Captain Charles Beauclerk Despard DSO MC, was killed in action on 18 April 1918, aged 37.

He was the son of William and Mary Despard of 'Sheelagh' Malone Park, Belfast, and husband of Josephine Despard of The Acacias, Portarlington, Queens County.

As Captain Despard has no known grave, he is commemorated at
Tyne Cot Memorial, Panel 3.

Although Despard is commemorated as an officer of the Inniskilling Dragoons, he was serving with the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, when he was killed. He was originally with the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons (Service Squadron), then the 2nd Regiment North Irish Horse. (For further biographical details, see below.)

The Battalion diary of 18 April 1918 states:

Moved to Kemmel as composite Battalion with 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Kelly. Heavy casualties, while moving into position, from enemy shelling. Captain Despard wounded and died soon after.

The following biographical information is sourced from Alan Curragh's website Inst in the Great War: The Fallen of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution. http://www.instgreatwar.com. I am grateful for his agreement that I reproduce it here.

Charles was born in Cultra on 31st December 1880, the son of William and Mary Despard of "Sheelagh" Malone Park Belfast (Mary was the daughter of Col. Arthur Hunt RA). After attending Inst, he enlisted into The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1899 and served as a Private and Corporal. He then joined the Imperial Yeomanry (Corporal 9364) for service in the Boer War and served with 46th Company, 13th Battalion. Charles was commissioned into the Imperial Yeomanry on 1 April 1900 and served with 74th Battalion. He was mentioned in dispatched by Col. Parris in 1901.

Charles went to Canada in 1909 and settled at Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, to work as a rancher. Ivan Crossley was an Irish emigrant and a founding member of the community of Lloydminster. In his memoirs he recounted his meeting with Charles Despard in Canada in 1910:

“I had always liked the job of handling horses and stock of all kinds so I was soon up to my neck in the business of buying and selling and doing very well. I had five livery teams and used to drive the police and doctors all over the country. I started a cartage business in town, hauling stores and produce from the railroad depot to the different stores. Business grew with the town and I soon found myself almost snowed under looking after everything. One evening during the winter I was doing my books at the office when a team drove up and needed stabling for the night. It was about 40 degrees below and the driver was very cold and hungry, having driven down from Edmonton, some 200 miles to the west. I got him into the warm office after stabling and feeding his horses. We started talking and I soon detected that he was an Irishman like myself. Very soon it developed that he too had come from Belfast and had been out in the woods near Edmonton working at a lumber camp. He had previously been in the Lloydminster district and had taken up a homestead but could not afford to stay at that time. He had come back to "put in his time" as required by the government. I asked his name and was told it was "Despard." "Not Charlie Despard, surely," I said. "Yes," he said and who was I? I soon told him and we found that we had attended the same school and church many years ago and we knew one another’s families. I took Charlie into partnership with me in the business and we worked together many years and made money for us both. He was a born soldier and had fought in the Boer War. When the First World War broke out he was a reservist in the Enniskillen Dragoons so nothing could stop him from leaving at once to join his old regiment. He said he would go and that I should remain at home and look after his share of the business while he was away. Charlie had no wife at that time, so was free to go if he thought it his duty. He had married his old sweetheart in the south of Ireland during one of his leaves. Years later when I took my family to Ireland we visited his wife at Killkenny. She was proud to show us his war mementoes and medals. I eventually bought out his share in our business at a satisfactory price to his wife and myself.”

Charles returned to England on the outbreak of war in August 1914 and volunteered for active service. He was commissioned into the Service Squadron of the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons as a Lieutenant on 19 October 1914 and served in 36th (Ulster) Division until June 1916, and then in the 2nd Regiment North Irish Horse. He was appointed Captain 30 October 1915.

During this time, as Ivan Crossley mentions, he married Josephine Madden, eldest daughter of the Rev Robert Madden of the Acacias, Portarlington, Queen‘s County, and the late rector of Kilgomanny, County Kilkenny. The wedding took place on 20th February 1915 and Charles and Josephine moved into Marshfield House, Leixlip, Co Kildare.

When the Regiment was absorbed into the 9th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers in September 1917, Despard was put in command of D Company. He took part in the fighting near Cambrai in November 1917 and in the retreat from St Quentin 21-29 March 1918, during this time earning both a Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order. The citations for these read as follows:

Military Cross - Moeuvres, 23 November 1917: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During the attack he commanded his company with the greatest skill and gallantry, clearing a portion of the village on the flank of the battalion. At dusk, seeing that he was in danger of being cut off, he withdrew his own and two other companies, evacuated all the wounded, and held a line south of the village. During all this time he moved about under very heavy machine-gun fire, regardless of personal danger, and displayed the greatest coolness and courage.

Distinguished Service Order - Withdrawal from St Quentin from 22-27 March 1918: For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. During five days of retirement, while as second-in-command of the battalion, he throughout displayed very high qualities as a leader. While in command of the rearguard the gallantry and determination with which he disputed the ground was largely responsible for the safe withdrawal of the rest of the main body.

Charles was killed on Kemmel Hill on 18 April 1918 by shellfire, aged 37, when the Battalion suffered heavy casualties while moving into positioning. He was buried in Kemmel Cemetery, but his grave was subsequently lost.

Ivan Crossley wrote of Charles death, “I lost the best friend I ever had. My wife and children also loved him and we all felt the loss terribly.”