Also commemorated at Great Malvern Priory

Early years

Cyril Foxwell was born in March 1894, the eldest son of Caleb Foxwell, draper and tailor of Anglesea House, Malvern and his wife Laura.  He was christened at Holy Trinity Church, North Malvern on 14th May 1894, one of five brothers and sisters.

He attended Worcester Royal Grammar School from 1908 to 1910. After leaving school he was employed by Messrs Mann & Sons, Builders’ Ironmongers of Worcester.  In 1911 the family were living at Birchwood, Hornyold Road, North Malvern.

First World War

Cyril enlisted in August 1914 into the Army Veterinary Corps and landed in France in April 1915, probably as a member of the 48th Divisional Mobile Veterinary Section, before being sent to Egypt on attachment to the 5th Mounted Brigade, which included the 1/1st Worcestershire Yeomanry.  

The Defence of Qatia

Cyril Foxwell was killed when Turkish forces surrounded men of the Worcestershire and Gloucestershire Yeomanry at Qatia who were guarding engineers digging wells. A large number of yeomen were killed or taken prisoner during this action.  Cyril was killed in action whilst attached to the Worcestershire Yeomanry during a 6 hour battle against huge Turkish forces.   An Officer who had known him wrote

“He was an excellent soldier and will be sadly missed both by the section and by myself”.

Cyril’s death was reported to his family in May 1916.

Cyril Foxwell’s entry in Marquis De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour

Commemoration

Cyril Foxwell’s body was buried where he fell, but was not recovered after the war.  Today he is commemorated on the Jerusalem Memorial.  This memorial, located within Jerusalem War Cemetery commemorates the  3,300 Commonwealth servicemen who died during the First World War in operations in Egypt or Palestine and who have no known grave.  

Jerusalem Memorial

The memorial was designed by Sir John Burnet, with sculpture by Gilbert Bayes. In addition, the mosaic in the Memorial Chapel was designed by Robert Anning Bell. The Memorial was unveiled by Lord Allenby and Sir James Parr on 7 May 1927.

1911 Census
Malvern News 15/5/1916
De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour
Rogers, Mark "In Dedication to a Future World" 1999