Hugh Champneys Thurston

Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church

Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps

Medals: 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, Companion of the Order of Bath (CB) Medal, Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) Medal, King’s South Africa Medal, Queens South Africa Medal, Victory Medal

Rank and number: Colonel

Parents: Obed Edward and Louisa Margaret Thurston

Marital status: Married

Home address: Home Address: Kington, Thornbury, Bristol Lived: St Margaret's, Babbacombe, Devon

Pre-war occupation: Army Medical Officer

Date of birth: 14/03/1862

Place of birth: Thornbury, Bristol

Date of death: 17/08/1919

Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Thornbury Cemetery and commemorated on a plaque inside St Mary’s Church Thornbury as well as at The Royal Memorial Chapel, Sandhurst Military Academy.

Age: 57

Further information:

Hugh was born in Thornbury, the son of a solicitor and landowner, and a middle child of six children with four brothers and a sister. Hugh entered the Army Medical Service in 1887 and married Susie Steele, a doctor's daughter from Clifton, in 1896. During the Boer War (1899-1902) he served as a Major in the 11 Bearer Company Royal Army Medical Corps and was Mentioned in Despatches. He was also awarded the King's Medal, the Queen's Medal and the CMG (Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George) Medal. Hugh held the position of Deputy Assistant Director of the Army Medical Service from 1904 to 1908 and the 1911 census shows him as stationed in Bermuda. Hugh saw active service throughout WW1 and he was Mentioned in Despatches for a second time as well as being awarded the CB (Companion of the Order of Bath) Medal. Hugh died ten months after the Armistice and his death was registered in Newton Abbot. The cause of his death is not known but the inscription on his memorial at Sandhurst Academy reads “Died as a result of war service”.

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/