Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 128

R USSIA 1919

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR

Name ROGER JAMES CHOLMELEY (Captain)

Lef SES 1890

Set / House -

Roll Number 597 Died 16:08:1919

Arrive SES 1885

Where LAKE ONEGA, RUSSIA Serving with CHESHIRE REGIMENT

Age 47

Buried No known grave Remembered The Archangel Memorial, Dvine Estuary, Russia, The St. Edward’s Cloisters Memorial

Born 1872 in Swaby, Lincolnshire, the son of a clergyman. While at the School (and afterwards) was considered one of the School’s most outstanding Classical Scholars ever. He had won a Classical Scholarship to the School and won numerous academic prizes during his time at St. Edward’s. He was a School Prefect and coxed the School Rowing IV 1888-1890. He was in the VIth Form. He went up to Christ Church, Oxford winning many notable Classical prizes and a 1st Class Degree in 1894. He coxed his College crews 1891-43. After leaving University he worked as an Assistant Master in Manchester and London before volunteering for the Boer War with the Imperial Yeomanry (Rough Riders) winning the King’s South African Medal. He remained in Africa after the war, appointed Classical Professor at Rhodes College before moving onto Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia in high and eminent roles 1910-15. He returned to England in 1915 and was commissioned in the 13th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment and went to France. He was badly wounded in April 1916 ‘in six places’ and returned to Oxford for treatment. Promoted to Lieutenant in June 1917 and awarded the Military Cross (MC) after going through the thick of the fighting at Messines. Promoted to Captain in October 1918. After the end of the war he volunteered to join the ill-fated British Campaign in Russia to support the ‘White’ Russian forces and was drowned in Lake Onega ‘while checking his machine guns on deck during a storm’. His body was never recovered.