Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Poingdestre
Commander 2nd Battalion Royal Militia
of the Island of Jersey
11/02/1915
Born in France. Son of Charles T & Frances Maria
Poingdestre.
Died of Influenza and pneumonia at his home, Silvertide,
Havre des Pas, Jersey, aged 54 years. Educated at Victoria
College, Jersey.
Notice of Death appears in Jersey Evening
Post of Thursday 11 February 1915
Commemorated on OV Memorial
Halkett Place Primary School Memorial
and on St Luke's Church Memorial
NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post
of Thursday 18 February 1915
The funeral of the late Lieutenant Colonel
A Poingdestre, Officer Commanding 2nd or East Battalion
RMIJ who died at his residence Silvertide, Havre des
Pas on Thursday last took place on 17 February with
full Military Honours. The weather was most unfavourable
and during the early part of the sad ceremony heavy
rain fell adding seemingly additional sadness to the
occasion. The gun carriage bearing the coffin covered
with the Union Jack on which rested the deceased officer's
side arms left the house at 3 o'clock followed by two
mourning coaches. On arrival at the church the cortege
was received by the men of the East Battalion (his former
command) under Major Walton, a detachment of the 11th
South Staffs, one from the 4th South Staffs and a small
contingent of the Victoria College Officers Training
Corps. The coffin, which was of solid oak with brass
mounts bore the inscription on the breast plate "Alfred
Poingdestre Lieutenant Colonel. Died 11 February 1915
aged 54 years." The procession was met at the
church gates by the Reverend Walker (Incumbent of St
Lukes), the Reverend R D D Love (Gouray), the Reverend
Pinel (Curate of St Lukes Church) and the church choir.
As the procession entered the church the funeral march
was played. The service, which was fully choral, was
most impressive the duties being shared by the Reverend
Walker and the Reverend Pinel. The two hymns "On
the Resurrection Morning" and "Now the Labourers
Task is O'er" were sung and the first portion of
the service was brought to a conclusion. By this time
the crowd outside had swollen enormously and though
rain still fell it was not so heavy. Under the direction
of Centenier A Luxon a force of paid policemen kept
the route clear and kept order outside the church. The
coffin having been replaced on the gun carriage the
procession moved off. Slowly the cortege moved to the
strains of the Dead March in Saul and on arriving in
Colomberie the order was given to quick march. On arriving
in Hill Street the slow march was resumed and Beethoven's
Funeral March was played. Arriving in Charing Cross
the quick pace was again taken up and the procession
only slowed down on arrival near the new Mont a l'Abbe
Cemetery where Chopin's Funeral March was played. The
public were not admitted to the Cemetery, but a good
view of the ceremony was obtained from the roadway.
The officers took up a position near the graveside,
a firing party near the railings which skirt the roadway
and the various contingents in the places allotted to
them. The East Battalion in particular lining the pathway
leading from the gates to the last resting place of
their former respected Commander. The coffin was borne
on the shoulders of four Colour Sergeants of the East
Permanent Staff. The committal service at the graveside
was most impressively read by the Reverend R D Love.
We might add that the only floral tributes were one
from the family and one from the Officers, NCOs and
men of the East Battalion.
Accepted for commemoration by the
Commonwealth War Graves Commission in June 2011
Commonwealth
War Graves Commission Certificate
