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Second Lieutenant Francis Ernest Gallichan
North Staffordshire Regiment, attd.
99th Bn., Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
27/07/1916
The youngest of the five sons of Francis Grandin
Gallichan and Alice Jane Gallichan (nee Le Boutillier),
of 2 Killowen, First Tower, St. Helier. One of two brothers
who both fell in 1916.
Killed in action, aged 22 years
NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post of Thursday 10 August
1916
Reported Missing. Today's Casualty List
contains the name of 2nd Lieutenant F E Gallichan of
the Machine Gun Corps amongst the missing. Lieutenant
Gallichan is the son of Mr F G Gallichan of St Aubins
Road who we trust will shortly receive news of his son's
safety.
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NEWS ITEM in Jersey
Evening Post of Thursday 14 June 1917
Roll of Honour. We feel sure that the whole
of the residents of Jersey will be at one with us in offering
to Mr & Mrs F G Gallichan of Killowen, First Tower,
deep and sincere sympathy in the sorrow that has just
come upon them. Of their family of five sons four have
been serving His Majesty since the early days of the war
and for many months the family have been experiencing
great anxiety of mind concerning the two younger ones,
from whom they had heard nothing in one instance since
July last, and in the other since the month of September.
Naturally they have been tireless in their enquiries to
gain tidings of their boys and they have been in communication
with comrades of both, with the Records Office of the
Regiments to which they were attached, with the War Office
and they had even made application both to the American
YMCA officials in Berlin and to Mr Gerard, the former
USA Ambassador in Germany, with a view to enquiries being
made in the enemy country as to whether they were amongst
the British who had been taken prisoner on the field of
battle, but all these enquiries have proved fruitless,
though many of the letters received from comrades of their
lads, and even from official sources, held out hope to
them that though both had been posted as missing there
was a great probability of their having been made prisoners.
Doubt however has been set at rest by the communication
which Mr Gallichan received from the War Office a few
days ago in which the deepest sympathy was expressed with
the parents of both 2nd Lieutenant F E Gallichan and of
Private R J Gallichan, whom they now must presume as having
laid down their lives for their Country, in the former
case at Delville Wood on 27 July 1916 and in the latter
at Thiepval on 26 September 1916. Lieutenant Francis Ernest
Gallichan was the youngest son of the family and if he
had lived would have been 23 last January. After being
educated at Oxenford House School he entered the service
of Parrs Bank and finally received an appointment at Kingston-upon-Thames.
Early in January 1915 he was given a commission in the
North Staffordshire Regiment and leaving England with
the troops to be employed in the Spring Offensive of 1916
he fought throughout that campaign. On 27 July he was
wounded in one of his legs in the fight for Delville Wood
and was last seen by some of his brother officers lying
in a dug out. After the battle a party was sent to bring
him in but it was found that the dug out had been blown
in and it is evident that it was at that moment that he
lost his life, though as they had not found his body and
those of other men who were known to have been with him
in the dug out were recovered it was thought that he might
have been captured by the enemy who at one time of the
engagement actually held that part of the line. Private
Raymond John Gallichan was the fourth son who, like all
his brothers, was also educated at Oxenford House School
and would have attained his 26th birthday this coming
July. On leaving school he entered the services of the
Capital and Counties Bank and after holding appointments
at several branches was made cashier of Petersfield branch.
During 1915 he made up his mind to serve his Country as
his three brothers were doing and he joined the Royal
Fusiliers (Bankers Battalion) and as a Private of that
Corps went to France. He and a number of his comrades
were, however, transferred to the 12th Middlesex Battalion,
with which he was fighting on 26 September at Thiepval.
During the course of the battle he received a wound in
one of his arms and this was bound up by a comrade who
advised him to go to a Dressing Station, however he did
not and his body was not found subsequently on the battlefield,
and he was posted officially missing. Until the last War
Office communication reached them the parents were in
hope that he might also still be alive, though in the
hands of the enemy. The bitterness of the grief of the
parents after nearly 12 months of ceaseless suspense can
be fully realised and we feel sure that they will have
the sympathy of all and in the days to come will be cheered
by the fact that their sons gave their lives on the field
of battle to help free the present and future generations
of all nationalities from the tyranny of the Huns and,
we hope, from the horrors of war
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