they were relieved and
died on April 30th courageous
to the end and beloved by
all who knew him.
Edward Rust was born 10th October 1895, at Gateshead, Durham, the eldest son of the Reverend Edward Rust, M.A., B.D., Vicar of Hamsteels, Durham, and his wife Sarah Gregson, daughter of Edward Horatio Thew, of Gateshead.
Edward was educated at Scorton Grammar School, Yorkshire. Whilst a student there, he enlisted in the Yorkshire Territorials at Catterick in March 1914. On the outbreak of war he volunteered for foreign service.
Edward was sent to France on the 17th April 1915, and was wounded twice whilst charging with his regiment on the 24th April at St Julien. He was taken to the Field Hospital, but later returned to the firing line the following evening, where he remained until his regiment was relieved on the 29th April. He died from his wounds just as he left the trenches and is buried in Hazebrouck Cemetery.
Captain Maughan later wrote:- “The youngest man in my company, he shared in all the arduous duties and marches, and I never knew him utter a complaint.”
The Consett Guardian 21/05/1915 reports:-
Private E. Rust of Hamsteels
Private E. Rust whose death is announced was the son of the Rev. E. Rust of Hamsteels Vicarage and of Hamsterley (sic) Colliery. He joined the 4th Yorks with three or four other school friends whilst still a student at Scorton Grammar School last year. He finished school in July and was to have gone to Durham University in October with a view to entering the Church which had been his ambition from childhood. At the outbreak of war, he volunteered for the front and after training at Darlington and Newcastle went from there on April 17th last. On Saturday 24th April he was wounded whilst charging with his regiment at St Julien and was helped back to the dressing station, but was so eager to uphold the honour of his company that he returned to the firing line on the 25th and remained there with his battalion in trenches for five days and six nights and only came back out of range on the 4th inst. He died in hospital two days later. He was so cheerful and hopeful that his comrades did not think the wound was serious.
A tablet was erected to his memory by the scholars of the Scorton Grammar School, now closed) and was unveiled by the Reverend W. Kerr Smith, Governor of the School, on the 29th July, 1915. A Stained Glass Window Q2.03, was placed to his memory in Hamsteels (Quebec) Parish Church.
Source: De Ruvigny Roll of Honour
Seventeen Old Boys were among those who fell in the war. On Speech Day, 1919 a memorial plaque to them was unveiled by Colonel (later Sir) M.J. Wilson, who had been Chairman of the Governors from 1907 until 1911. The Memorial which existed on a corridor wall in school until its final years.
Most members of staff left for war service, and in the Spring Term of 1916 a Cadet Corps was formed, affiliated to the 4th Battalion Alexandra Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment (later the Green Howards). All boys were compelled to join this corps which flourished during the war years and for many years afterwards.”
The words on his CWGC headstone cost his father £4 13 shillings. John Kvalheim who submitted the photograph of the headstone asked the CWGC about the amount of script and received the following reply:
“Hello John, unfortunately we don’t have the files of the period (these were destroyed during WW2) to be able to give you a specific reason behind this decision. However, it appears the family made a special case for this which exceptionally the Commission agreed to. Thanks, CWGC.”
Edward Rust is remembered at Quebec on Q2.03 and Q2.06.
