Horace Cornthwaite Mason

Rank 
Private
Regiment 
London Regiment (London Scottish)
Date of death 
11 May 1917
Age of death 
19
Address 
Venn House
63 Cleveland Road
Ilford
IG1 1EE
Address source 
1911 Census
Cemetery / Memorial 
France
Biography 

Horace was born on 3rd September 1897 and attended Ilford County High School between 13th September 1910 and 29th July 1914. His father, William’s occupation was recorded on his school registration as ‘Master Builder and Carpenter etc.’ He Cleveland School prior to joining Ilford County High School.

He was a keen sportsman and a member of the 1914 school athletics team that won the Russell Cup. In 1926, the headmaster, Mr Diggins described him as, ‘possibly our finest high jumper.’

Horace passed the London Matriculation Examination in 1914 and left school to take up a post as a bank clerk. He would have started his first job just as war was being declared.

Horace served with the 14th Battalion of the London Regiment (London Scottish) and his service number was 512718. He died on 11th May 1917 and has a special memorial in the Tank Cemetery, Guemappe.

Research by Andrew Emeny, History Teacher at ICHS

Sources:

Ancestry.com

ICHS school records and magazines

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Note

Ilford County High School started life as the Park Higher Grade School in 1901 in Balfour Road, Ilford. It was renamed Ilford County High School (or initially County High School, Ilford) in the years after the school’s management was transferred from Ilford School Board to Essex Education Committee in 1904.