Hubert William Corke

Born on 1st November 1893 in Bradenstoke, Wiltshire, Hubert was the eldest son of the three children of Rev. Hubert Alfred and Louisa Alice Corke. His father became Vicar of Holy Apostles Church, and the family lived in the vicarage at Hales Road, Cheltenham and latterly at Swindon Rectory. There is a plaque to Hubert in St. Lawrence Church, Swindon village.

Hubert was educated at Christ’s Hospital School, London and at Cheltenham Grammar School and studied at Faraday House, an Electrical Engineering College in London. He had signed on for a four year course and spent his second year working for Fielding and Platt, Atlas Works, Gloucester. However, before starting his third year, war was declared and he suspended his course.

Hubert initially enlisted in the Public Schools Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment in September 1914 and received a commission in December 1914 in the Gloucestershire Regiment. Following training in Cheltenham whilst temporarily attached to the 11th (Service) Battalion of the Regiment, Hubert rejoined his unit and crossed to France on 16th October 1915. The 10th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment had suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Loos which saw the deaths of many Cheltenham men.

From February 1916 Hubert was attached to the Trench Mortar Section of ‘C’ Company and was killed in action at Hulloch, France whilst directing the line of mortar fire in the trenches, south of Loos. A fellow officer, who himself was later killed, wrote to Hubert’s parents “Never was an officer more willing or ready to do his duty thus you have lost the noblest and most upright of your sons, I have lost the very best of pals and the regiment the best of officers.”

In Cheltenham, Hubert is commemorated on the Cheltenham war memorial, at Pates Grammar School and in Holy Apostles Church.