Lieutenant Vincent Harcourt Stiles
1/24th (County of London) Battalion (The Queen’s) London Regiment, attached Machine Gun Corps
Killed in Action
Date of Birth: 1882
Place of Birth: Paddington, London
Date of Death: 20 September 1917 aged 35
Buried: Aeroplane Cemetery, Belgium; remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael’s Church, Teignmouth, Devon
Awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Lieutenant Vincent Harcourt Stiles age 35.
Born in Paddington 1882, son of William, a civil servant, and Rose. In 1891 and 1901 Vincent was living with his family in Brentford, in 1901 he was working as a copyist in the civil service.
The family lived at Teignmouth for a short time during the 1890’s as both of Vincent’s younger sisters were born there. He attended King’s College and Birkbeck College, and is shown on the Roll of Honour for London Universities.
He married Ethel Colbourne in 1907 and was living with her in Carshalton, Surrey in 1911; he was working as an Assistant Accountant with the War Office.
24th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (The Queen's)
Cap Badge © IWM (INS 7263)
Vincent joined the University of London Officers Training Corps as a Cadet; he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in January 1916 with 24th Battalion, London Regiment. Later attached to the Machine Gun Corps he was serving with them when he was killed in action at Ypres at the battle of Menin Road on 20 September 1917.
Buried in Aeroplane Cemetery, Belgium; remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. Michael’s Church, Teignmouth, Devon.
Probate granted to his widow in November 1917, his estate totalled £2,367.3s.4d. His widow applied for his medals in 1922.
Clipping relating to Vincent's will
“Lt Vincent Harcourt Stiles of London Regt attached to machine gun corps was killed in action on 20 September. Family well known in Teignmouth.”
Teignmouth Post - 12 October.
Memorial St Michaels Church
