Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 216

W ORLD W AR II

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

Name DOUGLAS NELSON MATCHAM (Capt)

Lef SES 1936

Roll Number 2683 Died 01:08:1943

Set / House C

Arrive SES 1931

Where SHILLONG, INDIA Serving with 1ST, SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS

Age 25

Buried Bhowanipore Cemetery, Calcutta, India Remembered St. Anslem’s Church, Hatch End, Book of Remembrance and The St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial Born London 1918. He was a House Prefect, a member of the School’s Rugby Football XV 1935 and the Athletics team. A Lance-Corporal in the OTC and the Special Form on leaving. ‘Though never excelling, except in athletics, he was in fact one of that body in the School who exerts an influence much more potent than is to be expected and which, to a large extent, sets the tone of the School - the rank and the file of the serious. His unfailing good humour and his gay and almost light-hearted attitude to life made him a most pleasant and unifying influence in the House. He will be remembered, therefore, more for what he was than his scholarship achievements, but he became a very good runner, hurdler and high jumper and he competed at Stamford Bridge in all these events’(Chronicle)’ After leaving the School he joined The Surrey & Valuation Company where he remained from 1936-8. When war was declared he was commissioned in the Seaforth Highlanders rising to the rank of Captain by 1943. Posted to India he was attached to the Headquarters 23rd Indian Division, at Imphal on the North East Border with Burma. During this time he died of an (undefined) illness while in service and was buried in Calcutta.