Current Information:

Age-19

20, St Swithin's Lane, King William Street

St. Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France

18th Division, including 12th Middlesex of 54 Brigade, arrived in France at end of July, 1915 and after a period of training moved to the Somme area, recently taken over from the French Army. On 8th January, 1916, 12th Middlesex left their billets in Meaulte and moved into the nearby front line trenches, D1. On that afternoon, 2 officers were out inspecting the German wire, when they were spotted by the enemy and fired on. Lieutenant Spencer Ponsonby was severely wounded in the thigh and he died 2 days later having been evacuated to a hospital in Rouen.